What do you want to achieve with this project?

"The first thing we wanted to make sure, especially with public dollars involved, is that we were really responsible with those and thinking about how we ensure that the infrastructure of the stadium is in great shape for the length of time we're extending it and hopefully a long time beyond. It's 15 seasons at the time we signed the lease and 14 after this. The first thing that we want to do with the MSA [Maryland Stadium Authority] is make sure we put the systems and infrastructure in place for the long-term health of M&T Bank Stadium.

"The second thing, and this is the main thing, is putting ourselves in the shoes of the fan. How do we make gameday even that much more exciting? It's really exciting because we're starting in a position of strength. We're consistently one of the great gameday experiences. Through the test of time, The Bank has been right at the top of the league and across professional sports as one of those special places to come to have a great gameday experience. We put a lot of effort into thinking about what our gameday experience is today and what it can be tomorrow."

Did M&T Bank Stadium need to be modernized?

"Yes and no. Any time you build a stadium, you go back and change some things. But I think it's stood up really, really well. From an aesthetic design, I think the brick and industrial feel of it plays into Baltimore. One of the secondary considerations and goals was to stay true to Baltimore. We're AFC North, we play football outside; it's authentic to football, everything is really focused on the game. We wanted to make sure that we honor that. Even down to the aesthetic design, we looked at a couple different ways we could go. We came back and said let's stick with that industrial brick feel that's so timeless about The Bank now."

How much of the $600 million funds from the state will go towards this project?

"This will end up being a project in excess of $430 million. That's the total budget right now. Hopefully we stick to that."

Will ticket prices increase because of the renovations?

"Not because of the renovations. Ticket prices will increase over time just generally.

"The stadium was built for $240 million. We subsequently invested $250 million into the stadium. There was no lease or contractual obligation for us to do that; it was just the right thing to do. There's really a nice story about the return on the investment when you look at the amount of admissions, sales taxes, revenues generated from the stadium, even before you get to all the ancillary hotel rooms and restaurants filled up. Directly looking at these stadiums built in the 90s, they have nice returns. It's a different proposition when you're trying to build a $2 billion stadium. That's one of the reasons why, when we stepped back and looked with the MSA, that it would make a lot of sense to make an investment in this building to keep it fresh and new and people feeling great about it so you don't get to that point where it just doesn't make sense to invest in the building anymore. We're on the opposite end of that."

Is the intention to bring as many fans as possible into the M&T Bank Stadium footprint pre- and post-game?

"Exactly. We looked at what gameday looks like. Our gates open and we know there's been hours of community building and socialization and experience that we believe we can curate right on the footprint of the building and have people in conditioned spaces and make a very festive and engaging environment. It's going to make gameday something you can't miss even more.

"The other thing that you've seen is rather than everybody trying to rush in an hour before kickoff and get in that traffic, this allows fans to experience the stadium at different times. The plaza on the North side and eventually the South side will eventually have stores on them. It's the full fan experience and being able to experience a high-end retail shopping experience and see our brand play out and be able to tell our story and history in those spaces. To be able to come in and have a cold beer and watch the afternoon games with friends in those spaces, that's what people are doing now, so we look forward to doing that with them."

Do the Ravens want to make M&T Bank Stadium a year-round destination?

"I wouldn't go that far. I think it will be Ravens-game focused and event focused. But we know and have heard from fans that they want somewhere they can go to buy gear and engage with brand. We're really excited about the direction that's going to take. I think people will be really excited to see the team store when it comes aboard. There may be other opportunities to do things off event and gamedays, but that's our primary focus right now."

With the new club and suite spaces, why are premium spaces a priority?

"I wouldn't call them a priority relative to the rest of the plan, because the plazas and Gatehouse, those are all going to be general admission. The concourses we're bumping out on both sides are on the upper level. So we really worked from the general admission experience and then backwards.

"The other thing is that stadiums and arenas have evolved. It was always general admission, club typically on the second level, and then suites. That's it. If you go into most modern stadiums, it's very rare that you would have that limited product offering. There's been a lot of variation and evolution of ticketing products. It's less a focus on a premium type of product, it's just having more varied ticket products out there and then enhancing whatever the general admission experience is. We'll have for the roughly 60,000 people that come to the stadium that aren't in a club or the suite, they'll have options in the plazas and gatehouses to interface. But also with those that would like a conditioned space, separate bathrooms, food and beverage options that look a lot different and be more robust, there will be a lot of options around the stadium for them. That's the way that most modern stadiums and arenas are being constructed now. The days of club, suite and general admission are over. You have to have a mix. The Ravens have been great about this with everything we've done – technology, Flock-friendly pricing – we're constantly thinking about how we can elevate the gameday experience. This is just an opportunity to make a major investment in the stadium."

Where is the press box moving with the addition of The Blackwing?

"The press box will move up into the corners of the stadium, third level, Southeast side."

Should fans expect more big-time non-football events (concerts, other sporting events) to come to M&T Bank Stadium?

"We had construction going on and then we had COVID; so we've been a little dormant. But certainly Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks was an indication of how great of environment we have and how much demand there is for stadium-scaled events. We'll look at all those opportunities and are excited. That's been a big part of the discussion with both Governor's offices, both Gov. Larry Hogan and Gov. Wes Moore. They thought it was very important, we think it's very important, MSA thinks it's very important to make sure that these venues, with the investment, are optimized and used often. It's also just great for the city to have those types of events downtown."

What's the next big project going to be at M&T Bank Stadium? Has there been any discussion about putting any type of roof over the stadium?

"We looked at options for not a dome, but for options covering the seating bowl. With the way construction prices and costs have gone, it was prohibitively costly to try to anticipate. We think the best impact that we could have on the fan experience are the projects that we chose, obviously. But it was something we explored. We will continue to look at it, but it's just a massive, massive investment. And ultimately it's not perfect.

"I don't know what's next. I think what's important is we're committed to continuing to engage with our fans and listen, learn and watch for opportunities for us to continue to make The Bank the greatest gameday experience in sports. We'll continue to make the right, smart investments over time and we won't be sitting on any laurels, I can promise you that."