Daily Digs: Unc Charlotte'S $70M Stadium Expansion, Wisconsin'S $285M Indoor Practice Facility, And More!
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29 August 2025
Athletic Businessstadium
Aug 29, 2025Athletic Business
Charlotte Athletics broke ground on the Jerry Richardson Stadium Expansion on Wednesday, Aug. 27, marking the start of a highly anticipated transformation to the stadium.Director of Athletics Mike Hill, University Chancellor Dr. Sharon L. Gaber, and Congressman and UNC Charlotte alumnus Richard Hudson spoke to the gathered dignitaries and Niner Nation before the trio was joined by former State Representative Jason Saine, and two members of the University's Board of Trustees, Dr. Sasha Weintraub, and Larry Shaheen for the ceremonial groundbreaking, which fittingly took place with pickaxes instead of shovels."What an incredible day for Charlotte Athletics, for our University, and our community," Hill said. "The response to our expansion plan has been nothing short of tremendous. Today, those plans begin to take shape. Over the next two seasons, with as little interruption to the game-day experience as possible, our team will be hard at work delivering something truly special."
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Wisconsin Athletics announced the naming of its indoor practice facility â the Kellner Family Athletic Center, in honor of Ted ('69) and Mary ('68) Kellner and their family on Thursday.  The new facility, currently under construction, represents the largest capital project in Wisconsin Athletics' history at a cost to build of $285M. "The University of Wisconsin-Madison has been such a major part of my family's life, teaching us lessons and allowing us to be part of something bigger than just sports," said Ted Kellner. "To now be able to make a life-changing impact on current and future student-athletes, who will be tomorrow's leaders in society â we couldn't be more proud to support and humbled by the honor."All 23 varsity sports will utilize the Kellner Family Athletic Center, which will include a 120 yard indoor turf field, strength and conditioning center, 305 meter training track, student-athlete dining hall, sports medicine center, locker rooms, coaching offices and student-athlete well-being spaces. The facility will be adjacent to the Stephen M. Bennett Student-Athlete Performance Center, where student-athletes receive academic advising, tutoring, career support, mental health services and post-graduate preparation
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The Savannah Chatham County Public School System hosted a ribbon cutting earlier Thursday for a new athletic facility and police annex.
The school district says this is part of their commitment to creating a safe supportive space where students can thrive.
The new police annex includes administrative offices conference and training space as well as command operations support.
Deputy Police Chief Rodriguez told WTOC that being right across the street from groves high school is a good feeling incase there ever was an emergency at the school.
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Daily Digs: Unc Charlotte'S $70M Stadium Expansion, Wisconsin'S $285M Indoor Practice Facility, And More!Charlotte Athletics broke ground on the Jerry Richardson Stadium Expansion on Wednesday, Aug. 27, marking the start of a highly anticipated transformation to the stadium.Director of Athletics Mike Hill, University Chancellor Dr. Sharon L. Gaber, and Congressman and UNC Charlotte alumnus Richard Hudson spoke to the gathered dignitaries and Niner Nation before the trio was joined by former State Representative Jason Saine, and two members of the University's Board of Trustees, Dr. Sasha Weintraub, and Larry Shaheen for the ceremonial groundbreaking, which fittingly took place with pickaxes instead of shovels."What an incredible day for Charlotte Athletics, for our University, and our community," Hill said. "The response to our expansion plan has been nothing short of tremendous. Today, those plans begin to take shape. Over the next two seasons, with as little interruption to the game-day experience as possible, our team will be hard at work delivering something truly special."
READ MORE
Wisconsin Athletics announced the naming of its indoor practice facility â the Kellner Family Athletic Center, in honor of Ted ('69) and Mary ('68) Kellner and their family on Thursday.  The new facility, currently under construction, represents the largest capital project in Wisconsin Athletics' history at a cost to build of $285M. "The University of Wisconsin-Madison has been such a major part of my family's life, teaching us lessons and allowing us to be part of something bigger than just sports," said Ted Kellner. "To now be able to make a life-changing impact on current and future student-athletes, who will be tomorrow's leaders in society â we couldn't be more proud to support and humbled by the honor."All 23 varsity sports will utilize the Kellner Family Athletic Center, which will include a 120 yard indoor turf field, strength and conditioning center, 305 meter training track, student-athlete dining hall, sports medicine center, locker rooms, coaching offices and student-athlete well-being spaces. The facility will be adjacent to the Stephen M. Bennett Student-Athlete Performance Center, where student-athletes receive academic advising, tutoring, career support, mental health services and post-graduate preparation
READ MORE
The Savannah Chatham County Public School System hosted a ribbon cutting earlier Thursday for a new athletic facility and police annex.
