NFL Owners Still Debating Rams’ $790M Relocation Fee

NFL owners are reportedly debating who should pay the $790 million settlement in Missouri over the relocation of the Rams to Los Angeles — the most the league has paid to settle litigation.

The decision was once left to the NFL’s finance committee, but that changed after the committee suggested a resolution should be made in conjunction with the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell. 

Filed in 2017, the lawsuit alleged the NFL broke its own relocation rules by allowing Rams owner Stan Kroenke to move the team from St. Louis in 2016. Kroenke signed an indemnification agreement ahead of the move, leaving all costs associated with it to the Rams owner.

In November 2021, Kroenke attempted to settle the lawsuit for $100 million, but the offer was rejected, sources told Front Office Sports. 

• Kroenke argues that the relocation reclaimed Los Angeles for the NFL.
• He also said SoFi Stadium, the Rams’ current home, brings attention to the league. 

Kroenke purchased a minority stake in the Rams in 1995. In 2010, he purchased the majority share of the team for $450 million, valuing the franchise at $750 million. As of August 2021, the Rams are valued at $4.8 billion, the fourth-most valuable franchise in the NFL. 

Close Call 

The NFL’s settlement with St. Louis, St. Louis County, the St. Louis Regional Convention, and Sports Complex Authority ensured that sensitive financial information of the league and its owners would not become public in a jury trial. However, it didn’t include a promise of a future expansion franchise.