Bears And Commanders State Their Cases For Suburban And Urban Stadiums

Jerry Jones has made billions from turning nan iconic Dallas Cowboys marque into vivid experiences. Even a elemental telephone telephone pinch Jones tin beryllium rather nan experience, from nan courteous receptionists (yes, plural) providing timely updates, to nan Cowboys’ taxable opus that plays earlier Jones says hello.

“Sorry for being a small late,” says nan recognizable sound of nan boisterous 83-year-old Cowboys owner. 

There was nary request for Jones to apologize. It was nan time aft an affectional 40–40 necktie betwixt nan Cowboys and Packers astatine Jerry World, besides known arsenic AT&T Stadium successful Arlington, Texas. The Week 4 gathering gained notoriety because it was Micah Parsons’s first crippled against nan Cowboys, a period aft Jones made nan shocking decision to waste and acquisition nan prima separator rusher to Green Bay. 

The Cowboys didn’t win, but location were a fistful of victories disconnected nan section for Jones. For him, it’s ever been astir maximizing attraction and rave reviews. And much than 26 cardinal viewers tuned successful to watch nan melodramatic stalemate during Sunday Night Football connected NBC. 

With that overmuch attraction for Parsons’s return, it was different expansive opportunity for nan TV broadcast to do nan talking for Jones, enticing shot fans to acquisition a Cowboys location game. It’s easy to hide that it’s now been much than 15 years since AT&T Stadium opened because of really often analysts still boast astir nan palace Jones built for his team. 

“I would induce you to come,” Jones says. “When [everyone] near that stadium past night, it didn’t look for illustration location had been anybody successful it yesterday. Immediately, you could eat disconnected nan level down connected nan arena level. 

“[Having AT&T Stadium]is a measurement to return each of nan awesome media that we person associated pinch sports, and of course, nan NFL leads that visibility. It’s a measurement to return that and maximize it and get much worth and a year’s worthy of visibility and cognition than it’ll costs to build a full stadium.”

The value of caller stadiums has skyrocketed since AT&T Stadium opened successful 2009. Jerry World costs astir $1.2 cardinal to construct, pinch nan metropolis of Arlington backing astir $325 million, a indebtedness that was precocious paid disconnected 10 years early. SoFi Stadium, nan location of nan Rams and Chargers successful Inglewood, Calif., is nan astir costly sports stadium ever built, costing much than $5 cardinal earlier opening successful 2020. It is besides 1 of only 3 NFL stadiums built without nationalist funding, on pinch MetLife Stadium and Gillette Stadium. 

Jones’s stadium has go a destination, hosting events ranging from Super Bowl XLV to nan Final Four to nan upcoming 2026 World Cup. SoFi Stadium hosted Super Bowl LVI and will big Super Bowl LXI, arsenic good arsenic nan swimming events astatine nan 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Soon, galore teams will travel Jones’s blueprint of building massive, modern, domed stadiums pinch mini shot towns extracurricular nan metropolis limits they technically telephone home. Bigger is amended successful Texas, but uncovering sizable onshore and backing tin beryllium challenging. That’s wherever nan suburbs surrounding nan NFL’s 30 markets travel in, galore of which are eager to summation nan benefits that Jones speaks of astir lodging an NFL franchise. 

Currently, nan Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns person plans to build domed stadiums extracurricular their cities’ limits. But nan Washington Commanders are 1 of nan uncommon teams doing nan opposite, precocious announcing plans to time off nan suburbs and return to nan acquainted RFK tract successful nan nation’s capital. The Bills and Titans will unveil caller stadiums successful nan adjacent 2 seasons, each adjacent doorway to their existent homes (the Titans successful Nashville, nan Bills successful Buffalo’s adjacent suburb, Orchard Park), and nan Broncos are successful nan process of doing nan same, pinch plans to build a mile distant from their existent stadium successful Denver.   

However, it’s not arsenic elemental arsenic saying build it and nan benefits will come. First, location needs to beryllium money upfront—not conscionable to build stadiums that costs complete $2 billion. Land needs to beryllium purchased and infrastructure costs request to beryllium covered. Then, location are nan headaches that travel from getting galore group extracurricular nan squad to agree, including politicians, lawmakers, and, of course, taxpayers erstwhile they’re needed.  

The Bears person said they scheme to screen stadium costs for their projected tract successful Arlington Heights, a suburb northwest of Chicago. But they’re seeking $855 cardinal successful nationalist backing for infrastructure and hoping authorities lawmakers walk bills that would frost nan team’s taxation breaks and springiness them further elasticity to commencement building later this year. So far, Illinois and Chicago lawmakers person opposed supporting immoderate measurement that would green-light nan Bears’ plans to time off nan city.  

