List of NFL franchise owners

Last updated

The following is a list of current National Football League franchise owners:

Contents

FranchisePrincipal ownerPurchase priceYear acquiredRef.
Arizona Cardinals Michael Bidwill (51875321022) (cropped).jpg Michael Bidwill $50,000 1932 [1]
Atlanta Falcons Arthur Blank 2016.jpg Arthur Blank [lower-alpha 1] $545,000,000 2002 [2]
Baltimore Ravens Steve Bisciotti, Super Bowl celebration (cropped).jpg Steve Bisciotti [lower-alpha 1] $300,000,000
& $600,000,000
2000
& 2004
[3]
Buffalo Bills Terry Pegula 2015.jpg Terry and Kim Pegula $1,400,000,000 2014 [4]
Carolina Panthers David Tepper 01.jpg David Tepper $2,275,000,000 2018 [5]
Chicago Bears Virginia Halas McCaskey [lower-alpha 1] $100 1920 [6]
Cincinnati Bengals MikeBrown.jpg Mike Brown >$200,000,000 1968
& 2011
[7] [8]
Cleveland Browns Haslam 2012 Sports Awards (cropped).jpg Jimmy and Dee Haslam $1,050,000,000 2012 [9] [10]
Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones (24176024648) (cropped).jpg Jerry Jones $140,000,000 1989 [11]
Denver Broncos S. Robson Walton by Gage Skidmore.jpg Rob Walton [lower-alpha 2] $4,650,000,000 2022 [12] [13]
Detroit Lions Sheila Ford Hamp [lower-alpha 1] $4,500,000 1963 [14]

[15] [16]

Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers, Inc. [lower-alpha 3] 1923
Houston Texans Cal McNair $700,000,0001999 [17]
Indianapolis Colts Jim Irsay 2022 (cropped).jpg Jim Irsay $19,000,000 1972 [18]
Jacksonville Jaguars Shahid Khan 2015.jpg Shahid Khan $760,000,000 2012 [19]
Kansas City Chiefs Clark Hunt.JPG Clark Hunt [lower-alpha 4] $25,000 1960 [20]
Las Vegas Raiders Mark Davis (American football).jpg Mark Davis and Carol Davis [lower-alpha 1] 2011
Los Angeles Chargers Dean Spanos.jpg Dean Spanos >$72,000,000 1984 [21] [22]
Los Angeles Rams Stan Kroenke (cropped).png Stan Kroenke $80,000,000
& $450,000,000
1995
& 2010
[23]
Miami Dolphins Stephen M. Ross.jpg Stephen Ross [lower-alpha 1] $1,000,000,000 2008 [24]
Minnesota Vikings Zygi Wilf and Edward Masso cropped (1).jpg Zygi Wilf [lower-alpha 1] $600,000,000 2005 [25]
New England Patriots Robert Kraft at Face Jewish Hate event (1).jpg Robert Kraft $175,000,000 1994 [26]
New Orleans Saints Benson-headshot.jpg Gayle Benson $64,000,000 1985 [27]
New York Giants John Mara 2018 (cropped).jpg John Mara and Steve Tisch $500 1925 [28]
New York Jets Woody Johnson Photo.jpg Woody and Christopher Johnson $635,000,000 2000 [29]
Philadelphia Eagles Jeffrey-Lurie August-2010.jpg Jeffrey Lurie $185,000,000 1994 [30]
Pittsburgh Steelers ArtRooneyII closeup.jpg Rooney family (Art Rooney II)$2,500 1933 [31]
San Francisco 49ers Jed York Web Summit.jpg Denise DeBartolo York and Jed York $17,000,000 1977 [32]
Seattle Seahawks Jody Allen [lower-alpha 5] $200,000,000 1997 [33]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers President Joe Biden with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (cropped).jpg Glazer family (Bryan Glazer)$192,000,000 1995 [34]
Tennessee Titans Amy Adams Strunk.jpg Amy Adams Strunk [lower-alpha 6] $25,000 1959 [35] [36]
Washington Commanders Josh Harris WAS-NYG NOV2023 (cropped).jpg Josh Harris [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 7] $6,050,000,000 2023 [37]

