NFL franchise based in Cleveland Ohio consider various alternatives for their home venue in the near future. Browns have stated that they are looking at every possibility following reports that team has entered into a deal to purchase a plot of land outside the city. Is this where a new stadium could be built?

New old team in Ohio

The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland. Named in honor of original coach and co-founder Paul Brown. The team was founded in 1944 by Brown and businessman Arthur B. McBride as a member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and began play in 1946. When the AAFC collapsed in 1949, Browns joined the NFL.

In 1995, owner Art Modell, who had acquired the frnachise in 1961, announced plans to move the team to Baltimore. After threats of legal action from the city of Cleveland and fans, a compromise was reached in early 1996 that allowed Modell to establish a new franchise in Baltimore, while retaining the contracts of all team personnel. The Browns' intellectual property, including the team name, logo, practice facility and history, were held in trust, and the franchise was declared suspended by the NFL for three seasons.

© Erik Holmberg

In 1998 it was confirmed that the NFL would expand and Browns were to return into competition in 1999. Since that year, the team have played home games at newly opened Cleveland Browns Stadium. After their reinstatement the franchise have struggled to find success. They have only had four winning seasons (2002, 2007, 2020 and 2023), three playoff appearances (2002, 2020 and 2023) and one win in the playoffs (2020). One might notice that the club has been performing better in recent years. So, when considering placing a bet, they are not to be underestimated. Remember that while you read reviews and decide where to place your bet.

What future holds for Browns Stadium?

The Cleveland team has called the 67,431-seat Browns Stadium home consistently since 1999. The venue's current lease expires after the 2028 NFL season, and talks with the city on a redevelopment project are ongoing. A cost-sharing agreement will be required for the alleged nearly US$1 billion upgrade.

However, the real estate blog NEOtrans reported on February 8, citing three sources, that the Browns' ownership body, Haslam Sports Group, has an agreement to purchase a 176-acre parcel of land in Brook Park, located about nine miles southwest of downtown Cleveland.

A statement regarding the report from the team reads: We’ve been clear on how complex future stadium planning can be. One certainty is our commitment to greatly improving our fan experience while also creating a transformative and lasting impact to benefit all of Northeast Ohio. We understand the magnitude of opportunity with a stadium project intent on driving more large-scale events to our region and are methodically looking at every possibility. We appreciate the collaborative process with the City of Cleveland and the leadership of Mayor Bibb in analysing the landbridge and renovating the current stadium.

© Erik Holmberg

At the same time the Cleveland Browns are also exploring other potential stadium options in Northeast Ohio at various additional locations. There is still much to be done and explored in depth before a long-term stadium solution is determined.

Commenting on the latest reports, Bradford Davy, chief of staff for the City of Cleveland, told the Akron Beacon Journal: Keeping the Browns at home on the downtown Cleveland lakefront is a priority for Mayor Bibb and city leadership. We understand and respect how complex this process is and appreciate the partnership we’ve had and will continue to have with the Browns and Haslam Sports Group. The administration has developed a strong, thoughtful and comprehensive package that we believe respects taxpayers and protects the city’s general revenue fund while meeting the needs expressed by the team.

It remains to be seen what the team's intentions are for the Brook Park site, but the area has previously been mentioned as a potential location for a new stadium.