Columbus Crew Sued For Possibly Leaving Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH — State officials are attempting to force the Columbus Crew soccer team to stay in-state. To do so, they're using a piece of legislation from 1996, which says professional teams that get public money in Ohio must give "at least six months advance notice of the intention to move and give the city, an individual, or group of individuals, who live in the area an opportunity to purchase the teams."

That legislation was enacted after the Cleveland Browns left town, fleeing to Baltimore. An angry state legislature passed Ohio Revised Code 9.67, also known as the Modell Law, to prevent other professional teams from exiting the state in the same manner.

“Today I have filed a lawsuit in Franklin County to try to #SaveTheCrew and keep the black and gold in Columbus,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine in an emailed statement. “Loyal Crew fans in Columbus have invested their time and loyalty in this team, and they have allowed the Crew SC to capitalize from financial incentives paid for by their tax dollars. I am left with no other choice than to file this suit to ensure our laws are followed.”

News of the possible relocation of the team came out in the fall of 2017. By December, DeWine was threatening to sue the owners if they went through with a relocation.

Precourt Ventures, who own the Crew, have shown particular interested in Dallas, Texas. With owner Anthony Precourt even talking about the city publicly. He said at the time, "the current course is not sustainable."

For his part, Precourt also said at a press conference on Oct. 17 that attendance has been subpar for the Crew, and the team has had troubles attracting corporate sponsorship. Precourt has also suggested he wants a new stadium for the soccer team, but denied wanting any public funding for such a venture.

Still, the state is saying the Crew and Precourt have already benefited from public financing. DeWine laid out a series of actions that saw Crew ownership accept state-help. Among the alleged publicly-financed improvements are: $5 million in taxpayer-funded improvements to the team's parking facilities; accepting state property tax exemption for the land where Mapfre Stadium sits; leasing that land from the state at a below-market rate; taking more than $300,000 in city taxpayer-funded reimbursements for the costs of moving portions of a storm sewer and building a water line; and more.

“As I have said, we believe Columbus Crew SC belongs in Columbus. We have a rich history of professional soccer and some of the most loyal and dedicated fans in the league,” said Columbus' Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “Just as importantly, the team plays in a taxpayer-supported facility, and Precourt Sports Ventures and Major League Soccer have accepted financial assistance from the state of Ohio and the City of Columbus. State law provides us with this protection.”

Besides Precourt, also named in the suit are Major League Soccer, Team Columbus, LLC, the owners of the Crew SC’s stadium, and Crew Soccer Stadium, LLC, the organization that leases the stadium property from the state.

To read DeWine's lawsuit, click here.

AP Photo/Jay LaPrete