Costs are skyrocketing and teams want the public to chip in
The relationship between pro sports teams and the cities that they play in is an intimate one. For the city of Cleveland and the Cleveland Browns, that connection is much deeper. The Browns were once stolen from the great fanbase and the people of Cleveland and the fans of the Browns made sure the name, colors and records remained in Northeast Ohio.
Unfortunately, sports are also big business, especially the NFL.
The conversations about Cleveland Browns Stadium have gone all over the place in the last year or so:
- March 28, 2023: Haslams’ “committed” to renovating (then) FirstEnergy Stadium
- April 17, 2023: Stadium renovations could see team playing somewhere else for 2-3 seasons
- Feb. 8, 2024: Browns have plan to buy land to move outside city limits
- Feb. 16, 2024: Owners floated renovation plan to city officials with $500 million in funding coming from public
- March 25, 2024: Haslams reportedly eyeing a domed stadium in suburb
- April 1, 2024: Cleveland councilman invokes the “Modell Law” related to Browns moving out of city limits
We sought feedback from Browns fans on whether they wanted a dome or open-air stadium while Curtiss Brown provided his opinion on the matter.
Besides the where (on Lake Erie or in the suburb) and what (dome or open air), the biggest question is around how. How will the stadium get paid for?
Construction costs have skyrocketed over the last couple of years which has seen a huge jump in stadium prices. A look at many of the most expensive stadiums in the league:
SoFi Stadium
$4.9 Billion
Allegiant Stadium
$1.9 Billion
MetLife Stadium
$1.7 Billion
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
$1.5 Billion
AT&T Stadium
$1.3 Billion
Levi’s Stadium
$1.3 Billion
U.S. Bank Stadium
$1.1 Billion
Lucas Oil Stadium
$720 Million
Soldier Field
$600 Million
Lincoln Financial Field
$518 Million
The jump from Lucas Oil to U.S. Bank is big but SoFi Stadium out in Los Angeles puts all of that into perspective. The question was whether or not the LA venture would be the outlier or where things are headed. The question “was” because the Chicago Bears proposal tells us that SoFi’s cost is likely to be the new normal:
The Chicago Bears are set to announce a $4.6 billion plan to build a new enclosed stadium and improved lakefront area with half of the money coming from taxpayers, sources said.
For those focused on the finances, the proposal focuses on keeping the current 2% hotel tax to help the public side of the funding. The issue is that they still owe a huge amount because that tax hasn’t been enough:
The 2% hotel tax has fallen far short of paying off the existing debt. As a result, taxpayers still owe $629 million for past renovations of Soldier Field and Guaranteed Rate Field, whose occupants, the White Sox, also are seeking a new stadium in the South Loop.
In the end, something will get worked out for both the Browns and the Bears. Likely, both ownership groups will get a version of what they want but the citizens paying attention to the money are appropriately upset. The public still owes over $600 million for renovations on stadiums that soon could be empty or demolished. Now, the Bears want another $2-plus billion more.
Cleveland and the Browns are tied together in ways that almost no city and sports team is. The team will likely remain in Northeast Ohio. Will remain the “Cleveland Browns” and will, likely, be in a brand new stadium. The public will likely be on the hook for a large portion of that new stadium.
How does the Bears proposal impact your thoughts on what the Browns might do? How do you think everything plays out: Where will the Browns play? What type of stadium? How will it be paid for?
Share your thoughts, while respecting others who might think differently than you, in our comment section below
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