NFL Stadium Deals Often Come With Large 'Hidden Costs'
The Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos used the opening of a new National Football League season as a platform to announce each intended to build a new stadium for which the teams would pay.
But the reality for taxpayers in each state and NFL city is that the “hidden costs” as described by journalist and author Neil DeMause, are the numbers taxpayers should be following.
Those include tax captures, new taxes, property tax and rent deals, land purchase cost breaks, tax-increment financing, site infrastructure costs and stadium naming rights.
“Every team owner knows that you have to find a rock to hide the subsidies under,” DeMause told The Center Square.
DeMause co-wrote the book “Field of Schemes” and operates a stadium funding blog with the same name where he regularly covers the topic.
He compared the earlier stages of the Bears’ proposal to move to Arlington Park and the Broncos’ proposal to move to Burnham Yard to the Washington Commanders’ proposal to move to federal land at the site of the former RFK Stadium. The Commanders’ leadership and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the team would pay for the stadium, but the fine print showed something different.
Tagged: Partner BACK TO HOMEPAGE