• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 12, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

To Sum Up Current Commanders, Coyotes Situations: It’s Complicated

  • The Commanders hire a Capitol Hill insider as the team continues its stadium pursuit.
  • NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the Coyotes’ current situation isn’t ‘ideal.’
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

A pair of high-profile stadium and arena efforts are moving a step closer to reality, bringing much-discussed plans into sharper focus.

The Commanders have hired Kirtan Mehta, previously the chief of staff for Sen. John Hickenlooper (D., Colo.), as the club’s vice president of public affairs. The appointment of the political veteran arrives as the Josh Harris-owned team is still trying to close a stadium deal to develop a successor facility to Commanders Field, formerly known as FedEx Field. 

Those stadium discussions, which are complex in any one jurisdiction, in this case involve three spanning possibilities in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Perhaps the leading and likely the most popular site option among fans—the area where the team’s former home in D.C., RFK Stadium, sits—remains under consideration by Capitol Hill. A bill to turn federal control of that RFK Stadium land over to D.C., in turn allowing for the possibility of a new Commanders stadium being built there, could be taken up by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the next month, sources with knowledge of the legislation tell Front Office Sports.

As that proposed legislation progresses, the hire of Mehta marks a rising intent by the Commanders to deepen ties to political leaders in the area.

“The Commanders’ relationships with federal and local leaders are vital to our organization,” said Jason Wright, Commanders president. “We’re confident that Kirtan will partner powerfully with them to advance community and policy efforts that benefit our fans and the area at large.”

Desert Discussions

The impending move of the NHL’s Coyotes to Salt Lake City, meanwhile, is expected to become official following the conclusion of the team’s regular season Wednesday, bringing a sense of closure after weeks of turbulence surrounding the team.

Speaking Tuesday at the CAA World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles, organized by Sports Business Journal, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman did not confirm the anticipated timing or even the move to Utah at all. But he did acknowledge the rising challenges of the team’s current situation in Arizona, particularly playing in a 5,000-seat venue at Arizona State.

“Even under a best-case scenario, we’re looking at another three to five years [at Mullett Arena],” Bettman said. “We’re exploring options as to how to deal with that because, particularly for the players, it isn’t an ideal circumstance.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Massachusetts Sues Kalshi To Block Sports Prediction Markets

A lawsuit claims the company’s offerings are indistinguishable from traditional sports bets.

FanDuel, Jaguars Reach $5M Deal Over Employee Theft

A Jaguars employee stole $20 million and gambled much of it with FanDuel.
Charlie Kirk

NFL, Yankees Hold Moments of Silence for Charlie Kirk

The Green Bay moment was planned by the league.

Featured Today

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Denver Broncos helmet against the New Orleans Saints during warmups at Caesars Superdome.

Broncos Eye 2031 Opening for New Multibillion-Dollar Stadium

The NFL team plans a new venue and mixed-use development.
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.
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.
September 4, 2025

Chicago Stars FC Move to Evanston After 12 Years in Bridgeview

Stadium plans beyond the 2026 season aren’t solidified. 
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
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.
August 19, 2025

Utah’s Sports Boom Expands Into Music, Emulating Atlanta

The Jazz and Mammoth owner strikes a major deal with Live Nation.
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.
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.