Not long after a pair of dates were provided to NFL owners as possible days on which a special league meeting could take place to ratify the sale of the Commanders, one has been agreed upon. The final step in the sales process now appears to be in place. 
A league meeting has been scheduled for July 20, as detailed by Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. That represents the earlier of the two possible dates floated last week (August 8 being the other), and could allow the sale to be approved in time for the opening of training camps around the league. The Commanders’ camp opens on July 26.
It is expected the league’s finance committee will provide a unanimous recommendation to approve the sale, the Post report adds. The committee met at length with prospective owner Josh Harris and investment group member Mitchell Rales earlier this month to discuss the outstanding issues with the proposed purchase agreement. The number of investors and an ability to remain under the league’s debt ceiling have been causes for concern during the vetting process, but the scheduling of the ratification vote suggests they will have been smoothed out by next month.
Harris and current owner Dan Snyder reached an exclusive agreement on a sale in May. The $6.05 billion price tag will comfortably surpass that of Rob Walton‘s Broncos purchase last summer and thus set a new North American sports record for franchise sales. It will also represent an end to Snyder’s much-maligned tenure at the helm of the Commanders, one which has been marked by a number of investigations into toxic work environments and financial improprieties.
A probe led by NFL investigator Mary Jo White into Snyder and the Commanders remains ongoing, but it could conclude in time for the ratification vote. The findings of that investigation are set to be made public, and the Post notes that they could result in commissioner Roger Goodell imposing a fine on the team. Issues of indemnity regarding Snyder and the other owners have been a sticking point over several months, but the eagerness to remove the former from the league has long been a driving force during the sales process.
At least 24 votes will be required to approve the sale to Harris’ ownership group, something which has not been in doubt since he and Snyder first entered into a purchase agreement. With the finance committee set to compete its vetting process and present a ‘yes’ recommendation to the full slate of owners in the coming weeks, the finish line in this process is firmly in sight.
I wonder if the other owners have considered how they will ever be able to sell their franchise given these inflated prices? The next ownership group to the table is going to require dozens of minority partners – which might be difficult to make happen given that the newest TV deal runs for a decade and a lot can happen in that time.
This is an interesting thought, have to think Bezos buys Seattle when Jody Allen is forced to sell, but these owners probably are less inclined to sell for the next ten years seeing these prices, the McCaskeys have owned the Bears since literally before Nam and that’s their only source of income, stayin in the family forever, I’m sure many many many owners feel the same
What makes you think Jody Allen will be forced to sell the Seahawks? She became a trustee of her brother Paul’s estate when he passed away. He was a co-founder of Microsoft which has a market capitalization of about 2.5 trillion dollars.
It’s in the estate that both seahawks and trailblazers will be sold and funds donated to Paul’s projects. But there is no timelines to do it. She says she will sell both at sometime but it could be 10 or 20 years. She is more committed in making teams winners and part of community. Any She probably way down road.Bezos could have a long wait.
I heard she would have already sold the Seahawks but she would have to give I think something like 12% to the city of Seattle when she does. If she waits somewhere around 3-5 more years she doesn’t have to give Seattle anything. It is just speculation that she will sell, but people close to the organization presume she has just been waiting for that time to pass.
Sorry I cannot remember the exact amount of years and percentages for this particular topic but the bones are there.
It’s May 1 2024. If she sells before city collects 10 percent. Another reason to wait.guss the main point is she can sell when she wants.