The school district says this is part of their commitment to creating a safe supportive space where students can thrive.
The new police annex includes administrative offices conference and training space as well as command operations support.
Deputy Police Chief Rodriguez told WTOC that being right across the street from groves high school is a good feeling incase there ever was an emergency at the school.
READ MORE
To subscribe to the free daily e-newsletter offering the latest industry news, products and insights from â and written for â the athletics, fitness and recreation industries, see below on this page, or click here
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29 August 20253 min readDaily Digs: Unc Charlotte'S $70M Stadium Expansion, Wisconsin'S $285M Indoor Practice Facility, And More!
Athletic Business
29 August 2025
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Daily Digs: Penn State Opens Indoor Sports Complex, Houston'S $130M Football Operations Center, And More!With the return of all 800-plus varsity student-athletes for the fall semester, Penn State Athletics officially opened the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex Monday. The facility, designed by DLR Group, provides varsity student-athletes across all 31 varsity sports with a centralized location for performance dining, wellness and recovery and academics. In addition to the Morgan Academic Center, the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex is now home to the newly completed Performance Dining Center and Wellness and Recovery Center.
Greenbergâs Performance Dining Center, located on the upper level, features a state-of-the-art dining center with a full-service commercial kitchen producing meals tailored to the fueling needed for varsity athletes to perform at the highest level. The dining spaces include quiet study areas, small team meeting rooms, a large communal gathering area and a sports lounge. Â Â
The lower level of the Greenberg Indoor Sport Complex houses a comprehensive athletics medicine and recovery suite. The space features prehabilitation, rehabilitation and recovery areas. Among the equipment available for student-athletes to utilize are a hydrotherapy pool, red light beds, dry float beds, hyberbaric chamber, massage chairs and therapy, saunas and zero gravity chair.Â
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The University of Houston kicks off the 2025 football season with the unveiling of its new Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center. DLR Group and architectural partner Page designed the 158,000-square-foot transformation. The $130 million project is multifaceted, comprising of an all-encompassing football development facility, new in-stadium premium hospitality offerings, a rooftop terrace, and a new videoboard. The three-story facility strategically frames the west end of TDECU Stadium, which creates an elite in-stadium gameday experience for all.
UH gave Eyewitness Sports a detailed look at the beautiful new Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center.
T.J. Meagher, Senior Athletics Director for Facilities, oversaw the construction of the $130 million facility, designed by DLR Group, which was finished ahead of schedule and on budget with two things in mind: the student athlete and efficiency.
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Pickleball continues to dominate the sportsâ world. Following the opening of two hit Houston pickleball destinations, Drop Shots HTX and Solarium, a new pickleball facility has made its debut. As the cityâs first dedicated indoor pickleball venue, Pickle Mania at Lyric Market offers seven climate-controlled courts, tournaments, professional-led clinics, and more.
Founded by Houston husband-and-wife team, TK and LaTonia Kent, Pickle Mania is the cityâs newest pickleball destination. Located inside Downtownâs Lyric Market, the venue provides access to the marketâs full bar and restaurant offerings.
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26 August 20253 min readDaily Digs: Penn State Opens Indoor Sports Complex, Houston'S $130M Football Operations Center, And More!
Athletic Business
26 August 2025
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$2B AâS Vegas Stadium Hits Milestones, On Track For 2028The Aâs are not just moving dirt around in Las Vegas, as some have suggested, and they say there will be visible progress on their planned ballpark in the coming weeks.
Two months after a high-profile stadium groundbreaking along the famed Las Vegas Strip, club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority that several key development milestones are planned for between now and November, including the beginning of vertical construction. Already, foundation pilings have been installed as part of extensive preparatory work. Hundreds of construction workers are now active on the site each day, the club said.