“With nan premier plus that you have,” Jones says, “with a hook into nan top viewership nan world’s ever seen—and that’s nan NFL viewership—you really can’t spend to fto immoderate of those issues betwixt nan metropolis of Chicago and a suburb of Chicago [get successful nan way]. The world has to set arsenic nan applicable aspects of it move along, and that’s why you’re seeing it. The world has adjusted. It fits financially. It tin work. 

“Maybe Chicago itself—or successful our case, Dallas itself—didn’t person nan viable resources successful their minds. But look what they [Arlington and Dallas] person [with AT&T Stadium], and they person a awesome venue that past nighttime could very easy attack 40 cardinal group [with nan Cowboys playing nan Packers].”

While location are galore benefits to having a caller NFL stadium, this is conscionable a glimpse of really analyzable it tin beryllium to get stadium plans disconnected nan ground. However, location are various ways to flooded nan obstacles. From 2 different viewpoints, here’s why nan Bears are wished to move guardant pinch their stadium suburb plans and why nan Commanders went each successful to return to nan metropolis aft a quarter-century of playing successful Maryland. 

The value of caller stadiums has skyrocketed since AT&T Stadium opened successful 2009. Jerry World costs astir $1.2 cardinal to build. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In a connection sent to Sports Illustrated, nan Bears said nan Arlington Heights tract is nan only viable action for keeping nan squad wrong Cook County, which is besides nan location of Chicago. 

“We look guardant to building a world-class, enclosed stadium that Chicago Bears fans merit and a surrounding intermezo territory successful Arlington Heights,” nan team’s connection read. “The Arlington Park tract is nan only location wrong Cook County that is feasible. This task would beryllium an economical boost for nan state, creating much than 56,000 building occupation years [year-long building jobs]; 9,000 imperishable jobs; and generating millions successful caller yearly taxation gross for nan state, county, and village. It will besides reconstruct nan authorities to nan world sports stage, providing a venue suitable for nan Super Bowl, nan Final Four, College Football Playoff games, concerts and different marquee sports and intermezo events.

“Our wide committedness to nan metropolis of Chicago, and its people, will ne'er change. We will guarantee that Chicago businesses and workforce are portion of nan building of this transformative project. We person spent $41 cardinal connected organization programs successful Chicago since 2011, and we will proceed to turn our programs that service nan group successful nan metropolis of Chicago.”

Marc Ganis, a sports advisor who has helped pinch developmental plans for much than a twelve awesome venues, agrees that nan Bears person nary different prime but to time off nan metropolis because Chicago hasn’t offered immoderate alternatives. There’s besides nan rumor of building astir nan city’s lakefront protection laws if nan Bears were to enactment adjacent their existent location Soldier Field, wherever nan squad has played since 1971. The stadium primitively opened successful 1924 and underwent important renovations from 2002 to ’03. 

“Some of nan governmental leaders that person been vocal astir this look to person an overseas attack to it,” Ganis says. “They look to deliberation that not offering immoderate different tract is someway acceptable and that nan Bears someway must enactment wrong nan metropolis limits. If nan governmental activity of nan metropolis and immoderate of nan governmental leaders successful nan authorities want to support nan Bears wrong nan metropolis limits, it is incumbent connected them to coming sites and a proposal, but they’ve done neither.”

Ganis listed reasons why nan Arlington Heights location is fantabulous for nan Bears, chiefly because of nan sizable 300 acres that were designed to grip crowds of 60,000-plus group erstwhile nan tract utilized to beryllium a racetrack.  

“If a power representation was drawn of Bears play summons holders, it’s successful a very advantageous location,” Ganis says. “It has a batch of infrastructure, highways and obstruction that spell correct adjacent to nan site. … It is adjacent to O’Hare Airport. There is capable onshore to beryllium capable to build existent property improvement to thief offset immoderate of nan costs associated pinch nan backstage improvement and cognition of nan stadium. 

“They besides person capable onshore to build a batch of parking, truthful that nan fans tin tailgate earlier games. And from nan standpoint of Cook County, it’s fantabulous because it’s wrong Cook County, which Chicago is in. So Cook County will proceed to person each of nan taxes that they received from Bears games.”

Illinois authorities typical Kam Buckner, who represents nan territory wherever Soldier Field is located, isn’t disputing nan benefits nan Bears would person from moving to Arlington Heights. He would alternatively spot nan Bears enactment successful Chicago, but pinch nan squad being a backstage entity, he understands that they person nan correct to do what’s champion for them. But Buckner has issues pinch nan squad seeking nationalist money and has been vocal astir nan squad attempting to time off down outstanding indebtedness from nan Soldier Field renovations. According to Bloomberg, $356 cardinal of indebtedness remains from nan stadium makeover. 

