Home Team Act of 2026

The Home Team Act of 2026 aims to keep professional sports franchises in their home communities by requiring teams to offer local governments, community cooperatives, nonprofits, and local residents a fair chance to buy the team before relocating or closing. The bill prohibits sports leagues from banning public or community ownership of franchises and mandates that any relocation offer local entities a fair market value purchase opportunity. It also establishes a Treasury Department appraisal team to determine fair franchise prices while deducting any public stadium subsidies from that value. The law applies to major leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, WNBA, and NWSL, and includes penalties for owners who violate the purchase opportunity requirements.