âI would hope that we start seeing [vertical work] by the end of September, or early October,â Aâs president Marc Badain told the authority. âSome of that prep work has already been done, but thereâs obviously so many things you can do until the permitting is in place. But as soon as we get that, weâll see the concrete get poured, and some of the decks will get poured. Thereâs rebar in place, so youâll get to see the foundation of the building start to take shape.â
The stadium remains targeted to open in early 2028. In the meantime, the Aâs are playing in Sacramento, where there have been numerous operational challenges, and the club has sunk to last place in the American League West division despite heightened spending on players relative to prior years. Oakland ranks 26th in MLB with a luxury-tax payroll of $111.6 million.Â
The forthcoming stadium, meanwhile, is certain to approach $2 billion in final cost, if not surpass it, something generally anticipated after the Aâs unveiled the rather unconventional âspherical armadilloâ design last year. Prior cost projections had started at $1.5 billion, and then moved to $1.75 billion.
The Aâs and owner John Fisher are responsible for all costs beyond the $380 million in previously approved public support. There has been a lengthy consideration of selling stakes in the club, but regardless of the final outcome there, Badain said the costs will be covered.Â
The team has already signed Aramark Sports + Entertainment as a club investor, and that company will also be the ballparkâs concessionaire.Â
âWhat John committed to was that there would be a public contribution, and he would make sure that the rest was available,â said stadium authority chair Steve Hill. âNothing has changed along those lines.â
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22 August 20252 min read$2B AâS Vegas Stadium Hits Milestones, On Track For 2028
Front Office Sports
22 August 2025
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Browns $2.4B Stadium Plan Runs Into Airspace TurbulenceLong before ground is broken on the Brownsâ planned $2.4 billion domed stadium in suburban Brook Park, Ohio, the club has faced a series of legal and financial obstacles to the project. Now, yet another hurdle is coming through the air, so to speak.Â
The NFL team has received formal notice from the Ohio Department of Transportation that it is not issuing a permit for the planned Brook Park stadium because it would interfere with air traffic at nearby Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
The Browns, owned by Haslam Sports Group, plan to recess the stadium about 80 feet into the ground, but still top out at 221 feet above ground. That plan, however, is 58 feet higher than the maximum allowable height for that location, according to ODOTâs aviation office.
âPlease contact our office to request a permit at these reduced heights,â ODOT wrote in a letter to HSG representatives. âThis structure may also be permitted at your proposed height at another location further away from the airport.â
The Browns and HSG say they are âconfusedâ by ODOTâs notice, and the basis for it, particularly given that they already received Federal Aviation Administration clearance for the projectâprovided there are red lights on the roof to help guide passing pilots. The FAA, however, has no jurisdiction over local zoning.Â
The team has a series of options in addition to altering the stadium plan, including requesting a formal appeal of the ruling.Â
âWeâve already begun working collaboratively with ODOT to explain the stadiumâs heights and the detailed work weâve done more fully, which shows no safety or efficiency issues to the airport,â said HSG spokesman Peter John-Baptiste in a statement. âWe look forward to resolving this matter expeditiously and continuing our work to bring this transformative project to Northeast Ohio.â
Late last month, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said there is âa 99.9% chanceâ of the Brook Park stadium happening while also acknowledging inherent difficulties around the effort.
âThis is a complicated project,â Haslam said. âThereâs stuff going on. Itâs three and a half years until the stadium opens, and we will have to work hard every day to get everything to come together.â
Other issues surrounding the stadium include a lawsuit challenging the use of unclaimed state funds to support public construction bonds. The city of Cleveland is also fighting the teamâs planned departure from the downtown Huntington Bank Field, and some local media are suggesting that Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb is behind the new, aviation-related issue.Â
âWho runs the airport? The city of Cleveland, Mayor Justin Bibb,â said Cleveland.com editor Chris Quinn. âI think Mayor Justin Bibb has come up with the winning strategy to block this thing because heâs dead set against it.â
Bibb has not acknowledged that, but Cuyahoga County executive Chris Ronayne, another opponent of the Brook Park stadium, also was critical of the potential impact on the airport.
âWe cannot emphasize enough that downtown Cleveland is the best location for the stadium, both for the team and the residents of Cuyahoga County,â he said.Â
The Browns, meanwhile, said Monday that veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, 40, will be the teamâs Week 1 starter, ending what had been building intrigue around the decision.
The team has a particularly crowded quarterback room that includes fifth-round draft pick Shedeur Sanders.
