Earlier this month, President Trump unveiled his long-awaited tariff plans. Despite a 90-day pause, economic uncertainty remains. The proposed tariffs—ranging from a 10% baseline to over 100%—would apply not only to all exports from certain countries, but also additionally to specific goods like lumber and steel.[1] While the long-term effects are unclear, it is worth examining... Continue Reading →
NFL teams are in a stadium building frenzy. From the Chicago Bears,[1] Cleveland Browns,[2] Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans,[3] franchises across the league are capitalizing on a stadium construction boom. But while this excitement has led to the construction of many modern stadiums, it has also led to skyrocketing costs. Few teams have experienced this more than the... Continue Reading →
Unlike its international counterparts, the United States soccer system has never adopted a system of promotion and relegation. Through promotion and relegation, at the end of a season the bottom two or three teams in a league are relegated to the division below, while the corresponding top two or three teams in the league below... Continue Reading →
Relaxed ownership rules have opened the door for private equity investment in U.S. professional sports teams. From the NFL[1] to the MLB,[2] private equity firms are becoming a dominant force in team ownership. While investment in European sports teams, particularly soccer teams, has long been common, the trend in the U.S. began largely when Major League Baseball... Continue Reading →
In the wake of the 1994 World Cup, soccer experienced significant growth in the United States. The result of that growth was the establishment of Major League Soccer (MLS).[1] MLS has operated as the dominant professional soccer league in the United States. Professional soccer is regulated by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).[2] The USSF sanctions leagues... Continue Reading →
Just how much leverage a professional sports team has over a municipality in stadium negotiations is still an open question. Must a team succeed consistently on the field to hold negotiating leverage?[1] How much economic impact must a new stadium deliver for a municipality to contribute significant investment? Is economic impact even a real metric to... Continue Reading →
We just might be in the era of the professional sports stadium. Several NFL teams have recently either conducted comprehensive renovations on existing stadiums or constructed brand-new, state-of-the-art stadiums. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles both opened as the newest NFL stadiums in 2020.[1] New stadium construction comes at a cost—often... Continue Reading →
The anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is growing. Investment in US soccer is at levels not seen since the 1994 World Cup. Following the US hosting of the World Cup in 1994, soccer in America took off. Before 1994, there was no sustainable American professional soccer league.[i] Since then, Major League Soccer, the top tier... Continue Reading →