Two bills have been filed in the Virginia General Assembly aiming to lure the Washington Football Team to the commonwealth.
The nearly identical bills, submitted last week in the House and Senate, would establish a Virginia Football Stadium Authority, 鈥渃harged with financing the construction of a football stadium and related facilities.鈥�
In both bills, the authority would have nine members selected by the governor and subject to confirmation by the Assembly; four of those members would be from a list chosen by the team (presumably the WFT, though the bills don鈥檛 specify).
The authority would 鈥渉ire independent contractors, enter contracts, acquire property, borrow money, and exercise other similar powers,鈥� the bills read.
The , introduced by Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, says bonds issued by the authority would have a maximum length of 40 years; , introduced by Del. Barry Knight, limits the length to 20 years. Knight鈥檚 bill dissolves the authority if there hasn鈥檛 been a lease agreement by July 1, 2025; Saslaw鈥檚 has no such provision.
Last week, Virginia Sen. Jeremy McPike said owner Dan Snyder and other team officials met with lawmakers to discuss possibilities, and said Loudoun and Prince William counties were likely candidates for a location.
McPike, speaking on 106.7 The Fan, said the plan was for a stadium to be part of an entertainment complex that could generate tax revenue.
“I鈥檓 not interested in paying for a stadium out of my tax dollars,鈥� he said.
Virginia already has a Baseball Stadium Authority; in his first speech to the Assembly last week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said, 鈥淟et鈥檚 broaden the Baseball Stadium Authority to include football, and perhaps we鈥檒l get one of those too.鈥�
The Washington Football Team practices in Ashburn, Virginia, and has played in Landover, Maryland, since 1997. The team’s lease in Landover ends in 2027.
Virginia is said to be the largest state in the U.S. without a team in the NFL, the NBA, the NHL or MLB.