Illinois authorities typical Kam Buckner has issues pinch nan squad seeking nationalist money for their caller stadium and infrastructure. / Manica / Chicago Bears

“People successful roles for illustration excavation person to beryllium smart and prudent pinch people’s money,” Buckner says. “We can’t conscionable springiness blank checks to folks, but that seems to beryllium what immoderate of these folks want to happen. I’m hoping that we tin find a measurement to create immoderate mediate crushed present and fig retired a measurement to move guardant without [public funding]. 

“And conscionable to put things into discourse existent quick, I think, for nan Bears to inquire nan group of Illinois for a cardinal dollars successful infrastructure, positive a spot taxation freeze, which will propulsion money that’s expected to spell to police, occurrence and schools. At nan aforesaid time, arsenic a state, we person conscionable asked each of our authorities agencies to trim their budgets astir 4%, because of what’s going connected successful Washington D.C., it’s creating a little than unchangeable fund for nan authorities of Illinois. And group astir nan authorities want their ain spot taxation certainty. They want their ain thief from nan government. For them not to beryllium capable to get that, but for nan Bears to trim nan statement and get theirs, would beryllium problematic.”

Buckner said he and his colleagues aren’t consenting to entertain nan measure that would supply nan Bears pinch taxation certainty, astatine slightest not this month. Instead, Buckner introduced authorities earlier this period that would push for greater transparency astir stadium deals successful Illinois that could besides require teams to screen much of nan costs. In turn, this authorities could inhibit nan Bears’ plans to put shovels successful nan crushed successful Arlington Heights later this year.  

“For them to beryllium successful nan crushed by nan extremity of nan year, nan measure will person to walk by Oct. 29, and pinch truthful galore questions still retired location astir whether aliases not this makes financial consciousness for nan authorities of Illinois, I don’t spot that happening,” Buckner says. 

“I’ve asked for nan ownership, not [Bears president] Kevin Warren and not his team, but I’ve asked for nan ownership of nan Bears, [the] McCaskey family, to travel to [state capital] Springfield and person a speech pinch legislators successful public, connected nan record, astir what it is that they’re seeking and what nan economical use is for nan group of Illinois. They person not responded to that yet.”

One obstacle for nan Bears that’s little governmental successful quality would beryllium getting nan mostly of their instrumentality guidelines connected committee pinch these drastic changes. The squad is aiming to time off a historical venue known for fielding reliable teams accustomed to nan treacherous upwind conditions that travel from playing outdoors successful nan acold months adjacent to Lake Michigan. 

“I do not judge they should build a domed stadium,” Ganis says. “Chicago Bears fans pridefulness themselves connected being fans successful what they telephone Bears weather. They for illustration that reputation.”

On nan different hand, a domed stadium would create much opportunities for drafting nan Super Bowl and different awesome sporting events. 

As for preserving squad history, Raiders president Sandra Douglass Morgan, whose squad near Oakland for a $1.9 cardinal stadium successful Las Vegas successful 2020, says location are ways to grant nan team’s past and estimation while besides embracing nan changes that travel from a modern covered stadium. Allegiant Stadium was partially funded by $750 cardinal successful nationalist bonds.

“You person group initially that whitethorn beryllium resistant to alteration and don’t want to travel for various reasons,” Douglass Morgan says. “But erstwhile they’re there, they cognize that nan emotion astatine nan extremity of nan time is for that team. And moreover though it whitethorn beryllium successful a caller aliases different environment, erstwhile they get there, I’m judge that immoderate squad is going to do a awesome occupation of making judge they’re keeping arsenic galore of their fans happy arsenic an endeavor arsenic possible. 

“Not being from Oakland, me, I’m from Las Vegas, and gathering truthful galore people—and it’s not conscionable from my first year, it’s been throughout—they said, ‘You cognize what, I ne'er made nan travel retired present to Vegas. I’m gladsome I did. You know, I’m each in.’ That’s going to return nan activity of nan squad to do that. But there’s nary uncertainty successful my mind that they will.”

D.C.'s metropolis assembly approved nan Commanders' return to nan RFK site, wherever nan squad played erstwhile it won 3 Super Bowls successful 1980s and early 90s. / Getty Images

Commanders’ long-awaited return to D.C.

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser faced a unsocial situation while negotiating nan woody that returned nan Commanders to nan metropolis aft playing location games successful Landover, Md., for nan past 28 years. 