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18 August 20253 min readBrowns $2.4B Stadium Plan Runs Into Airspace Turbulence
Front Office Sports
18 August 2025
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Daily Digs: City'S Plans For $2.5B Sports And Entertainment District, Northwestern'S Temporary Stadium Gets Upgrades, And More!The City of Mansfield released new information on a sweeping $2.5 billion development project for entertainment, sports, and family recreation.
Plans for the Staybolt Street Entertainment District were first announced in 2024, but the city recently revealed the complex will feature a professional multi-sport stadium, hotels, a conference center, a family-friendly amusement complex, retail, dining and housing.
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The second season of Northwestern football on the lakefront is almost here, and improvements to the most unique setting in college football are coming this fall.The Wildcats will play five home games on Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, beginning with the home opener against Western Illinois on Friday, Sept. 5. With upgraded fan amenities, new seating options, and a picturesque lakeside setting, the 2025 football season promises to deliver a one-of-a-kind and memorable experience for all attendees.Premium seating options will be enhanced in 2025, starting with the South Endzone Loge Tables now including all-inclusive food and beverages. New this year, East Prime seating under the video board will be available for all five games, complementing the existing West Prime Sideline seating on the west side. Prime East tickets will also include all-inclusive food and beverages.
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Chandlerâs much-anticipated pickleball facility will open at Tumbleweed Park on Sept. 6, exactly one year from the groundbreaking.
Located on the southeast corner of Germann Road and Pioneer Parkway, the new facility offers 18 outdoor pickleball courts with LED lighting, restrooms, practice areas, drinking fountains and a parking lot.
âWe appreciate the communityâs support and guidance through the design and construction of this new facility,â said John Sefton, community services director. âAs pickleballâs popularity has continued to grow, it was clear that Chandler had an opportunity to expand its footprint to accommodate the demand. Weâre proud to complete this unique amenity, offering an affordable, accessible and welcoming environment to players of all ages.â
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07 August 20252 min readDaily Digs: City'S Plans For $2.5B Sports And Entertainment District, Northwestern'S Temporary Stadium Gets Upgrades, And More!
Athletic Business
07 August 2025
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Browns Push Forward On $2.4B Stadium Despite Political ObstaclesThe Brownsâ relationship status with Cuyahoga County, Ohio, is certainly complicated, adding to the drama surrounding the NFL team.
Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said they are fully moving ahead with their planned $2.4 billion domed stadium and mixed-use development in suburban Brook Park, Ohio, despite a series of funding and legal obstacles. How the county will be involved in the effort, if at all, remains quite uncertain.
On one hand, the Haslams said they are prepared to move forward without any financial involvement from the county, despite prior aims of garnering $300 million toward the project from that jurisdiction. Along similar lines, county executive Chris Ronayne said he has no intention of contributing to a project he has frequently called âa boondoggle.â
On the other hand, though, the team still wants to build a relationship with county leaders.Â
âNow is the time to work together,â Jimmy Haslam said. âMaybe it doesnât work out with the county, but nowâs the time to sit down and see if we canât work together. This is an important project. I donât think many other entities are spending $2 billionâplus in this community.â
As the county situation plays out, the Brownsâ stadium project is also battling complications on multiple other fronts. There is an active lawsuit related to the teamâs plan to draw $600 million from an account of unclaimed state funds. Separately, the city of Cleveland is challenging various components of the teamâs current lease for the downtown Huntington Bank Field, even after a separate challenge related to Ohioâs Modell Law was mooted.Â
The state money is half of what the team had targeted to gain from public sources, with the Haslams originally set to contribute $1.2 billion. There are hopes of gaining $300 million in municipal-level support from Brook Park, leaving a final $300 million unaccounted for.Â
Amid all of that, Jimmy Haslam said there is âa 99.9% chanceâ of the Brook Park stadium happening, but he also acknowledged the inherent difficulties. A formal groundbreaking is targeted for early next year in advance of a projected stadium opening in 2029.
âThis is a complicated project,â he said. âThereâs stuff going on. Itâs three and a half years until the stadium opens, and we will have to work hard every day to get everything to come together.
