The NFL schedule just dropped, which means one thing: it's real now. The dates are locked in, the matchups are set, and somewhere in Denver, 76,000 people are already planning their Sundays around a team that finally has us believing again.
I've been going to Broncos games my whole life. More than that, I grew up inside Empower Field back when it was Sports Authority and before that, when it was INVESCO Field. My dad spent 20 years in premium seating, with the last stretch as the manager of the club level. I started working there myself at 14, running food to clubs and suites, and didn't stop until I was 19. Between the two of us, we've probably seen more of that building than 99% of people on this planet.
So when I say there's stuff you're missing, I mean it. Here's where to start.
Most people pull into the parking lot, find their spot, and make a straight line for the gate. Completely understandable. Also a mistake.
Take ten minutes and walk the complex first.
The Ring of Fame Plaza on the south end is where you want to be. The Ring of Fame itself holds plaques honoring the greatest Broncos of all time. This is by far one of the coolest things in the NFL. I grew up reading those names and learning the history of this franchise through them. Kids who grew up as Broncos fans know what I mean. Everyone else is about to.
While you're out there, find the statues. Pat Bowlen. Demaryius Thomas. The Barrel Man. Each one deserves a few minutes of your time before kickoff. Pat Bowlen, especially, this franchise doesn't look the way it does without him. Standing in front of that statue before a game hits different when you understand what he meant to this city.
Then walk north to the Mile High Monument, which is a miniature replica of the original Mile High Stadium with exhibits on the biggest games and performances in franchise history. Most people walk right past it on the way to the gate. Don't be that person.
And while you're in the parking lot, look for the home plate painted on the pavement. It sits where home plate stood when the old Mile High Stadium hosted baseball. In 1987, a guy named Joey Meyer hit a ball 582 feet from that exact spot, widely considered the longest home run in professional baseball history. There's no crowd around it, no big sign pointing to it. Just a painted-on home plate in a parking lot that most people step over without a second thought. Now you know.
Once you're in, stop staring at your phone and look up.
The first thing you need to find is Bucky. He's on top of the scoreboard and stands 27 feet tall, painted white, and when Denver scores, flames shoot up next to him while 76,000 people lose their minds. You can see him from almost anywhere in the stadium. There's nothing else like it in the NFL.
On the noise side of things, the stadium was built with steel treads and risers on purpose, specifically so that when fans stomp their feet, the whole building shakes. It's called Rolling Thunder, and it's been a tradition since the old Mile High. If it is your first game, you will always feel it before you realize what's happening. When a big moment hits, and the ground starts moving under your seat, that's why.
On the west side at Gate 1, walk through the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. It covers not just the Broncos, but Colorado sports history across the board. Worth 15 minutes before the game if you get there early enough.
Empower Field has 144 luxury suites and over 8,000 club seats. The Bourbon Club, the Champions Club, the 77s Club, and the 5280 Room are all completely different experiences from sitting in the bowl. Once you've watched a game from up there, it's hard to go back. The views, the space, the ability to actually move around during the game, it changes everything.
At some point during every home game, the scoreboard fires up a video I have never once seen a visiting fan prepared for.
It's footage of other teams' players visibly struggling to breathe at altitude. Quarterbacks gasping on the sideline. Skill guys reaching for oxygen tanks. Linemen gasping for air in the fourth quarter while our defense is still flying around. The crowd goes absolutely insane every time. I've seen it hundreds of times, and it never gets old.
Empower Field sits at exactly 5,280 feet above sea level. That's not a marketing line, it's a real advantage. Ask any visiting team that's come here and had their offense fall apart in the second half.
I've been to a lot of games in that building. Two of them I'll carry forever.
January 12th, 2013. Broncos vs. Ravens, AFC Divisional. I was in section 330 with my mom. A wind chill of 13 degrees, and we were wearing everything we owned. The Broncos had a strangling grip on that game, and the crowd was loud. Nobody saw what was coming. Then, with 31 seconds left, Joe Flacco launched a ball 70 yards downfield. Rahim Moore read it wrong, let it sail over his head, and Jacoby Jones walked into the end zone. The stadium went from the loudest I'd ever heard it to dead silent in about two seconds. One of the most gut-wrenching sports moments of my life, standing in that deck with my mom next to me. I still think about that play.
January 17th, 2026. Broncos vs. Bills, AFC Divisional. Section 527 with my brother Connor. Different era, completely different energy. This was the first year in a long time where Broncos fans actually had something to believe in. Bo Nix at quarterback, a top-five defense, and a game that was a shootout from the first snap. We were both losing our minds the entire afternoon. The moment that sealed it: McMillan picking off that deep ball to Brandon Cooks to give us the ball back and finish the game. Connor and I just looked at each other and screamed. That's what that building does to you.
You've got options.
Cherry Cricket downtown near Coors Field is a Denver must. Burgers, craft beer, exactly the right pre-game energy. Grab a bite there and hop on the E or W light rail from Union Station, only four minutes, a steep three dollars, and it drops you right at the stadium. Easiest game day logistics in the city.
DNVR Bar on Colfax is the home base for diehard Denver sports fans. They run a party bus to Empower Field on game days, which picks you up at the bar with beer on the way there, and brings you back after the final whistle. If you want the full experience, that's the move.
And if you want to stay close to the stadium, Ironworks is right next door. Fire pits, 16 TVs, onsite parking, and the early window of games playing while you get ready for kickoff.
This season, go to a game. Walk the plaza before you head inside. Find Bucky. Feel the floor shake.
And if you want to watch it from somewhere with a little more room to breathe, we've got you covered.
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