• Loading stock data...
Sunday, September 7, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Bettman: Coyotes ‘Will Finalize Something’ For Arena In Coming Months

  • For the second straight season, the Coyotes will play in a 5,000-seat arena.
  • The team has still not secured its long term future in Arizona.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Coyotes are entering their second season playing at the 5,000-seat Mullet Arena on the campus of Arizona State University — but the team and NHL are optimistic that plans for the franchise’s future home will be solidified by season’s end.

“My belief is in the next few months, they will finalize something,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said recently.

In August, the Coyotes signed a letter of intent to purchase a plot of land in Mesa as the possible site of a $2.1 billion sports and entertainment district featuring a 16,000-seat arena. That came after a huge defeat for the franchise in May, when a similar project was rejected by voters in Tempe.

Now, the Coyotes are tasked with determining the best land option and funding sources. 

Bettman added that his hope was to have something done by the end of the season and/or next summer. It would be several years before the Coyotes could move into a new venue, even if construction started in 2024.

Media Madness

Last week, the Coyotes finally got clarity regarding their media rights deal with Diamond Sports Group’s Bally Sports Arizona, which was supposed to run through the 2024-25 season. A bankruptcy judge granted permission to DSG to reject the deal, allowing the Coyotes to take over the rights.

Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez told Front Office Sports the team had planned on that outcome for several weeks, although the franchise couldn’t make any agreements until Thursday’s ruling came down. The Coyotes announced a local broadcast deal with Scripps Sports to carry 81 of 82 games.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Connor McDavid: ‘All Options on Table’ As Historic Free Agency Looms

The Oilers superstar remains largely mum on his long-term plans.
Aug 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) flies out to left field in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium.

The Biggest Deferred Contracts In Each Major Sports League

Shohei Ohtani will make $680 million after his contract ends.
Dec 10, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; A general view of the Delta Center before the game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Minnesota Wild.

Utah’s Sports Boom Expands Into Music, Emulating Atlanta

The Jazz and Mammoth owner strikes a major deal with Live Nation.
Kyle Busch talks with Nexstar Media Group, Wednesday February 14, 2024 during Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway

$6.2B Nexstar-Tegna Deal Could Create Local Sports Juggernaut

CW parent company Nexstar looks to acquire its rival in a major deal.

Featured Today

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis
September 5, 2025

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 5, 2025

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Aug 22, 2025; Bridgeview, Illinois, USA; Chicago Stars FC forward Jameese Joseph (8) passes the ball during the first half of a match against the North Carolina Courage at SeatGeek Stadium.

Chicago Stars FC Move to Evanston After 12 Years in Bridgeview

Stadium plans beyond the 2026 season aren’t solidified. 
August 18, 2025

Browns $2.4B Stadium Plan Runs Into Airspace Turbulence

The team’s proposed stadium is deemed a threat to nearby airport operations.
August 28, 2025

As CFB Programs Add Corporate Field Logos, Are Jersey Patches Next?

Texas is adding a sponsor’s logo to its football field this season.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
Sofi Stadium
August 14, 2025

Los Angeles Olympics Will be First to Sell Venue Naming Rights

The decision breaks with a longstanding Olympic policy.
Nov 30, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; General overall view of the Dallas Cowboys logo at midfield during an NFL football game between the Washington Redskins and the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
August 14, 2025

Arlington Pays Off Its Cowboys Stadium Debt 10 Years Early

Another major NFL venue retires its public debt far ahead of schedule.
Fans watch as players make it into the 18th hole during round three of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC in Scottsdale on Feb. 8, 2025. Arizona Republic
August 13, 2025

Country Club Initiation Fees Soar With Golf’s Popularity

In many areas, would-be members are joining decade-long wait lists.
July 30, 2025

Browns Push Forward on $2.4B Stadium Despite Political Obstacles

The NFL team plans a stadium groundbreaking, despite funding and legal issues.