Mike Florio ,
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At a time when most owners start jostling for a new stadium 20 years or so after opening a new one, the Saints have played in the same place for 50 years.
And counting.
Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune , the Saints and the state of Louisiana are closing in on a new long-term lease .
The deal could be announced as soon as next week. It would be a 10-year deal with a series of four five-year extensions at the team’s option. If all extensions are exercised, the Saints will remain in the Superdome through at least 2055 — when the venue will turn 80 years old.
The lease includes a relocation penalty aimed at discouraging any future owner from moving the team. Per the report, the price tag for pulling up stakes “could reach” $250 million.
Frankly, that’s peanuts in comparison to the billions that would be paid for the Saints, if the team were ever for sale. Beyond the terms of the lease, at least 24 owners would have to agree to allow a move.
The Saints hope to get the lease signed by September 17, in order to position New Orleans to potentially host the Super Bowl to be played in 2031.
It’s hard to imagine the Saints not being in New Orleans. The key could be, frankly, a new stadium. Maybe when the 10-year term expires.
Yes, there was a time when the late Tom Benson was more than toying with the idea of moving the Saints to San Antonio. Hopefully that won’t happen again, wherever the destination may be. The Saints belong in New Orleans. The Saints belong to New Orleans.
However things play out, here’s hoping that the Saints will eventually celebrate a century in the Crescent City. And beyond.
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