NFL Games and local air pollution

This study examines whether attendance at National Football League (NFL) games contributes to increased local air pollution levels near stadiums in the United States. Fan transportation and associated emissions are increasingly scrutinized as these are concrete manifestations of environmental impacts of sports. Unlike much previous sport sustainability research based on surveys and perceptions, this study used direct environmental measurements to assess the ecological effects of professional sport events.

The authors analyzed attendance data from all NFL home games played in the United States between 2014 and 2018 and matched them with Environmental Protection Agency air quality data collected near stadiums. Panel regression analyses were used to examine relationships between game attendance and six major air pollutants while controlling for weather conditions, stadium type, and monitor distance from stadiums.

The study found that higher attendance at NFL games was associated with increases in ozone and nitrogen dioxide levels, two pollutants strongly linked to vehicle emissions and smog formation. A typical NFL game increased local ozone levels by approximately 2%, with pollution impacts estimated to be substantially higher per attendee than those previously observed for Major League Baseball games.

Improving the environmental sustainability of sport events will require reducing emissions linked to fan transportation, particularly through greater use of public transit, low-emission travel options, and more sustainable stadium planning.

CITE: Watanabe, N., Yan, G., & McLeod, C. (2023). The impact of sporting events on air pollution: an empirical examination of national football league games. Sustainability, 15(6), 5568. DOI: 10.3390/su15065568