âWeâre going to have the groundbreaking regardless,â Jimmy Haslam said. âLet me say this and try to be very respectful of everybody. ⌠We can do the project without the county. I think itâs best if the county and [Haslam Sports Group] work together, O.K.? And I wonât say anything more than that.â
The Brownsâ stadium situation is developing as similar ones are unfolding for current and potential NFL facilities in markets such as Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
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30 July 20253 min readBrowns Push Forward On $2.4B Stadium Despite Political Obstacles
Front Office Sports
30 July 2025
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$3.8B Commanders Stadium On Track For D.C. ApprovalWASHINGTON â The Council of the District of Columbia is going deep into the night to hear from its constituents about the Commandersâ proposed $3.8 billion domed facility at the site of RFK Stadium, but the bill is on track for passage due in no small part to the political evolution of the councilâs chairman.Â
The council began two days of hearings on legislation to build the stadium and redevelop the RFK property with about $1.1 billion in public funds, with Tuesdayâs session devoted entirely to testimony from the public. More than 500 citizens had registered to be public witnesses, and the council planned to be in session at least until midnight.Â
Wednesdayâs session, beginning just hours later, will be centered on testimony from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and representatives from the Commanders. The sessions are happening just days after D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson, following negotiations with the team, restructured the bill to redirect as much as $950 million in stadium- and development-related revenue back to the District.Â
As the first hearing began, hundreds of residents on both sides of the stadium funding debate held signs and chanted in front of council headquarters. Many of the same arguments in what was called by one resident âthe classic jocks versus nerds debateâ then played out inside throughout Tuesday. Advocates championed potential job creation and redevelopment on Washingtonâs east side and the return of the team to its âspiritual home,â while opponents questioned the need for public money to support an NFL team estimated to be worth $6.3 billion.Â
Amid that, several council members touted the stadiumâs potential impact on a blighted area of the nationâs capital, even as they questioned certain deal points.Â
âI see this as much more than a stadium, but an opportunity to build up people and community,â said council chair pro tempore Kenyan McDuffie. âIâve heard from countless residents: Bring the team home.â
The council is set to take the first of two scheduled votes on the stadium funding on Friday, with a second to follow in September. While some council members professed themselves on Tuesday to still be undecided, at least five solid âyesâ votes exist on the council, two short of the necessary threshold.
âI am confident we will have the votes necessary,â Mendelson said.Â
A 27-year veteran of the council, Mendelson, a Democrat, was firmly against more than $600 million in public funding toward the construction of Nationals Park more than two decades ago. He was one of six ânoâ votes in a razor-thin 7â6 decision to develop the ballpark and allow the Montreal Expos to become the Nationalsâbut only after the relocation nearly fell apart at multiple points.Â
No other council member part of that baseball vote is still involved with the legislative body, leaving Mendelson as the longest-tenured official there. Over the past two decades, he has shifted from more of a fringe player known for casting protest votes to a deeply powerful centrist and coalition builder who has helped balance out the more leftward-leaning sentiments of the council, and he has led the body since 2012.
âAs I have moved from the end of the council dais to the center, so has my ideology,â Mendelson said. Â
Also helping shape the changed sports sentiment was the fundamentally different nature of the football deal. Getting the MLB club in Washington required a fully funded stadium, as the league owned the franchise at the time and had near-total leverage to completely dictate terms to relocation candidate markets. Commanders owner Josh Harris, conversely, is funding at least $2.7 billion toward the stadium.
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29 July 20253 min read$3.8B Commanders Stadium On Track For D.C. Approval
Front Office Sports
29 July 2025
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Prospective Rays Owner Must Start Fresh As $1.3B Stadium Deal EndsProspective Rays owner Patrick Zalupski, should he succeed in acquiring the MLB club from Stu Sternberg, will officially need to start over in developing a deal for a new venue.Â
The city of St. Petersburg, Fla., formally terminated the deal to build a $1.3 billion ballpark and mixed-use development. The step was not a surprise given Sternberg walked away from the deal in March, citing increased costs he was not willing to bear alone. The unanimous approval of a termination agreement Thursday, however, means Zalupski and his partners would need to strike an entirely new pact, should they opt to remain in St. Petersburg long-term. As it is, some reports have suggested Zalupski prefers Hillsborough County, where the NFLâs Buccaneers and NHLâs Lightning play, as a future home for the team.Â
The St. Petersburg deal terminationâarriving just over one year from when the pact was approvedâcritically reverts land redevelopment rights from the Rays back to the city.Â
âWhile the Raysâ decision is terribly disappointing, our mission was to adapt and refocus on our primary objectiveâthe progress of our city,â said St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch. âThe most important element of this is that the development rights of this area, previously held by the Rays since 1995, are now in the hands of the city. This puts us in the strongest position to assure that the future development of the Historic Gas Plant District meets the needs of St. Petersburg.â
Zalupski, meanwhile, has reached an agreement in principle on a $1.7 billion deal for the Rays, something MLB commissioner Rob Manfred briefly referenced last week at the leagueâs All-Star Game in Atlanta.
