Ahead of Super Bowl LIX, owners of both the Eagles and Chiefs talked about the future of their home stadiums. For Philadelphia, those discussions are just beginning, while Kansas City is already in a more contentious situation.
This season’s AFC and NFC champions aren’t the only franchises with stadium questions, though. The Bears, Browns, and Commanders are also trying to finalize long-term plans for new venues. The Bills and Titans are currently building new stadiums, while the Jaguars and Panthers are starting major renovation projects.
Another team that can be added to the mix is the Broncos, whose lease at Empower Field at Mile High in downtown Denver expires in 2030.
“We don’t [have a lot of time], actually,” Broncos president Damani Leech said during an interview with Front Office Sports in New Orleans. “It takes four years to build. You start to back that up, and we feel like, pretty soon, we need to figure out what we’re doing.”
The Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group bought the Broncos in 2022 for a then-record $4.65 billion. Controlling ownership has since been transferred from Walmart heir Rob Walton to his son-in-law Greg Penner.
Denver’s owners funded a large portion of $100 million in stadium renovations in 2023 that included a giant new scoreboard. They have also paid more than $250,000 each of the last three years to install a grass playing surface during the season. On top of that, they are spending at least $175 million on a new training facility set to open in Englewood in 2026.
And now, they are exploring every avenue possible related to their stadium, which opened in 2001.
“All things are on the table, and we mean that sincerely,” Leech said. “So, [we are] actively studying what does a significant renovation look like, actively studying what does ‘new’ look like? Both in terms of design—sort of ‘the what’—but also ‘the where.’ Is it on the same side? Is it somewhere else in central Denver? Is it somewhere in the suburbs?”
An interesting part of the stadium process to follow will be how much public funding the Broncos seek, considering the Walton-Penner group’s widely reported net worth of more than $70 billion, and how much private funding the franchise’s owners have already spent on team infrastructure.
“We can extend the lease if we need to, but we really are very laser-focused on this, and trying to do what’s best, not just for the Broncos now, but for the next 30 years,” Leech said.
