ESPN reports that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro reaffirmed that the state will not provide funding for new sports arenas.
Per the report, Shapiro hopes to bring more sports, including NASCAR, to Pennsylvania, but is “very worried about the overall budget.” The state refrained from financially supporting the Sixers, who “decided to partner with Comcast Spectacor, their current landlord, to build a new arena in South Philadelphia.” Both the Eagles and Steelers could someday be impacted by Shapiro’s decision but the Eagles’ Lincoln Field lease runs through 2032. Per the report, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is “‘torn’ over the idea of replacing the stadium or staying put in the home where they raised their only two Super Bowl championship banners.” It’s unclear whether renovations, strictly speaking, would fall under Shapiro’s “new” stadium policy, but there should be ample time to resolve the issue.