Ownership restrictions

The NFL forbids corporations, religious groups, governments, and non-profit organizations from owning stakes in teams. [38] The NFL requires a controlling owner to hold at minimum a 30% stake in the team and forbids ownership groups of over 24 people, or any publicly traded corporations from purchasing NFL teams; one team, the Green Bay Packers, is exempt from this under a grandfather clause and is owned by shareholders. The Houston Texans are also grandfathered in for their home countythe Harris County, Texas governmentwhich owns 5% of the team, as the rule forbidding governments from owning a team became effective in 2007. The NFL's constitution also forbids its owners from owning any other professional football teams, although an exception was made for teams from the now-defunct Arena Football League located in the NFL team's home market. In addition, the controlling owners of NFL teams were previously only permitted to own major league baseball, basketball and hockey teams if they were in the NFL team's home market, or were not located in other NFL cities. [39]

Stan Kroenke, who owned hockey and basketball teams in Denver, was nonetheless unanimously allowed to buy the then-St. Louis Rams in 2010 and hold on to his Denver assets until 2015. Even then, the Denver assets were transferred to his wife, Ann. [40] Soccer has been exempt from these restrictions since 1982, when the league lost a lawsuit filed by the original NASL stemming from the investments of Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt and Elizabeth Robbie, the wife of Miami Dolphins founder Joe Robbie in NASL teams; [41] as a result, NFL owners have owned teams in MLS in other NFL markets. In October 2018, the NFL owners voted to relax the cross-ownership rule, allowing controlling NFL owners to own other professional teams within NFL markets outside their home market. [42] The league also informally requires prospective owners to have high liquidity in their assets and positive cash flow; having a majority of one's wealth invested in real estate is often grounds for rejection. [43]

See also

Notelist

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Majority or controlling owner in a limited partnership.
  2. Includes his daughter and her husband. Other non-family members of the ownership group include Mellody Hobson, Condoleezza Rice, and Sir Lewis Hamilton.
  3. Public corporation with a grandfathered exception to modern NFL ownership rules. The team is governed by a board of directors with president and CEO Mark Murphy representing the team.
  4. The four children of team founder Lamar Hunt share legal ownership, with Clark Hunt as acting owner.
  5. Jody Allen represents the estate of Paul Allen, who mandated the eventual sale of the team in his will.
  6. Representing the children, widowed daughter-in-law, and grandchildren of founding owner Bud Adams.
  7. Limited partners:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina Panthers</span> National Football League franchise in Charlotte, North Carolina

The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The team is headquartered in Bank of America Stadium in Uptown Charlotte; which also serves as the team's home field. The Panthers are supported throughout the Carolinas; although the team has played its home games in Charlotte since 1996, it played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, during its first season in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Bears</span> National Football League franchise in Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl, and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most retired jersey numbers. The Bears have also recorded the second-most victories of any NFL franchise, only behind the Green Bay Packers, who they have a long-standing rivalry with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Broncos</span> National Football League franchise in Denver, Colorado

The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquartered in Dove Valley, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh Steelers</span> National Football League franchise in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North Division. Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the seventh-oldest franchise in the NFL, and the oldest franchise in the AFC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arena Football League</span> Professional American arena football league

The Arena Football League (AFL) can refer to one of three successive professional indoor American football leagues in the United States. The first of these was founded in 1986, and played its first official games in the 1987 season, running for 22 consecutive seasons until going bankrupt following the 2008 season. The second league, consisting largely of teams from the first AFL and arenafootball2, purchased the first league's assets out of bankruptcy and resumed play in 2010 as a continuation of the first AFL; this second AFL ran for ten further seasons, before again going bankrupt following the 2019 season. A third AFL, which is not directly connected to the previous two iterations of the league but claiming their histories and trademarks, intends to launch in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Football League</span> American football league (1983–1986)

The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be played in the autumn/winter, directly competing against the long-established National Football League (NFL). However, the USFL ceased operations before that season was scheduled to begin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peyton Manning</span> American football player (born 1976)

Peyton Williams Manning is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with the Denver Broncos. Manning is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the second son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, older brother of former NFL quarterback Eli Manning, and uncle of Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, winning the Maxwell, the Davey O'Brien, and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards as a senior en route to victory in the 1997 SEC Championship Game.