âI have no reason to quibble with or dispute the reports that have been out there,â he said.
A deal, however, wonât be too soon for some local officials.
âCheap Stu. The Yankees and Phillies have spent millions of their own $ on their spring training stadiums in recent years, while Stu has to sit back and watch everyone else pay for his stadium,â said Pinellas County commissioner Chris Latvala, a frequent critic of Sternberg, in a social media post. âHe canât leave soon enough.â
St. Petersburg officials, meanwhile, are making more progress on repairing the hurricane-damaged, city-owned Tropicana Field so the Rays can return there next year.Â
Already, preparations have begun to install new roof fabric to replace what was shredded last fall by Hurricane Milton, with that particularly visible part of the job scheduled to be done late this year. The city council, after legally ending the deal for the new stadium Thursday, also approved $5.2 million in electrical and lighting repairs for Tropicana Field.Â
While the Rays are playing this year at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the Yankees, the club intends to return to Tropicana Field next year, and confidence is growing both with MLB and the city that it will be achievable.Â
The league plans to release the 2026 schedule next month, and that will give some further clues. An early-season slate that is front-loaded with away games would give crews more time to finish the work. The interim stay at the open-air Tampa stadium this year had the inverse situation, with the Rays playing a large chunk of home games in April and May to avoid the brunt of midsummer Florida heat.
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25 July 20253 min readProspective Rays Owner Must Start Fresh As $1.3B Stadium Deal Ends
Front Office Sports
25 July 2025
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Commanders Restructure $3.8B Stadium Pact Ahead Of Council VoteIn the urgent push to complete the Commandersâ $3.8 billion stadium deal with the District of Columbia as soon as possible, the NFL team has agreed to a series of substantive changes that improve the pact for the public sector.Â
The Josh Harrisâowned Commanders agreed to a series of deal revisions for the project at the RFK Stadium site that will redirect as much as $950 million back to the D.C. over a 30-year periodâparticularly through venue-related parking and sales taxes and non-game parking revenue that now will flow to the local government. Additionally, a new funding plan will restructure some of the debt financing and save D.C. tens of millions in interest costs.
The changes arrive just before two days of scheduled public hearings on the deal on July 29 and 30. D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson said Thursday morning he will bring the matter to a full council vote on Aug. 1, just after those hearings. Approval by the full body is now expected, particularly in the wake of the changed deal terms.Â
âWe feel we have a much-improved agreement,â Mendelson said. âItâs clear that the Commanders showed through their negotiations their commitment to the District, and their willingness to consider whatâs in the best interest of our citizens.â
The reworked pact additionally includes a specified $50 million in community benefits, with the team helping fund local youth sports programs, and a plan to build about 6,000 housing units on the stadium campus, up from a prior minimum of 5,000. As a result, the overall deal expands materially beyond what was originally agreed to in April. The plan to construct a domed facility at the RFK Stadium site, where the team previously played from 1961 to 1996, remains the single-largest private investment in District history.Â
The frenetic sprint to complete the stadium agreement arrives as U.S. President Donald Trump last weekend said he wants the Commanders to revert to their prior nickname, and threatened to kill the stadium deal should they refuse. Trumpâs power to actually do so remains limited, but his comments appear to have sparked a heightened urgency among the deal principals.
