• Loading stock data...
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Capitals’ and Wizards’ Move to Virginia Appears Dead in State House Budget

  • Virginia’s Senate is poised to omit funds for a new multipurpose arena in Alexandria from its budget Thursday, effectively blocking the best shot the teams had at moving out of D.C.
  • The planned move has drawn backlash since its December announcement and now puts team owner Ted Leonsis at a crossroads. 
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Plans to move the Washington Capitals and Wizards to Virginia appear to be on hold. Or at least, according to one meme, six feet under. 

Virginia’s Senate plans to remove plans for a new multipurpose arena in Alexandria, Va., from the state budget, which would prevent the teams from moving across the Potomac River. 

State Sen. L. Louise Lucas told The Washington Post on Wednesday night the arena language will not be in the budget when it’s released around midday Thursday. She also tweeted a Photoshopped depiction of herself flashing a peace sign over a grave with a headstone reading “Youngkin and Leonsis’ $5 billion arena,” a reference to Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin, who had supported the proposed move, and Monumental Sports head Ted Leonsis, who owns both the Capitals and Wizards.

The plans to move both teams out of the nation’s capital have been met with controversy and backlash. Leonsis and Youngkin never consulted the state’s lawmakers before agreeing in December to the move, backed by a proposed $1.5 billion in taxpayer-backed bonds. Lucas, though, has opposed the move, despite any supposed economic impact that a new arena and entertainment complex could bring to the state. Among her complaints: subsidizing a billionaire. But Lucas, who chairs the state’s finance committee, also said that had Youngkin entertained more Democratic priorities, such as legalizing marijuana and raising the minimum wage, she might have come around on the proposal. 

With the move seemingly dead, the ball is in Leonsis’s court. D.C. leaders have a standing offer of $500 million in renovations to his teams’ current home, Capital One Arena, though that’s roughly $100 million short of what Leonsis originally asked for. The city has also put together a task force to contemplate the arena’s future should the team move.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

breaking

Pacers-Thunder Is Lowest-Payroll NBA Finals in Years

Neither team is in the luxury tax, despite rosters with multiple All-Stars.
exclusive

Newly American-Owned Italian Hoops Team Hires Ex-Pelicans Exec as GM

Napoli Basketball is hiring the Pelicans’ former chief of staff as GM.

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.

Featured Today

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.

Chiefs, Royals Stadium Plans Hit Political Wall As Both Parties Say No

Both Republicans and Democrats in Missouri oppose public funding for stadiums.
U.S. Women's Golf
May 27, 2025

U.S Women’s Open Will Play on Courses Once Reserved for Men

Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin is hosting this week’s tournament.
Feb 14, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of the Kansas City Royals 1985 and 2015 World Series championships on the scoreboard at Kauffman Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex.
May 28, 2025

Chiefs, Royals Stadium Public Funding Standoff Nears Endgame

Missouri legislators will review stadium bonds for the Chiefs and Royals.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
Gillette
May 21, 2025

Boston NWSL Team to Play at Gillette After Legal Fight Delayed Own..

The team beat a lawsuit from locals against their stadium in April.
Sep 25, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; A general view of Soldier Field before a game between the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans. Chicago defeated Houston 23-20.
May 19, 2025

Bears Pivot to Suburbs As $4.7B Downtown Stadium Plans Dim

The NFL team has reversed course on its lavish plans.
May 18, 2025

Final Preakness Stakes at ‘Pimlico As We Know It’ Delivers High Drama

The Baltimore horse racing track is set for a $400 million renovation.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
May 16, 2025

Public Funding for Arenas Is Failing Everywhere—Except Oklahoma City

Voters chose to fund $850 million for a new Thunder arena.