The research focused on the fascination behind sporting venues being structures that rotate their population every day, providing a unique experience to users. Every sports and recreation facility is different, as it must meet the needs of the players, the fans, the sport(s) it houses, a team’s front office, the city in which the facility resides and the population it affects. Sports venues are routinely altered in order to adapt to the changing norms within society.

As society advances, so do stadia in order to accommodate changing technology and fan expectations. Fan behavior is ever-changing, and this study is directed to begin to understand how fans behave within different stadiums in relation to the design of the sports arena spaces.

Four case studies were performed on Wrigley Field, Heinz Field, AT&T Park, and Nippert Stadium. The stadiums were analyzed based on circulation, amenities, location, seating, opportunities, technology, architecture, and fans in order to compare and contrast their design features and fan behavior. Sports fan psychology theory was utilized to understand what drives fan behavior and how this can direct the design of the space.

The results of the research indicated that the stadium design could greatly impact human behavior. Designers, both architectural and interior, must be aware of the culture of the team, stadium, city, and fan base in order to be successful. Fan behavior is ever-changing and stadium design must keep up with evolution of technology, amenities, and fan preferences.