âThe team was willing to improve the deal considerably in return for the earlier vote,â Mendelson said.Â
After staying silent through this weekâs nickname saga, the Commanders applauded Mendelsonâs latest move.Â
âThrough this process, weâve seen firsthand how committed our cityâs leaders are to building a strong future for the District,â said Commanders president Mark Clouse. âWith the Councilâs announcement today, the opportunity to bring the team back to its spiritual home and revitalize a critical part of the nationâs capital is now one step closer.â
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who previously sounded alarms over perceived delays in the approval process, similarly cheered the move to get a council vote scheduled.Â
âWeâre not trading housing for a stadiumâweâre using the momentum of the stadium to build more housing,â she said. âItâs a win for our team, our city, and our residents.â
As the Commandersâ situation has developed, other federal officials have pressed D.C. leaders to complete the deal. Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, wrote to Mendelson last week, imploring him to complete the deal as soon as possible. Comer was a key part of a prior agreement to transfer control of the RFK Stadium property from federal authorities to the D.C. government.Â
An opening of the new facility remains targeted for 2030.
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24 July 20253 min readCommanders Restructure $3.8B Stadium Pact Ahead Of Council Vote
Front Office Sports
24 July 2025
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Browns $600M Stadium Deal Hit With Suit Over âUnclaimedâ MoneyThe Brownsâ plan to relocate to suburban Brook Park, Ohio, and build a $2.4 billion domed stadium and mixed-use development has moved from one legal quagmire to potentially another.Â
As expected, a recently approved state plan to provide $600 million toward the stadium project, backed by funds from an account of unclaimed funds, has generated a lawsuit. A group of former Democratic lawmakers in Ohio has followed through on a prior threat to challenge the use of that money, filing a lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court against several state officials and claiming the plan is unconstitutional on both the state and federal levels.Â
The unclaimed funds are derived from sources such as utility deposits, uncashed cashierâs checks, and forgotten bank accounts, with Ohio currently holding nearly $5 billion of such money. For the new Browns stadium, some of those funds would be used to help support stadium construction, and then repaid through future tax revenues generated at the venue.Â
âThe state now intends to confiscate the private property ⌠for the purpose of funding a private development, depriving the rightful owners of their property,â the lawsuit reads in part. âThe state intends to do so, even though it has long been settled that funds held by the state of Ohio in its âunclaimed fundsâ account are private property.â
The lawsuit seeks class-action status and an injunction to block the use of the unclaimed funds, and it says the public-sector costs will ultimately exceed $1 billion when factoring in additional related costs.Â
âThe state of Ohio intends to steal over a billion dollars in private property from its citizens and pour it into the pockets of [Browns owner] Jimmy Haslam, one of Americaâs richest men,â said Jeffrey Crossman, former Ohio legislator and part of the group that filed the lawsuit. âEveryday Ohioans are outraged by this blatant abuse of power. The government canât just take someoneâs property and give it to someone else.â
The legal challenge closely follows the approval of the Ohio budget that included not only the Browns stadium funding, but also changed elements of the stateâs Modell Law to apply limitations on pro teams in the state relocating only if they intend to leave Ohio entirely. That shift in the Modell Law essentially mooted a prior lawsuit from the city of Cleveland, which had argued the Brownsâ intended move to the suburbs was unlawful.Â
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has opposed the use of the unclaimed funds and called it âpoor public policy,â but still believed it was legal. Along similar lines, Gov. Mike DeWine previously said he anticipated the lawsuit as the recent state budget process unfolded.
âIâm sure that will be tested in court, if thatâs what we end up doingâif thatâs what the legislature ends up doing,â DeWine said last month regarding the use of unclaimed funds. âSo Iâm sure that will be tested. But thatâs nothing. A lot of things get tested in court.â
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09 July 20253 min readBrowns $600M Stadium Deal Hit With Suit Over âUnclaimedâ Money
Front Office Sports
09 July 2025
stadium
Commandersâ $3.8B Stadium Deal In Jeopardy? Mayor Sounds The AlarmAs temperatures rise in Washington, D.C., so, too, do political tensions over the Commandersâ bid to build a $3.8 billion domed stadium on the grounds of their former home, RFK Stadium.Â
The euphoric feelings that existed less than three months ago, when the Commanders and owner Josh Harris first unveiled their plan to return to the District, have given way to frustration and doubt. Already facing an uphill climb to secure sufficient D.C. Council support for more than $1 billion in public funding for the project, Mayor Muriel Bowser is now sounding alarms about a potential collapse of the deal.Â
âI think that everybody should be treating this urgently,â Bowser said on WTEM-AM. âNobody should have the nonchalance that Iâve heard from some, the âOh, whatâs a month? Whatâs two months? Whatâs three months?â I think it introduces a level of uncertainty and risk thatâs intolerable for most business organizations.â
Asked on the radio show to rate her worry about the Commandersâ deal on a scale of zero for ânot concernedâ to five being âvery concerned,â she answered with a four.
