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Lawmakers Propose Giving Fans First Dibs on Buying Sports Teams
Sanders-Casar bill would require owners to let communities purchase teams before relocation
Mar. 26, 2026 at 10:36pm
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U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Greg Casar have introduced the Home Team Act, a bill that would require professional sports franchise owners to give the communities where their teams are located the first chance to purchase the team before relocating it to a new city. The bill aims to prevent billionaire owners from threatening to move teams unless taxpayers subsidize new stadiums.
Why it matters
The bill is intended to address the growing frustration among fans and communities who feel held hostage by wealthy team owners demanding public funding for new sports facilities. It seeks to empower local communities to keep the teams they love by giving them the opportunity to collectively purchase the franchise before an owner can relocate it.
The details
The Home Team Act would require sports franchise owners to provide one year's notice before moving a team to a new community, defined as crossing state lines or moving to a new metropolitan area. During that year, the local community would be given the chance to purchase the franchise, potentially through a community ownership model similar to that of the Green Bay Packers. Owners who fail to comply would face penalties.
- The Home Team Act was introduced on March 26, 2026.
The players
Bernie Sanders
U.S. Senator from Vermont and co-sponsor of the Home Team Act.
Greg Casar
U.S. Representative from Texas and co-sponsor of the Home Team Act.
Chris Murphy
U.S. Senator from Connecticut and co-sponsor of the Home Team Act.
Richard Blumenthal
U.S. Senator from Connecticut and co-sponsor of the Home Team Act.
Green Bay Packers
An NFL team owned by the community through a unique fan-ownership model.
What they’re saying
“The American people are sick and tired of billionaires threatening to move the sports teams they own to different states unless they get hundreds of millions in corporate welfare to build new stadiums.”
— Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator
“In my view, professional sports teams should be owned and controlled by the fans who love them, not by the multibillionaire oligarchs who are getting even richer by charging outrageous prices and getting taxpayers to pick up their extravagant costs.”
— Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator
What’s next
If passed, the Home Team Act would give communities one year to purchase a professional sports franchise before the owner could relocate the team.
The takeaway
This bill represents an effort to empower local communities and fans to keep the sports teams they love, rather than having them held hostage by wealthy owners demanding taxpayer-funded stadiums. It aims to promote a more equitable model of sports team ownership and control.
