NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Front Office Sports announced the 10 winners of "its inaugural Best Venues Award," and venues in New Jersey and New York City both made the list.
Venues that were home to professional, collegiate or minor league sports teams responded to FOS questions "questions about their technologies, mobile app features, food options/dietary inclusivity, transportation offerings, mixed-use functionality, and overall venue design."
The Prudential Center in Newark, home to the New Jersey Devils and Seton Hall Men's Basketball team, was selected as one of the top choices because of its upgrades over the last several years, FOS said. The outlet highlighted the Prudential Center, adding Levy Restaurants as their new partner for hospitality, as an upgrade that showed "dedication to the fan experience as a world-class venue."
“It is an honor to stand as one of the winners of this accomplished list for Front Office Sports’ inaugural Best Venues Award,” said Jake Reynolds, president of New Jersey Devils & Prudential Center. “Prudential Center prides itself on its commitment to the fan experience and making this venue a marquee destination in New Jersey. We are continuously rolling out upgrades to ensure we provide our fans with the best experience, world-class service and something new to anticipate with each visit here.”
Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, also made the list. FOS said that Citi Field is on their list because they want to make every seat the best seat.
The full list of winners are:
| Venue | Location | Home Team(s) |
| Prudential Center | Newark, N.J. | New Jersey Devils Seaton Hall University's Men's Basketball |
| State Farm Arena | Atlanta, Ga. | Atlanta Hawks |
| TD Garden | Boston, Mass. | Boston Celtics Boston Bruins |
| Churchill Downs Racetrack | Louisville, Ky. | Kentucky Derby |
| Citi Field | Queens, N.Y. | New York Mets |
| Globe Life Field | Arlington, Texas | Texas Rangers |
| Moody Center | Austin, Texas | University of Texas Men's and Women's Basketball |
| Frost Bank Center | San Antonio, Texas | San Antonio Spurs |
| Hard Rock Stadium | Miami, Fla. | Miami Dolphins University of Miami Football Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix Miami Open |
| Wells Fargo Center | Philadelphia, Pa. | Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia Flyers Villanova Men's Basketball Philadelphia Wings |
When scoring the responses from each venue, FSO said the following was considered:
- Novel technologies that improve and enhance the gameday experience
- New approaches to simplifying and speeding up the merchandise and concessions process
- Exciting and engaging menu items
- Efficient ingress, egress and wayfinding
- Facilitated transportation
- Easy access to wireless connectivity
- Physical and cybersecurity
- Mixed-use development opportunities
- Venue design features
FOS is also holding awards for the Most Sustainable, Best College Athletic Department, Most Impactful, Best Employer in Sports and their Rising 25. For a full list of awards, winners and deadlines, click here.
Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, D.C. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here, and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Get in touch at [email protected].
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