John KeimESPN Staff Writer May 18, 2023 1:03 PM ET3 minutes read
The Washington Commanders co-owners announce the sale of the team
Adam Schefter reports on the Washington Commanders co-owners’ settlement with Josh Harris and his partners.
NFL owners will not vote on selling the Washington Commanders at their meetings next week in Minnesota, a league official said Thursday.
Dan and Tanya Snyder reached a buy-and-sell agreement for the Commanders on Friday with a group led by the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils co-owner Josh Harris. The Snyders, who first announced their intent to sell in November, agreed to sell the team for $6.05 billion.
While a vote was considered unlikely this month, Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said there would be no vote when owners meet Sunday and Monday in Minneapolis.
“The league’s Personnel and Finance Committee will continue to review the details of the transaction,” Miller said during a conference call previewing the meetings. “We will be providing an update to the Minnesota membership.”
A signed document has been presented to the NFL and the league’s finance committee needs to review the documents and screen the investors. The Harris group includes at least 12 limited partners, all of whom need to be reviewed, which could take longer, according to a press release announcing the agreement last week.
While some owners and league sources have raised concerns about the structure of Harris’ bid, a source close to him said the NFL has not shared any concerns with the group. The source said Harris’ group has a net worth of about $100 billion.
The sale would be the largest in sports history. On June 7 last year, the Walton family agreed to buy the Denver Broncos for an alleged $4.65 billion. The Finance Committee recommended approval on July 27, and the other owners voted in favor on August 9.
“Any transaction like this deserves due process, and we will complete it as quickly as possible,” Miller said. “[We have] Lots of people are working on it and doing it is a priority.
Miller also said nothing has changed in the Mary Jo White investigation against Dan Snyder. Miller reiterated that the NFL will release the results once it completes its investigation, which began in February 2022 after former team employee Tiffani Johnston made a new sexual harassment allegation against Snyder.
It’s possible that White is investigating other previous allegations as well. The Commanders were fined $10 million in July 2021 for investigating the workplace culture that emerged during Snyder’s tenure. Congress also later examined the team’s workplace culture.