Getty The Seattle Seahawks pay tribute to their late owner Paul Allen.
Rumors have swirled offseason about a potential sale of the Seattle Seahawks. While a timeline of when the franchise could be sold hasn’t been revealed, one beat writer has provided us with a key date in when fans could expect new potential owners to start making offers.
Bob Condotta with The Seattle Times discussed some of the recent sale rumors in his latest column. While Condotta doesn’t expect the team to be sold any time soon by Paul Allen’s trust and his sister, Jody Allen, the beat reporter did reveal that May 2nd in 2024 is a key date in the process.
According to Condotta, that is the date where the team wouldn’t have to pay 10% of the gross sale of the team to the state of Washington due to a provision in a 1997 referendum that helped fund the construction of Lumen Field.
“The clause specifically states that if Paul Allen or his estate become less than minority owners at any time before 25 years have passed since the sale of the first bonds, that the Public Stadium Authority receives 10% of the gross selling price of the interest of the team,” Condotta said. “The clause is public record but has rarely been discussed.”
Paul Allen’s Legacy With the Seahawks
With all of the rumors surrounding the Seahawks potentially being put up for sale in the future, it’s worth discussing the legacy that Paul Allen as the team’s owner.
Allen was the co-founder of Microsoft and was born and raised in the Seattle area before purchasing the Seahawks franchise in 1997. He purchased the team from Ken Behring, who had been attempting to move the franchise to southern California before ultimately selling to Allen.
Shortly after purchasing the team, Allen pushed and successfully got voters to approve $300 million in funding to build a new Seahawks Stadium (now Lumen Field) that would replace the Kingdome. Allen also committed $100 million of his own money for the project.
The Seahawks enjoyed unprecedented success as a franchise under Allen. Prior to his passing in 2018, the Seahawks won nine division titles, appeared in three Super Bowls, and won their first NFL championship in franchise history in Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos.
Ownership of the Seahawks moved to Allen’s trust and his sister Jody Allen after his passing. Their family has had a huge impact on the Seahawks, but a change could be coming down the road if they ultimately decide to sell the team.
Could Jeff Bezos Become the Next Owner of the Seahawks?
There will be a number of ownership groups attempting to make a bid for the Seahawks if and when they’re put up for sale. However, the biggest name that will be linked to the franchise will be Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Bezos has been linked to multiple NFL teams over the last few years. As one of the richest people in the world, Bezos would be able to purchase a multi-billion dollar franchise without the help of an ownership group, unlike most potential bidders.
The Seahawks would make a lot of sense for Bezos if he wanted to purchase an NFL team. Amazon’s headquarters is located in Seattle, and Bezos has had a big footprint on the city over the last couple of decades because of that.