After pushing for 10 years, Bowser achieved her extremity of having nan onshore that includes nan aged RFK Stadium transferred from nan national authorities to metropolis control. She cleared nan last hurdle past period erstwhile D.C.’s metropolis assembly approved nan Commanders’ return to nan RFK site, wherever nan squad played erstwhile it won 3 Super Bowls successful nan ’80s and early ’90s. 

“It’s nan culmination of a batch of work, fits and starts, ups and downs, starts and stops, you sanction it,” Bowser says. “We’ve been done it, but we sewage power of 180 acres of land, which is what I promised. We are making it a mixed-use development, which is what I promised, including an NFL stadium. And we person nan correct partner who’s bringing $2.7 cardinal to nan deal. So we person our North Star now to get it unfastened successful 2030.”

The Commanders committed to paying 100% of stadium costs, while D.C. prepares nan onshore and pays astir $500 cardinal successful infrastructure for nan stadium and field investments. About 24% of stadium and parking improvement costs will travel from nationalist investment, pinch nary caller taxes, nary cuts to services and nary delays to different infrastructure projects, according to a spokesperson representing Bowser. 

“When you talk astir investing successful these stadiums and utilizing nationalist money, you person to rightfully make a transportation to your taxpayers to opportunity that it’s worthy it,” Bowser says. “Because location are opportunity costs and we person to show nan economical benefit, and this besides fits into our larger strategy arsenic a city. 

“Our system is shifting. We person been really based connected national workers and tourism. As our national workforce guidelines diminishes, we person to thin moreover much heavy to our intermezo and tourism, and sports successful our arenas person done very good here. We cognize that this is an investment; it’s not a giveaway, and it is going to salary disconnected for years to come.”

Bowser said location was plentifulness of persistence successful getting lawmakers and nan squad connected nan aforesaid page, but it was a important boost erstwhile Josh Harris purchased nan Commanders from Dan Snyder successful 2023. 

The Commanders person committed to paying 100% of stadium costs. / Washington Commanders

“I deliberation it’s for illustration nighttime and day,” Bowser says of nan 2 ownership groups. “You had a troubled organization, and now you person an ownership group that’s committed to nan metropolis and seems much focused connected nan business aspects of moving an NFL franchise. I deliberation they’re going to beryllium very successful.”

Bowser is hoping what D.C. and nan Commanders achieved successful their statement to build a caller stadium successful nan metropolis could entice much teams to thin distant from nan inclination of moving to nan suburbs. It’s besides not a fixed that suburban residents want a shot squad arsenic neighbors. 

“They don’t needfully want to bring nan metropolis to their backyard,” Bowser says. “They want to beryllium capable to spell retired to nan metropolis and spell to a crippled and spell to a edifice and return nationalist transit to get location without nan hassle of sitting connected nan Beltway and uncovering parking spaces.”

Still, it isn’t easy to cognize what suburban and metropolis residents genuinely want. NFL teams are putting taxpayers successful a difficult position, forcing them to determine whether nan semipermanent benefits of a caller stadium outweigh nan coming burdens.  

“There is not a fraction of disorder aliases a fraction of debate. That erstwhile you person nan Chicago Bears, and I don’t attraction if they’re sitting successful a suburb, there’s not a fraction of distraction that it represents nan Chicago area, conscionable for illustration nan Dallas Cowboys [represent Dallas].”

Many people, for illustration Buckner, disagree pinch really nan Bears are readying to build their state-of-the-art stadium. He added: “Even though that’s nan inclination for folks to leave, I don’t deliberation nan Bears person to clasp that trend. We’ve ever done things otherwise successful this city.”

Chicago is 1 of nan uncommon cities pinch each its awesome sports teams playing wrong its metropolis limits. It appears that this will nary longer beryllium nan lawsuit pinch nan team’s plans to move to Arlington Heights. Washington, D.C., will yet location each of its awesome sports teams erstwhile nan Commanders time off nan suburbs successful 2030.

Either way, Jones believes cities and suburbs will use from a caller stadium, sloppy of nan location. 

“There is not a fraction of disorder aliases a fraction of debate,” Jones says. “That erstwhile you person nan Chicago Bears, and I don’t attraction if they’re sitting successful a suburb, there’s not a fraction of distraction that it represents nan Chicago area, conscionable for illustration nan Dallas Cowboys [represent Dallas].

“And if you inquire millions of group successful this country, pinch my stadium, nan marketplace area of Dallas receives nan use of cognition connected our stadium, it’s nan aforesaid point successful Chicago.”