Green Bay Packers home games in Milwaukee

Though the city currently has no National Football League (NFL) team, Milwaukee is considered a home market for the Green Bay Packers.[1][2][3] The team split its home schedule[4] between Green Bay and Milwaukee from 1933 to 1994, with the majority of the Milwaukee games being played at Milwaukee County Stadium.[5][6][7]

The Packers played games in Milwaukee to attract more fans and revenue while the team's then-official home, City Stadium, remained inadequate compared to other NFL venues. Threats by the league to relocate the Packers permanently to Milwaukee caused the team to replace City Stadium with Lambeau Field. The Packers then regularly renovated and enlarged Lambeau Field. By 1995, expansions to Lambeau Field combined with changing league economics made it feasible for the team to remain in Green Bay full time.

The 1939 Championship between the Packers and the New York Giants was played at State Fair Park[8] in what is currently known as the Milwaukee Mile. The Packers won, 27–0. A 1931 championship against the Portsmouth Spartans was also scheduled for Milwaukee, but was called off. The Packers final post-season game in Milwaukee was a 1967 divisional playoff against the Los Angeles Rams which the Packers won 28–7. They went on to capture their last NFL Championship and Super Bowl victory under Vince Lombardi.

The Packers maintain two separate season ticket plans, reflecting their time spent in Milwaukee: Gold package holders, made up largely of former Milwaukee season ticket holders, have a three-game package consisting of the annual Midwest Shrine preseason contest plus the second and fifth regular-season home games each year; Green package holders (made up of original Green Bay ticket holders) attend the annual Bishop's Charities preseason game and the remaining six of the first eight regular-season contests.[9] The ninth regular season home game (hosted by National Football Conference teams in even numbered seasons only) is alternated between Green and Gold package holders. Green package holders have right of first refusal to playoff tickets, followed by Gold package holders, who otherwise have priority to purchase tickets elsewhere in Lambeau Field if their usual seats are unavailable.

  1. ^ Zanghi, Peter (October 2, 2014). "The Packers' roots run deep in Milwaukee". OnMilwaukee.
  2. ^ Prigge, Matthew J. (January 2, 2018). "How the Packers Kept Milwaukee a One-Team Town". Shepherd Express.
  3. ^ "No screen pass: Packers-Vikings not on TV in some areas". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  4. ^ Troan, John (December 30, 2019). "Green Bay Packers". Football @ JT-SW.com. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  5. ^ Heling, Paul (December 21, 2018). "VIDEO :: Packers at 100 - The Team's Top 3 Milwaukee Moments". WNFL Sports Radio. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  6. ^ County Stadium. stadiumsofprofootball.com.
  7. ^ "Milwaukee County Stadium History". Pro-Football-Reference.
  8. ^ "Bellevue Park". Stadiums by Munsey & Suppes.
  9. ^ "Season Ticket Holder Policies". Packers.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved October 20, 2020.