Reports that the Seattle Seahawks were for sale after the Super Bowl quickly raised questions about why the franchise’s ownership would sell the team now. Over the past 16 years, the team has enjoyed a string of successes, including three appearances in the NFL Championship Game, a Super Bowl championship and 10 playoff appearances.
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However, the complexity of the situation quickly became apparent when the Paul G. Allen Estate issued a statement disputing ESPN’s report and saying the Seahawks were not for sale.
So why is there news that the team is going public? The NFL is apparently putting pressure on Allen’s estate to sell the Seahawks, according to Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal.
The Seahawks were placed in trust after the death of Paul Allen in 2018, which was the top issue facing the league. According to the Wall Street Journal, NFL rules state that an individual must be the controlling owner of a team, rather than a larger entity such as a trust.
Ellen’s sister Jody is the executor of the trust. Paul Allen has said his intention is to eventually sell the Seahawks (and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, also owned by Allen) and donate the proceeds to charity.
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However, the understanding between the trust and the NFL is that the Seahawks will wait for the laws enacted when Paul Allen purchased the team in 1997 to take effect. A condition of the sale was that the Seahawks would receive a new stadium. But the law includes a provision that stipulates that if the team is sold again within a certain period of time, 10% of the sale amount will go to the state of Washington.
That sale condition expired in 2024, and the NFL then began pressuring the trust to sell the team. Tensions increased significantly when the Allen estate agreed to sell the Trail Blazers to a group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon for more than $4 billion.
Jody Allen rejects league reminder of ownership rules. The NFL reportedly fined the Seahawks $5 million for refusing to comply with its directives. The league denied ever issuing such a fine, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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It’s not unprecedented for the NFL to pressure team owners to sell their teams. The league is forcing the Washington Commanders to sell to Josh Harris for $6.05 billion in 2023 due to reports of financial misconduct by Daniel Snyder and sexual harassment in the team’s office. Five years ago, Jerry Richardson was forced to sell the Carolina Panthers after allegations of racist behavior and workplace misconduct against David Tepper.
However, in both cases, there was no indication that the NFL fined Snyder or Richardson before they sold their respective franchises.
The Seahawks could sell for more than what Harris paid for the Commander. An unnamed team executive speculated to ESPN that the team could be sold for $7 billion or more. Last fall, Sportico valued the Seahawks at $6.59 billion, ranking 14th among NFL teams.