Document Type
Working Paper
Date of This Version
7-1-2005
Keywords
sports, public finance, stadiums, football, NFL
Abstract
Over the past 15 years, new stadiums in the National Football League have been built at an unprecedented rate, and most new facilities have utilized significant public funds. This paper looks at whether the methods used to finance these new facilities honored public finance principles regarding equity, efficiency, and transparency. An examination of the 20 NFL stadiums constructed or refurbished since 1992 reveals a trend towards more voter referendums and an increase reliance on taxation of visitors through hotel and rental car taxes. Although taxation of persons living outside one’s own metropolitan area is appealing, this paper suggests that the benefits of these taxes are not nearly so clear.
Working Paper Number
0511
Recommended Citation
Matheson, Victor and Baade, Robert, "Have Public Finance Principles Been Shut Out in Financing New Sports Stadiums for the NFL in the United States?" (2005). Economics Department Working Papers. Paper 82.
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/econ_working_papers/82