The term "America's Team" is a nickname that refers to the National Football League (NFL)'s Dallas Cowboys. The nickname originated with the team's 1978 highlight film, where the narrator opens with the following introduction:

They appear on television so often that their faces are as familiar to the public as presidents and movie stars. They are the Dallas Cowboys, "America's Team".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Richardson</span> American NFL team owner (1936–2023)

Jerome Johnson Richardson Sr. was an American businessman, football player, and owner in the National Football League (NFL). A native of Spring Hope, North Carolina, he played college football for the Wofford Terriers and was twice a Little All-America selection. After graduating, he played two seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Kroenke</span> American billionaire businessman (born 1947)

Enos Stanley Kroenke is an American billionaire businessman. He is the owner of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which is the holding company of Arsenal F.C. of the Premier League and Arsenal W.F.C. of the WSL, the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, Denver Nuggets of the NBA, Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League, the Los Angeles Gladiators of the Overwatch League, and the Los Angeles Guerrillas of the Call of Duty League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kroenke Sports & Entertainment</span> American sports and entertainment company

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) is an American sports and entertainment holding company based in Denver, Colorado. Originally known as Kroenke Sports Enterprises, it was started in 1999 by businessman Stan Kroenke to be the parent company of his sports holdings. Today, the company has control of over five professional sport franchises, and one association football club that has two teams: Arsenal F.C. and Arsenal W.F.C., four stadiums, two professional esports franchised teams, four television channels, an internet TV channel, & 19 magazines which operate under the badge Outdoor Sportsman Group, four radio stations which operate under the badge KSE Radio Ventures, LLC, and websites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Schefter</span> American sportswriter and reporter (born 1966)

Adam Schefter is an American sports writer and reporter. After graduating from University of Michigan and Northwestern University with degrees in journalism, Schefter wrote for several newspapers, including The Denver Post, before working at NFL Network. He has worked as an NFL insider for ESPN since 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada</span>

Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada traditionally include four leagues: Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL). Other prominent leagues include Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Canadian Football League (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas City Chiefs</span> National Football League franchise in Kansas City, Missouri

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Von Miller</span> American football player (born 1989)

Vonnie B'VSean Miller is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Miller played college football at Texas A&M, where he earned consensus All-American honors and the Butkus Award. He was selected by the Denver Broncos second overall in the 2011 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Davis (American football)</span> American businessman and sports franchise owner (born 1955)

Mark M. Davis is an American businessman and sports franchise owner. He is the controlling owner and managing general partner of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and the owner of the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). His father, Al, was the principal owner of the Raiders from 1972 until his death in 2011. Upon his father's death, Davis and his mother, Carol, inherited ownership of the Raiders, with Davis taking over as operating head of the franchise. As of February 2023, his estimated net worth was $1.9 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Mahomes</span> American football player (born 1995)

Patrick Lavon Mahomes II is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to six consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances and four Super Bowl appearances since becoming the team's starting quarterback in 2018. He is one of five quarterbacks in NFL history to win three or more Super Bowls. Mahomes's career accolades through seven seasons in the NFL have earned him widespread praise from sports journalists, and he is considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CityPark</span> Soccer stadium in St. Louis, Missouri

CityPark, stylized as CITYPARK, is a 22,423-seat soccer-specific stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It is the home of St. Louis City SC, the city's Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. The stadium is next to Union Station in the city's Downtown West neighborhood, and was completed in November 2022, ahead of the 2023 MLS season. The stadium is also the home of St. Louis City SC 2 of MLS Next Pro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Trump and American football</span>

During his career as a businessman and politician, Donald Trump has had a noted relationship with the sport of American football, both at the professional and collegiate levels. Since the 1980s, he has had a strained relationship with the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. A 2018 article in Business Insider labeled Trump's relationship with the league "The Pigskin War", calling the NFL "his oldest rival". That same year, sportswriter Adam Schefter of ESPN stated that Trump has "his own little vendetta against the NFL", while Ed Malyon, the sports editor of The Independent, stated in 2019 that, "Trump has long waged war against the NFL".