âWhen youâre a big-city mayor, youâre concerned about everythingâIâll put it at a four,â she said.
Core to the dispute is a decision last week by the council and its chair, Phil Mendelson, to separate consideration of the Commandersâ funding from a broader deliberation of the upcoming D.C. budget. That, in turn, threatens a provision in the deal for the council to approve funding by July 15 to preserve a planned 2030 stadium opening. Mendelson has argued that the July 15 deadline is not realistic, particularly given the due diligence needed to review the agreement, and that the Commanders wonât realistically need public funds until early next year.
In the meantime, the Commanders hosted a dinner earlier this week for council members in Georgetown to answer questions and help build support for the stadium effort. Itâs currently thought that there are four solid âyesâ votes on the council for the stadium funding, three short of the needed threshold.Â
Stadium and arena battles, however, are nothing new in the nationâs capital. Delayed council approval of the funding for Nationals Park more than two decades ago nearly derailed MLBâs relocation of the Montreal Expos to become the Nationals. Much more recently, Ted Leonsis planned to move his NBA Wizards and NHL Capitals to neighboring Alexandria, Va., in a new venue before reaching a deal last year with Bowser to renovate the teamsâ current home, Capital One Arena, instead.Â
Harris, meanwhile, is also proceeding with plans to build a new arena in the South Philadelphia sports complex and begin a WNBA expansion franchise there, both in partnership with Comcast Spectacor.
Front Office Sports
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02 July 20253 min readCommandersâ $3.8B Stadium Deal In Jeopardy? Mayor Sounds The Alarm
Front Office Sports
02 July 2025
stadium
$600M For Browns Stadium Sparks Cleveland Backlash, Possible LawsuitThe Browns are officially getting $600 million in state money toward a planned domed stadium and mixed-use development in suburban Brook Park, Ohio. The fallout from that budget decision, however, is still unfolding.Â
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law late Monday a state budget that includes a $600 million âperformance grantâ for the Browns. Those funds, approved last week by the Ohio legislature, will be paid out from an account of unclaimed state funds, such as utility deposits, uncashed cashierâs checks, and forgotten bank accounts, and repaid through future tax revenues.Â
DeWine said he opposed that structure, but nonetheless, did not exercise line-item veto power to quash it.Â
âThat was not my first choice. I had another way of doing it,â DeWine said Tuesday morning, of helping fund the Brownsâ stadium. âBut governors donât get everything they want. ⌠My criteria was that it would not spend money out of the general fund and it would not directly compete with education, directly compete with mental health. Stadiums should not compete with mental health, should not compete with education. So this budget, while it doesnât do it the way I originally designed it ⌠meets those criteria.
âThis is a win for taxpayers, and it will provide significant money for things that improve the quality of life in Ohio,â he said.Â
A group of former Democratic lawmakers in Ohio, meanwhile, intends to file a class-action lawsuit, calling the use of those unclaimed funds unconstitutional.Â
The budget signing also codified a change to Ohioâs Modell Law, designed to help prevent pro teams in the state from moving, that will only trigger those protections should a franchise look to relocate out of state. That shift essentially moots an ongoing lawsuit between the Browns and the city of Cleveland.Â
More broadly, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb blasted the budget approval and what the Brownsâ move to the suburbs will do to the city.
âRelocating the Browns will divert economic activity from downtown, create a competing entertainment district, and disrupt the momentum of our lakefront redevelopment,â Bibb said. âIt will also trigger substantial taxpayer-funded infrastructure upgradesâincluding highway reconfigurations and public safety enhancementsâadding significant public costs on top of the stadium itself.â
Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, for their part, cheered the DeWine signing and touted the ambition in their $2.4 billion stadium and development plan. A groundbreaking is now set for early next year, in advance of a planned opening in 2029. Â
âThe new, enclosed Huntington Bank Field will be completely fan-centric, a first-of-its-kind design in the NFL, and a dynamic venue that draws visitors from across Ohio and beyond, for concerts and significant sporting events throughout the year,â the pair said in a statement.
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01 July 20253 min read$600M For Browns Stadium Sparks Cleveland Backlash, Possible Lawsuit
Front Office Sports
01 July 2025
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