Maryland Makes Major $400M Bid To Keep Commanders
The Washington Commanders have been talking with Maryland, Washington, and Virginia recently to find the ideal arrangement for their stadium needs. There's been an increased recent effort from Maryland to keep the team.
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The Maryland House approved a $400 million plan to develop the area around FedEx Field to entice the Commanders to stay. The plan was approved, with 121-10 being the final vote. The next step will be the Maryland Senate.
Virginia has attempted to lure the Commanders to relocate, but the legislation did not pass in the last session. Another attempt is in the works as they called for a special session that had already begun earlier this week.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan told reporters the state is interested in keeping the Commanders in the state. However, there is no interest in engaging in a "bidding war" with competitors like Virginia or the District of Columbia to make it happen.
“They’re negotiating, you know, trying to pit everybody against each other, but we’re not going to get into a bidding war over them, and we’re not going to be proposing $1.2 billion to build them a stadium,” Hogan said last month. “If Virginia wants to do that, and they want to go to Virginia, I would say ‘good luck.’”
There is no shortage of controversy surrounding the Commanders — adding complication to the general situation. Between sexual harassment investigations and the emergence of an inquiry into the financial conduct of the organization, they've remained a focus for Congress.
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The quality of FedEx Field has come into focus at times, too. There's even speculation about the field's quality impacting Washington's bid to host the 2026 World Cup despite a strong presentation. There was even a viral video of pipes bursting during a game and railing collapsing at a game.