References

  1. Brown, Brandon (October 6, 2019). "Arizona Cardinals Owner Bill Bidwill Dies". Phoenix Business Journal.
  2. Starrs, Chris (September 17, 2018). "Arthur Blank". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  3. S.I. Staff (n.d.). "Steve Bisciotti, Baltimore Ravens". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  4. S.I. Staff (n.d.). "Kim and Terry Pegula, Buffalo Bills". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  5. Haislop, Tadd (May 22, 2018). "Who is Panthers' new owner? Fast facts about David Tepper". Sporting News. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  6. S.I. Staff. "Virginia Halas McCaskey, Chicago Bears". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  7. Kirkendall, Josh (December 23, 2011). "Brown Family Completes Deal To Purchase 30% Of The Cincinnati Bengals". Cincy Jungle. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  8. S.I. Staff (n.d.). "Mike Brown, Cincinnati Bengals". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  9. "Browns' Sale to Jimmy Haslam Done". ESPN. Associated Press. October 25, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  10. Schefter, Adam (August 2, 2012). "Sources: Browns Sold for Over $1B". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  11. Roy, Reagan (February 25, 2019). "On This Day: Jerry Jones buys Dallas Cowboys in 1989 for $140M". CBS19. Tyler, Texas: KYTX-TV. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  12. Around the NFL staff (August 9, 2022). "NFL owners approve Walton-Penner group's purchase of Denver Broncos franchise". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  13. DiLalla, Aric (August 9, 2022). "'Putting a winning team on the field is our No. 1 priority': Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group unanimously approved, introduced as new Broncos owners". DenverBroncos.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  14. Rothstein, Michael (June 23, 2020). "Detroit Lions Owner Martha Firestone Ford, 94, Steps Down; Sheila Ford Hamp Takes Over". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  15. Risdon, Jeff (June 24, 2020). "A History of the Detroit Lions Franchise Ownership". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  16. Patra, Kevin (June 23, 2020). "Lions Owner Martha Ford Stepping Down, Will Be Succeeded by daughter". National Football League. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  17. "Who is the Houston Texans' owner? History of the McNair family". ProFootballNetwork. February 19, 2021. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  18. "Trading an NFL Franchise: A Brief History". Last Word on Sports. July 29, 2019. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  19. Sandomir, Richard (December 1, 2011). "Jaguars Buyer Had His Eye on Ownership of a Franchise". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  20. "Meet the Dallas billionaire responsible for the Kansas City Chiefs' resurgence". January 26, 2020. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  21. Ramirez, Fernando. "Understanding The Chargers Ownership News". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  22. "Chargers co-owner asks court to force sale of team due to mounting debts exceeding $350 million, per report". CBSSports.com. April 2021. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  23. "Fleming: Reclusive NFL owner sparks chaos". ESPN. March 18, 2015. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  24. Hoffower, Hillary; Kaplan, Juliana. "Stephen Ross — Trump donor and Equinox chairman — has reportedly already donated $1 million toward NYC's next elections. Take a look at how one of the city's richest residents built his fortune". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  25. "Sources: Wilf family emerges as top Wolves suitor". ESPN. July 22, 2020. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  26. Gaines, Cork. "Robert Kraft saved the New England Patriots with a gutsy $175 million investment and it has paid off big time". Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  27. "Blakeview: The story of Tom Benson and the New Orleans Saints". NOLA.com. March 9, 2020. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  28. "New York Giants ownership at a glance". ESPN. March 18, 2015. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  29. Sandomir, Richard (January 12, 2000). "The Jets Fill One Opening: New Owner at $635 Million". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  30. Tornoe, Rob (September 20, 2018). "Jeff Lurie bought the Eagles for $185 million. They're worth a lot more today". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  31. "History of Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc". FundingUniverse. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  32. S.I. Staff (n.d.). "Get to know the York family, the San Francisco 49ers' owners". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  33. "Council Oks Allen's Purchase Of Seahawks". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  34. Maiorana, Sal. "The billionaire Glazer family who owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has roots in Rochester". Democrat and Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  35. Climer, David. "With Bud Adams' death, what lies ahead for Titans?". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 16, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  36. Boclair, David. "Adams Heirs to Remain Titans Owners". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  37. Keim, John (July 20, 2023). "NFL owners approve $6.05B sale of Commanders to Harris group". ESPn. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  38. "Constitution and Bylaws of the National Football League" (PDF). National Football League. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 13, 2018.
  39. "Constitution and Bylaws of the National Football League" (PDF). National Football League. 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  40. "NFL owners let Kroenke keep Rams; transfer Nuggets, Avalanche to his wife". Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  41. North American Soccer League v. National Football League, 670F.2d1249 ( 2d Cir. 1982).
  42. Farmer, Sam (October 16, 2018). "NFL owners vote to allow cross-ownership in cities with football teams". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  43. "Trump's failed bid to purchase Bills mentioned in Times article". WBEN. March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.