The debate surrounding Ohio’s potential $600 million contribution to a new Cleveland Browns stadium may face new complications if a recently proposed bill becomes law.
State Senator Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) has introduced the “Public Access to Professional Sports Act,” legislation aimed at restricting public funding for professional sports teams that haven’t demonstrated recent on-field success. The bill stipulates that teams would only be eligible for public funding if they’ve posted a winning record—defined as a .500 record or better—in at least three of the past five seasons. Additionally, if a team were to relocate, it would be required to reimburse taxpayers for any public funds it received.
“If a team wants to get taxpayer money, then the least they can do is have a winning season,” DeMora said. “And if they decide that they want to move, then the people of Ohio deserve their money back.”
The senator emphasized that the bill isn’t specifically targeting the Browns but is intended to prevent public subsidies for teams that aren’t showing a commitment to competitiveness.
Currently, Ohio is home to eight professional sports franchises. According to DeMora, six of those teams meet the proposed performance criteria. The Cleveland Browns and the Columbus Blue Jackets fall short.
Newly established teams would be exempt from the three-out-of-five rule but would need to demonstrate “competitive performance” before qualifying for additional public financing.
The legislation also calls for increased transparency, requiring public disclosure of both team performance and funding requests. If a franchise chooses to relocate, it would be obligated to repay the public investment through a “mutually agreed upon payment plan between the city and the team’s ownership.”
