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Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — NFL owners did not vote at their spring league meeting on potentially allowing private equity firms to invest in NFL franchises, but Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that the NFL would He said they were making “real progress.”
“We are acting very thoughtfully and carefully,” Goodell said at a news conference after the meeting in Nashville. “The committee — we’re working pretty hard on them. We have a lot of interest in the private equity space, but they’re also looking at broader ownership policy. …We’re going to continue to do that.”We’d like to think carefully, but we expect it to be toward the end of the year.”
The NFL currently prohibits private equity firms, pension funds or sovereign wealth funds from taking an ownership interest in franchises. Allowing private equity participation in team buyouts could give teams a short-term cash infusion to fund projects like stadium renovations.
“I didn’t ask for a vote, but I think it’s fair to say they agree with the direction we’re going,” Goodell said of the reception the private equity inclusion has had among team owners. “I think it’s fair to say they’re comfortable with some of the aspects that we’ve presented to them in this update. It’s well thought out. The committee has worked incredibly hard, and they’ve really valued that and so I think they have a lot of confidence in this project and their work.”
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt is one of five members of a special committee reviewing the ownership policy the league developed last year, as the committee begins to get a feel for the various parameters. However, he said the numbers remain in constant flux. To work on plans for potential private equity investments. He said the NFL is considering what other American professional sports leagues have done, all of which offer some level of institutional asset ownership, and will continue discussions. There is.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was not concerned about what the committee presented and that “the overall ownership plan is under discussion.”
While sovereign wealth funds are currently not allowed to invest directly in NFL teams, they can make small indirect investments through approved funds, sources told ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. These investments would require approval from three-quarters of the league’s ownership.
“Almost everyone in this room is in favor of moving forward,” Hunt said. “Of course, the test will be when it comes to a vote.”
Goodell also said NFL owners voted to increase the acquisition debt limit by an additional $200 million, increasing the new owners’ operating and acquisition debt from $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion. This is the second time in a year that the league has raised its debt cap. In October, the league raised the debt limit for existing owners from $600 million to $700 million. Wednesday’s increase is only for new potential owners.
In addition to addressing private equity issues, Goodell also detailed the feasibility of expanding the 18-game schedule, citing player safety as a key consideration.
“What’s important to us is making sure we continue to work to make the game safer,” Goodell said. “Seventeen games is a long season, so we want to keep that in mind and continue to work on safety. You all know the result of the kickoff. The hip drop is a great example of that. We will continue to do so. I will do it.”
Goodell added that expanding the schedule would also require an agreement with the NFL Players Association. The NFL Players Association agreed to a 17-game schedule after intense opposition from players in the latest collective bargaining agreement, which expires in March 2030.
New York Giants owner John Mara said an 18-game schedule will be part of future discussions.
“I think the majority of owners are in favor of it,” Mara said Wednesday. “We’ll have to see if the players’ association supports it or not. And those conversations haven’t happened yet.”
But he noted that while fans would be on board with replacing regular-season games with preseason games — one of Goodell’s solutions to get the league to an 18-game regular season — he’s not yet fully on board.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m crazy about extending the season,” Mara said. “I’m more concerned about the fatigue of the players and the wear and tear of the players moving forward. That’s one of the reasons we have to talk to them.”
The league meeting also discussed the progress of the league’s approval process regarding Tom Brady’s ownership of the Las Vegas Raiders. The league is scrutinizing the financial details of Brady’s contract with principal owner Mark Davis and potential conflicts arising from Brady’s role as an NFL game commentator for Fox Sports.
“I think we’re making progress,” Goodell said of the process to approve Brady’s partial ownership. “The Finance Committee has done its job on this and we have a little bit more work to do. But that was one of the factors. As members of the media, in preparing us… It’s about what information you have access to every week.” He also mentioned the game’s broadcast, moving forward. ”
