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The Commanders are still actively pursuing a new stadium, but a lot more patience is going to be required from both the team’s leadership and the fan base.
Speaking on Sunday before the team’s final preseason game, Commanders owner Josh Harris (above) said 2030 is now a “realistic target” for a new facility to open. The team is currently tied to Commanders Field (previously known as FedEx Field) through at least 2027. But additional time is certainly going to be required to settle where a new facility will be located, going through numerous initial steps, and then a construction period lasting at least two years.
“There’s political things that need to occur. There’s land zoning, a whole lot of other things,” Harris said. “A lot of it’s not within our control, so there’s no way to predict a specific date. But I think that’s a reasonable target.”
Among the key pieces out of the team’s control is whether the U.S. Senate will at last approve a bill giving greater control of the federally owned RFK Stadium site to the District of Columbia. The House of Representatives approved the measure in February, but it has been stalled since then. As Harris continues efforts to bring the Commanders out from the prior, embattled Dan Snyder era, he does not expect the RFK Stadium bill to be revisited by the Senate until after the presidential election in November.
“Everybody’s focused on the election,” Harris said. “So, this is the kind of thing that would have to be part of a series of bills that would go through in the lame duck session. It’s not really realistic to think that’s going to happen before the election.”
The Commanders are part of a group of NFL teams currently looking to develop new stadiums or renovate their current facilities but haven’t yet struck finalized deals, including the Bears, Chiefs, and Browns. In addition to the D.C. conversation centered on the RFK Stadium site, the team continues to be in conversation with officials in Maryland and Virginia.
No Return to the Old Name
Even as the team might return to its prior site at RFK Stadium, the previous “R” name and logo for the team are not coming back, despite efforts in some corners to revive it. There have been other, less controversial moves to honor the team’s heritage, including a return of gold uniform pants.
“We’ve been very clear. For obvious reasons, the old name can’t come back,” Harris said. “Right now, we’re focused on things that unify around our football team. … We need everyone supporting the team and not things that might drive people apart.”
Draft Aspirations
Harris, meanwhile, reiterated that he is pursuing hosting rights to a future NFL draft, which has become a blockbuster fan event on the league’s annual calendar and drew a record crowd of 775,000 in Detroit in April. The Commanders’ draft bid is centered in part on holding the event on the National Mall.
“I think we’re going to get that done,” he said. “We’re talking to the league about it. It’s a question of timing, and it’s going to be a few years off. … Obviously there’s a lot of complexity to it with the [National] Park Service. I’m lifting the covers a little, [and] there’s things that need to get done. But I believe that it will happen. It’s a question of when.”
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