With a deal to bring hundreds of millions in renovations for their stadium at a stalemate, a new report claims the Milwaukee Brewers could begin looking for a new home outside Wisconsin as soon as this Fall.
The Milwaukee Brewers have been one of the longest-tenured professional sports teams in the state of Wisconsin. However, that run-in as one of the stalwart baseball clubs in the Midwest seems to be in danger due to a divide between the organization and certain members of the state government.
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As a small market team, the Brewers are not in a position to build a new stadium or get the local funding for it anytime soon. That is why Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers proposed to add to the state’s new budget as much as $290 million in public funding for American Family Field, to ensure that the Brewers remain one of the major brands in the state for many years to come.
Nashville and Charlotte are early favorites for Milwaukee Brewers’ new home
Unfortunately, state and local officials have balked at approving the deal despite recent public urging from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. Now, with a deal for renovations nowhere closer to getting done, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported on Friday that the organization could begin the process of looking for a new home after the season.
“Brewers officials [are now] contemplating whether communities with fast-growing populations and no Major League Baseball teams might be options if state and local officials don’t produce enough funding for stadium renovations, sources with knowledge of the dynamic,” said.
The report claims that Charlotte, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee are both early front runners as potential landing spots if the Milwaukee Brewers took the bold step of moving. North Carolina and Tennessee have two of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the United States and have been adding franchises in some of the other major stick and ball sports recently, except in MLB.
The Milwaukee Brewers’ current lease runs through 2030. “Team executives are giving thought to leaving because, without a funding deal, the stadium district may not have enough money to cover immediate recommended improvements to American Family Field,” the report added. “And because it could take years to facilitate a move if the Brewers reach that point.”
The rumors of shopping around for a new home could also be used to pressure the state legislature to approve the renovation funding sooner.