SPORTS. ALL RIGHT, GUYS, THANK YOU. WELL, SOCIAL MEDIA GOING WILD OVER THE CONDITIONS AT PAYCOR STADIUM TODAY. MANY FANS ARRIVED TO FIND THEIR SEATS WERE BURIED UNDERNEATH ICY SNOW. AND WLWT NEWS FIVE’S KAREN JOHNSON IS LIVE OUTSIDE PAYCOR. WITH WHAT THOSE AT THE GAME ARE SAYING. KAREN? WELL, HEY GUYS, IT WAS MIXED REACTIONS FROM BENGALS FANS WHO WERE AT THE GAME TODAY. IT WAS A BITTER COLD GAME, THE COLDEST SOME FANS SAY THEY’VE EVER BEEN TO HERE AT PAYCOR STADIUM. AND WHEN THEY WALKED INSIDE, THEY CLEARLY WERE NOT PREPARED TO HAVE THEIR SEATS FILLED WITH SNOW. THESE PHOTOS OF FANS IN THE STANDS SHOW THE SNOW COVERED SEATS. ONE PERSON ON SOCIAL MEDIA POKING FUN AT THE TEAM, WRITING WHO DAY TEARS MELT SNOW. ANOTHER PERSON SAYING WE ARE NOT PAYING GOOD MONEY TO SIT IN SEATS THAT ARE FILLED WITH SNOW. AND THEN THERE ARE THOSE DEFENDING THE BENGALS SAYING, WHEN WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT? DIDN’T STOP SNOWING UNTIL LATE LAST NIGHT. SOME FANS WE SPOKE TO WEREN’T SURPRISED, BUT OTHERS SAY YEAH, THEY WERE. NO NOT REALLY. I MEAN, I WAS KIND OF EXPECTING THAT. I MEAN, THAT’S A LOT OF SEATS TO UNCOVER, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE GAME. SO BUT YEAH, WE JUST DID OURSELVES PRETTY EASY, MAN. I WAS HONESTLY SHOCKED. THEY WEREN’T EVEN CLEAR BECAUSE THINKING ABOUT OTHER TEAMS THAT GO THROUGH SNOW ALL THE TIME, CONSTANTLY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, GREEN BAY OR, YOU KNOW, ANY TEAM THAT’S GOING THROUGH SNOW BILLS. USUALLY I’M THINKING LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS SEATS ARE GOING TO BE CLEAN AT LEAST. MAYBE THE FIELDS GOT SNOW ON IT, BUT NO, IT HONESTLY SHOCKED ME THAT THERE WAS STILL SNOW ON SEATS. AND ACCORDING TO LEAGUE POLICY, EACH HOME CLUB IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING SNOW AND ICE FROM THE STADIUM BEFORE ALL GAMES. THAT RULE APPLIES TO THE PLAYING FIELD, SIDELINES, SEATING, BOWL, AISLES AND MORE. IT DID JUST GET A STATEMENT FROM BENGALS SAYING IN PART, THE FIELD SIDELINES, AISLES AND WALKWAYS WERE PRIORITIZED AND APPROPRIATELY CLEANED THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL OCCURRED OVERNIGHT, WHICH RESULTED IN MINIMAL ACCUMULATION WITHIN THE STADIUM BOWL. MITIGATION EFFORTS WERE IMPLEMENTED TO ENSURE THE FIELDS AND STADIUM WERE READY FOR THE GAME. STADIUM PERSONNEL ASSISTED FANS AT THEIR SEATS AS NECESSARY. REPORTING LIVE T
Bengals appear to violate NFL rules by leaving stands of Paycor Stadium full of snow during game
Updated: 2:35 PM EST Dec 15, 2025
No matter how you slice it, Sunday was one of the roughest days yet for Bengals fans this season.During the game, Cincinnati was eliminated from playoff contention for a third consecutive year after losing 24-0 to the Baltimore Ravens, with the disappointing result marking the first time that the Bengals had been shut out by an opponent since 2017.The game was also one of the coldest in franchise history for fans who were brave enough to come out to see it in person on Sunday, with temperatures at kickoff hovering around 10 degrees.However, if that wasn’t enough, fans also arrived to their seats with another surprise waiting for them: many parts of Paycor Stadium’s stands were fully covered with snow, with attendees having to brush off about five inches of accumulated snow off their seats for themselves.While an inconvenience to fans who purchased the seats, the lack of action by the Bengals on clearing the stands also appears to be a possible violation of the NFL’s rules regarding stadium upkeep.According to the NFL’s playing field specifications after snowstorms, “Each home club is responsible for having a snow removal plan in place and ensuring that its stadium has adequate snow removal equipment available. Snow and ice must be removed from the stadium before all games. This applies to the playing field, sidelines, seating bowl, aisles, pedestrian ramps, walkways, parking lots, etc. This also applies to the sidelines; snow may not be pushed into piles and remain against stadium walls so that it interferes with standard game or sideline operations.”It is the specific portion of the rule that requires the “seating bowl” to be removed of snow that is raising particular attention. While the field and sidelines were seen to be removed of snow, many portions of the stands did not appear to have been touched by staff.In a statement to WLWT, a spokesperson for the Bengals responded to fan concerns over seating conditions at the game, saying, “The league’s football operations and security departments were in contact with the club and stadium personnel over the previous 48 hours regarding snow removal. The field, sidelines, aisles and walkways were prioritized and appropriately cleared through the weekend. Additional snowfall occurred overnight which resulted in minimal accumulation within the stadium bowl. Mitigation efforts were implemented to ensure the field and stadium were ready for the game. Stadium personnel assisted fans at their seats as necessary.”Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Hamilton County, which owns the stadium, declined to comment on the situation and directed attention to the Bengals, saying that operational control and upkeep of the stadium fully goes to the team in the 48 hours before a game.However, Hamilton County Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas took to Facebook after the game to speak out against the conditions at Paycor Stadium, writing, “I want to apologize to the Bengal fans that had to clean snow, out of their own seats. The Bengals have to do better !! I demand it and so does the NFL.”In interviews that WLWT conducted with fans who were leaving the stadium after the game, some said that the presence of snow in the stands reflected poorly on Bengals management.”Man, I was honestly shocked they weren’t even cleared,” said Gage Arvin, an attendee of the game. “Because think about it, other teams that go through snow all the time constantly like Green Bay or you know, any team that’s going through snow — Bills — usually I’m thinking like, seats are going to be clean at least. Maybe the field’s got snow on it, but no. It honestly shocked me that there was still snow on the seats.”Meanwhile other attendees, like Luke Kroener, said that they were unfazed by the snow.”No, not really,” said Kroener when asked if he was surprised by the seating conditions. “I mean, I was kind of expecting that. I mean, that’s a lot of seats to uncover, you know, before the game. But yeah, we just did it ourselves. It was pretty easy.”
CINCINNATI —
No matter how you slice it, Sunday was one of the roughest days yet for Bengals fans this season.
During the game, Cincinnati was eliminated from playoff contention for a third consecutive year after losing 24-0 to the Baltimore Ravens, with the disappointing result marking the first time that the Bengals had been shut out by an opponent since 2017.
The game was also one of the coldest in franchise history for fans who were brave enough to come out to see it in person on Sunday, with temperatures at kickoff hovering around 10 degrees.
However, if that wasn’t enough, fans also arrived to their seats with another surprise waiting for them: many parts of Paycor Stadium’s stands were fully covered with snow, with attendees having to brush off about five inches of accumulated snow off their seats for themselves.
While an inconvenience to fans who purchased the seats, the lack of action by the Bengals on clearing the stands also appears to be a possible violation of the NFL’s rules regarding stadium upkeep.
According to the NFL’s playing field specifications after snowstorms, “Each home club is responsible for having a snow removal plan in place and ensuring that its stadium has adequate snow removal equipment available. Snow and ice must be removed from the stadium before all games. This applies to the playing field, sidelines, seating bowl, aisles, pedestrian ramps, walkways, parking lots, etc. This also applies to the sidelines; snow may not be pushed into piles and remain against stadium walls so that it interferes with standard game or sideline operations.”
It is the specific portion of the rule that requires the “seating bowl” to be removed of snow that is raising particular attention. While the field and sidelines were seen to be removed of snow, many portions of the stands did not appear to have been touched by staff.
In a statement to WLWT, a spokesperson for the Bengals responded to fan concerns over seating conditions at the game, saying, “The league’s football operations and security departments were in contact with the club and stadium personnel over the previous 48 hours regarding snow removal. The field, sidelines, aisles and walkways were prioritized and appropriately cleared through the weekend. Additional snowfall occurred overnight which resulted in minimal accumulation within the stadium bowl. Mitigation efforts were implemented to ensure the field and stadium were ready for the game. Stadium personnel assisted fans at their seats as necessary.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Hamilton County, which owns the stadium, declined to comment on the situation and directed attention to the Bengals, saying that operational control and upkeep of the stadium fully goes to the team in the 48 hours before a game.
However, Hamilton County Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas took to Facebook after the game to speak out against the conditions at Paycor Stadium, writing, “I want to apologize to the Bengal fans that had to clean snow, out of their own seats. The Bengals have to do better !! I demand it and so does the NFL.”
In interviews that WLWT conducted with fans who were leaving the stadium after the game, some said that the presence of snow in the stands reflected poorly on Bengals management.
“Man, I was honestly shocked they weren’t even cleared,” said Gage Arvin, an attendee of the game. “Because think about it, other teams that go through snow all the time constantly like Green Bay or you know, any team that’s going through snow — Bills — usually I’m thinking like, seats are going to be clean at least. Maybe the field’s got snow on it, but no. It honestly shocked me that there was still snow on the seats.”
Meanwhile other attendees, like Luke Kroener, said that they were unfazed by the snow.
“No, not really,” said Kroener when asked if he was surprised by the seating conditions. “I mean, I was kind of expecting that. I mean, that’s a lot of seats to uncover, you know, before the game. But yeah, we just did it ourselves. It was pretty easy.”