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The NFL has never had a team outside the contiguous United States.
Could the Washington Commanders be the first?
Well, it’s not entirely out of the question if a new report is to be believed.
Commanders owner Daniel Snyder has reportedly looked into selling the team for the better part of the last sixth months. A number of big names have been linked with a purchase of the team. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the name that keeps coming up the most. But others such as Magic Johnson, John Henry and Joshua Harris have also been linked.
But now there’s a new name in the fray. And it’s one you may not have heard of.
Apostolopoulos is a Canadian billionaire who made his fortune in private equity and real estate. While he doesn’t currently own a sport team, he did recently attempt to purchase the Charlotte Hornets from Michael Jordan. Though now it appears he’s shifted his focus to the NFL team valued at nearly $7 billion.
His father, Andreas, founded the Triple Group of Companies which purchased the Silver Dome in Detroit in 2009. The famed arena has since been demolished and the group plans to develop on the land.
While Apostolopoulos hasn’t stated his plans for the organization should he have the winning bid, it’s reasonable to wonder if a relocation could be in order.
Virginia state legislators have previously shot down funding for a new stadium in the state. And the NFL had previously expressed interest in expanding beyond US borders. Apostolopoulos was born and lives in Toronto. Could the Canadian metro giant be due for a new NFL team?
No sale of the team appears imminent. But when it does occur, it could prove to be a major shakeup for the league and its quest to grow the game out the US.