NFL owners approved the sale of the Washington Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris, putting the final nail in Dan Snyder’s reign as owner.
WTOP has live coverage of the historic sale of the Commanders.
NFL owners Thursday unanimously approved the sale of the Washington Commanders to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris, clearing the way for the record-breaking deal — and putting the final nail in Dan Snyder’s reign as owner of the franchise.
At $6 billion, the Commanders sale is the largest for a North American professional sports franchise.
“Congratulations to Josh Harris and his impressive group of partners. Josh will be a great addition to the NFL. He has a remarkable record in business, sports, and in his communities. The diverse group that Josh has put together is outstanding,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
The vote came after a lengthy closed-door meeting in Minneapolis that lasted nearly three hours, fueling fan anticipation. The meeting began at about 2 p.m. In order to be approved, at least 24 of the 32 owners had to OK the sale.
“I think there are high expectations for everybody. I think there’s a sigh of relief,” Frank Herzog, longtime radio voice for Washington’s football team, told WTOP. “I think the new owners have got a lot to do. Boy, there’s a lot on their list.”
News that the sale was nearing completion circulated earlier this week, when The reported the NFL’s finance committee had voted to unofficially recommend the league’s owners approve the team’s sale to the Harris group.
Speculation about the team’s sale reached a fever pitch in April, when it was reported that the Harris group, which includes Magic Johnson, had reached an agreement with Snyder to buy the team in the record $6 billion deal.
At that time, Snyder and his wife Tanya, who is the team’s co-owner and co-CEO, said in a statement they were pleased to have reached an agreement for the sale of the franchise.
“We look forward to the prompt completion of this transaction and to rooting for Josh and the team in the coming years,” the Snyders said.
More Commanders News
Former U.S. Attorney and Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White, who was hired by the NFL last year to investigate various allegations of workplace misconduct and business improprieties, was at the meeting to brief NFL owners about the status of her investigation ahead of the vote.
