About four years ago, following the death of former Seahawks owner and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Nike founder Phil Knight and Alan Smolinisky, minority owner of the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, offered to buy the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers from Allen’s estate, controlled by his sister, Jody Allen. At the time, Jody made it known that neither the Trail Blazers nor the Seahawks were up for sale but that that wouldn’t be the case forever. It appears that fateful day may soon be upon us, as Seth Wickersham and Brady Henderson of ESPN report that the Seahawks franchise is expected to go up for sale after Super Bowl LX. 
Since the late Allen’s passing, it’s been known that his intention was to eventually sell both franchises within his trust’s ownership. That said, at the moment, a spokesperson for the estate released a statement indicating that the announcement from ESPN cannot quite yet be confirmed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
“We don’t comment on rumors or speculation,” the statement began. “And the team is not for sale. We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”
Allen’s wishes for the teams, directed at his sister, were to eventually sell both franchises and to donate the proceeds to charity. The long-term, future focus of the transactions was likely due to a timing issue that would’ve required the Allens to share 10 percent of the proceeds collected on the sale of the Seahawks with the state of Washington, a timing issue that no longer applies. Now, it seems the wheels could soon be in motion for the team’s eventual sale.
Bought in 1997 for $200MM, the franchise is now currently valued by Sportico at $6.59BB, giving them the 14th-highest valuation in the league. Sales, though, often exceed their valuations, and some have estimated that selling the Seattle franchise could earn up to $7BB or $8BB. Regardless, of the profit, though, Jody Allen intends to honor her brother’s wishes of dedicating the proceeds of the sale to philanthropic purposes.
When the first attempt to buy the Trail Blazers occurred back in 2022, Jody explained that an estate the size of her brother’s could take 10 to 20 years to wind down, so there wasn’t any deadline or expected timeline dictating the sale of the franchises. Things have begun to move in that direction, though, with the Blazers currently in the process of being sold for over $4BB to Tom Dundon, who owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.
Allen has made it clear that her focus at the moment is on completing the sale of the Trail Blazers and winning another Super Bowl for the city of Seattle. Win or lose, though, it sounds like she may finally start the process of offloading the Seahawks from her brother’s estate after the season ends.
Whew … I know its her brother’s wishes but 7 billion is hard to walk away from. I wonder how much she is worth already?
She wouldn’t be getting the money. Goes to the Paul Allen foundation.
According to the internet she is worth 20.3 billion. I am a little embarrassed as that is more than double my net worth……..a lot more.
I hope she buys the team.
Her worth is based on the foundation amount which includes the Hawks and Trailblazers. After Paul’s death both teams were suppose to be sold at some point. Her net worth will go way down from her investments. She won’t be starving though.
When sports owners claim poverty , look no further than these estimates to show how in money is made on the back end. I fully get that that can’t lose money annually. But they’re exaggerating to put it mildly when they give the excuses they give for not going all in to win !
A franchise’s value doesn’t mean that cash is in the owner’s pocket, and there is a salary cap on player spending. That said, NFL franchises have yet to ever go down in value, and the NFL sets it up so only the pre-approved elite can buy one. It’s a rich get richer 100% guaranteed investment.
Just like the celtics after winning nba
Sports tms are like stocks
Buy low sell hi
Wonder if this pos State might try to rush through legislation to still leech into the sale $. The socialists are currently in session and Murray always wants her piece of the pie!
Socialist like demanding a 10% stake in a private company like Intel?
Or “socialist” like anything dumb people don’t like or understand?
They’re as greedy here as an ex-wife and the disease is spreading eastward soon to infect the Eastern side of the State then Idaho….
The latter, then. Thanks for the clarification.
Senator Murray is unlikely to affect this as she’s in the federal government, not state.
The state paid for most of the stadium, so that’s why there was the now-expired 10% clause. So yes, it was socialism: for the ultra-wealthy.
Jerry Cantrell, please step forward.
Maybe if they’re sold another ‘move’ might be attempted and the City /State will be stuck with a fancy stadium without a football resident, like the failed move to LA or the blindsided move of the Sonics
Very unfortunate news. The Seahawks had some mild success under the Nordstroms, then fell apart under the Lizard Ken Behring. Jody has seemed to continue the wise stewardship of Paul Allen. It all starts with ownership.
Who knows who’s next, but the next owner is unlikely to be an improvement.
We almost lost the team under Ken Behring. Lizard is a nice name. The Allen’s foundation has been nothing but class. Its going to be tough to find new owner who will be as good as we have had. I keep hearing rumors of Jeff Bezos. I’m gonna start checking the couch cushions see if I have enough. I think I will come up short.
Hope it’s not Bozos
I’m in same boat as you on that.
That stinks for Seahawks fans. Knight probably will pour money into the franchise like the Penners in Denver. That’s good, if it happens. Allen, though, has been a great owner for the short time that she’s been in charge in Seattle. It’s a gamble going from that to new ownership. As potentially positive as Knight might be, it’s still just potential until he lives up to it…and, after all, someone else might just end up buying it instead, so guarantees that it will be him.
Phil knight has expressed he has no interests in buying any team in Northwest, mainly based on his age he says. He did try and buy Trailblazers couple years ago but Jody wasn’t ready to sale at time.
That’s good information, thanks. I’m not sympathetic to any of these mega billionaires, but I’d rather see him than Bezos, if I were a Seahawks fan.
From a pure football perspective, rich owners are good for the franchise…if they’re interested in supporting it. Knight has had a long interest in sports as a whole, which would be the redeeming factor of his purchasing the team. Hopefully for Seattle, whomever the buyer is can bring that motivation to the table.
I agree I think Knight would be a good owner probably. Passionate about sports etc. Interesting times…we all knew coming someday with Paul’s wishes after death.
Let’s start a gofundme..lol
Let’s see Paul Allen’s card
Sell high
… n get the hell outta Seattle