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It hasn’t been a great week for the Miami Dolphins, and specifically, Sun Life Stadium. A proposed bill that would have approved publicly funded renovations to the Dolphins’ home, did not pass. This kills the stadium’s chances of hosting Super Bowl L, which is not ideal, but it also is raising a larger question – is the team’s future in South Beach in jeopardy?
The Dolphins are reportedly in the midst of a five-year deal with Sun Life Stadium that started in 2010. This means in 2015, they could be shopping for a new home. At this time, the team has cancelled all renovation plans.
“The Dolphins are one of the only franchises in the NFL that don’t have a long-term lease with their community. At some point, somebody’s going to buy the franchise from (Stephen Ross), and clearly the stadium is the first thing they would need to address,” said Dolphins’ CEO Mike Dee.
It really begs the question – will Ross sell the team with such an uncertain future? He says he doesn’t plan on doing it anytime soon, but that could easily change.
Dolphins’ fans will now have to endure speculation on whether or not the team will move to Los Angeles. That’s always the first place that comes up when a team is having difficulty finding a home, so it’s only natural that the Los Angeles Dolphins will be proposed at some point.
So what are the odds the Dolphins leave Miami? I’m going low at this point, with 20%. With a decent amount of time left to work out a deal, Miami fans should stay optimistic. However, with looming sale, anything is possible.
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