Two NFL teams call Pennsylvania home. Both should think twice when seeking money from the state they call home.
On Sunday, Governor Josh Shapiro addressed the issue in a Q&A at the Pocono Motor Speedway.
The Associated Press incorrectly characterized Shapiro as saying there would be no state money. The AP was — and there’s no other way to say it — dead, flat wrong.
A transcript provided by Shapiro’s office reveals the full exchange.
AP reporter: “When the Sixers were pursuing their new arena, you said that you were not in favor of using state money to build the new arena.”
Shapiro: “Correct.”
AP reporter: “The Eagles lease is up in 2032. [Owner] Jeffrey Lurie has floated the idea that possibly there’ll be a new football stadium in the complex as well. Is federal — is state money off the table for that as well?”
Shapiro: “Well, I’m not going to get into the specifics of any of our conversations here in this setting. I will tell you that we want to make sure that the Steelers, we want to make sure the Eagles, and all of our pro teams have outstanding places to play, that are welcoming for fans, that generate revenue for the economy, just like the good folks here at Pocono do.
“But we also need to be really careful about utilizing state tax dollars, particularly at a time where we’re seeing the likeliness of massive federal cuts that are going to knock half a million people off of their health care. A hundred and forty thousand are going to lose food assistance. I got 25 rural hospitals that will likely shutter if these federal plans go forward.
“And so I’m very worried about the overall budget. I’m very worried about the overall economic situation given the federal cuts and so you want to balance investing in tourism, investing in sports, investing in great arenas and facilities with making sure that you’re also requesting those dollars in the things that Pennsylvanians need most. So it’s always a balance. We’ve got really great communication with Jeffrey Lurie and with [Steelers owner] Art Rooney and we’re going to continue to dialogue with them about what they need and what’s possible.”
There’s been a presumption for years that, because members of the public attend sporting events, there’s an obligation by their state and local governments to help pay for the venue. Does that happen when someone builds a store that relies on the presence of members of the public? A theater?
The key words Shapiro used, in our view, are “generate revenue.” Sports stadiums generate plenty. More than enough to pay for themselves.
Sure, that might result in less profit. But so what? If there’s enough profit to justify the investment, that should be good enough. Sports teams aren’t entitled to unlimited profit via taxpayer subsidies.
The Steelers, who opened their current stadium in 2001, aren’t currently angling for a replacement. The Eagles have begun the process of considering whether to renovate Lincoln Financial Field or to replace it.
Whatever the approach on either side of the Commonwealth, the two teams have one thing in common. State money won’t be available, for as long as Shapiro is in office.
Elected in 2022, Shapiro can run again in 2026. So it’s possible that the policy won’t change before 2030. At the earliest.
[Editor’s note: The original version of this story was based on erroneous reporting by the AP. The AP claimed that Shapiro said there would be no state money for stadiums. That was grossly incorrect. The AP has since revised its story, but it has not issued a retraction or even acknowledged that the current version is different from the original one.]