In Effort to Keep Rams, St. Louis CVC Offers $60M, Asks Team for $64M to Push Dome to “Top Tier”

This is a story that's a long way from being finished. Today was step one of several that will reveal whether the Rams will stay in St. Louis. In my opinion, Stan Kroenke already knows if the Rams will stay or go. No matter the details of the lease, if the Rams are determined to go, they will go and the NFL will help them. All that remains is how ugly the break up will be. Of course if the Rams stay, the negotiation now underway presents an opportunity for the Convention & Visitors Commission, Kroenke, and the City of St. Louis to build mutual respect and an impassioned fan base. If they stay, they will likely stay for a long time. L.A. is the outlier and more $1B+ stadiums can't be expected to pop up in the near future to lure teams to new cities.

But what does the NFL want? Clearly Los Angeles will have a team in the near future. But does the NFL think the Rams are that team? Would the league abandon the 18th largest Metro area in the nation? Surely having a second team leave in less than 20 years would nearly preclude a new team in the future. The Rams were terrible on the field this past season and attracted the second fewest fans per game. Only the Bengals were worse. The Rams returning to L.A. storyline is a good one (for them). Kroenke bidding to buy the Dodgers seems to bolster the probability of a Rams move.

St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission Stadium Renovation Proposal to the Rams