When it comes to stadium construction or renovation deals, it’s one thing to get the approval of the city, county, and/or state. It’s another to get approval of at least 24 owners.
It’s one of the basic powers that a business owner surrenders when that business is an NFL franchise. Even if the owner wants to do a deal, the owner needs to convince enough other owners to allow it.
For the Jaguars, the deal to renovate their Jacksonville stadium hinges on whether 23 or more of owner Shad Khan’s business partners will provide a thumb’s up. Khan believes it will happen when the owners vote on it this week.
“You never know, at least until the vote is cast,” Khan said, via the Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union. “But certainly, I have every reason to be very optimistic.”
Why do the owners care? Because if one owner does what the rest of them consider to be a bad deal, it becomes precedent for future deals that other teams try to do, when attempting to milk maximum money from the public coffers.
“I felt very good after that was done,” Khan said. “So, I think we’ll know Tuesday [whether the deal will be approved], but we have every reason to be optimistic.”
Khan didn’t rule out the possibility that there will be concerns.
“Nothing we can’t overcome,” Khan said.
It would be awkward, to say the least, if the owners basically send Khan back to Jacksonville asking for more.