It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Center Square…
Although women’s sports teams generate a fraction of the revenue that men’s teams bring in, there is legislation in Springfield that would level the playing field when it comes to publicly funded stadiums. […]
State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, D-Chicago, has introduced House Bill 5841 that she said will even the playing field because women’s teams should also have a seat at the table with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority when talking about stadiums.
“I like to call this the equity amendment and the reason we use that terminology is because when we talk about professional women’s sports teams we don’t always think about the history of how those women’s sports teams have had to claw and fight to get to the point where they are today,” Delgado said during an Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee hearing Monday.
* HB5841’s synopsis…
Amends the Commission on Equity and Inclusion Act. Requires the Commission to prepare and submit a report to the General Assembly evaluating whether the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority has met the equity goals of the Commission and Authority. Amends the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act. Modifies legislative findings. Provides that “facility” includes stadiums, arenas, or other structures for the holding of athletic contests and other events and gatherings, including professional women’s sports (among other illustrative examples). Requires the Authority to work with the Executive Director of the Commission on Equity and Inclusion to evaluate and propose policies that promote equity in decision-making regarding the development and funding of sports facilities. Provides that a person may not be prohibited from participation in, or any of the benefits of, programs or activities at facilities funded under the Act, including facilities established or supported by bonds issued under the Act, on the basis of sex. Provides that, if bonds are issued under the Act to fund facilities for professional men’s sports, some bonds must also be issued to fund facilities for professional women’s sports; and provides that, if the Authority does not have a professional women’s sports facility project to work on at the time of issuance of the bonds, then either: (i) the proceeds from the bonds issued for professional women’s sports shall be placed into a dedicated fund until the Authority has a professional women’s sports facility project on which to work, or (ii) a portion of the revenue source supporting the bonds must be left unused and dedicated to support a future bond issuance solely focused on professional women’s sports facility projects. Provides that the portion required under item (ii) shall be as required by statute or, if no statute sets the portion, shall be in an amount set by the Commission on Equity and Inclusion. Provides that a person may not be prohibited from participation in, or any of the benefits of, programs or activities at facilities funded under this Act, including facilities established or supported by bonds issued under the Act, on the basis of sex. Removes and modifies outdated language, including provisions relating to a dissolved advisory board. Effective immediately.
* Tribune…
The amendment would ensure some Illinois Sports Facilities Authority bonds are either used or set aside for funding women’s sports whenever men’s sports are funded. […]
Asked whether the hearing indicated possible movement on stadium negotiations for the Bears and White Sox, committee chair Kelly Burke of Evergreen Park acknowledged that stadiums for men’s teams have been “bantered about” recently but said Monday’s event was an opportunity to have a forum about women’s sports funding “not wrapped up in specific proposals.” […]
The ISFA holds hundreds of millions of dollars in debt related to the decades-ago construction of the White Sox’s Guaranteed Rate Field and the renovation of Soldier Field. The Bears’ lakefront stadium proposal from this spring called for the ISFA to issue $900 million in bonds, among other multimillion-dollar asks. […]
Monday’s gathering was a continuation of conversations with the Stars and legislators throughout the year, though being granted a hearing felt like an important step forward, [Chicago Stars President Karen Leetzow] said. But progress sometimes can be slow, and the Stars have stadium decisions looming.
Thoughts?
- Amalia - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 9:46 am:
unfortunately, the mess with sports in Illinois is made worse by the mess with soccer in the US. the men’s and women’s leagues should be part of one system. A Chelsea team in the UK…where the USWNT manager Emma Hayes came from…has both men’s and women’s teams. Sometimes both teams play in the same stadium. Somebody take the lead and change the system so we have more clarity that helps with stadiums. Both the women and the men in Illinois should play in the same soccer stadium.
- SMH - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 9:56 am:
This will never work. Using the WNBA for an example. This season they had the highest revenue ever for that league. The league still lost 40 million dollars. These league has never turned a profit, and has to be subsidized by the NBA. If this was any normal company it would have been defunct decades ago. No one goes to these games. Bill Burr put it perfectly that these reason the league is failing is because of women. They just don’t show up.
- Really? - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 10:24 am:
Let’s simplify. No $$$ for stadiums for privately owned teams until every school building in our State is new.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 10:27 am:
Government funding of professional sport stadiums is a really bad idea that never works out well for taxpayers. Instead of making bad ideas equitable, we should strive to eliminate them entirely.
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 10:27 am:
“Although women’s sports teams generate a fraction of the revenue that men’s teams bring in…”
Sounds like the men’s teams should be well positioned to finance their own stadiums themselves, huh?
– MrJM
- Center Drift - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 10:34 am:
Here’s my suggestion to legislators looking for something to do, unwind the IFSA. I suspect that most of us in Illinois do not want any state involvement in private sports funding. If sports teams want funding let them raise from the rich or incorporate and offer stock.
- ChicagoBars - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 11:14 am:
I rise in support of Center Drift’s comment.
Pass a bill to sunset ISFA after the current bonds are paid off. Let’s not have another authority with bonding power enduring in perpetuity.
- Homebody - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 11:37 am:
Agreed with everyone who is saying ISFA never should have been a thing. Time to undo past mistakes.
- Chicagonk - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 11:50 am:
I’m in favor of stadium funding if the condition is that to access the funding, the owner has to sell the team.
- JoeMaddon - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 11:57 am:
**Bill Burr put it perfectly that these reason the league is failing is because of women. They just don’t show up.**
Uh, what? You think it is only women that should watch women’s sports?
**This will never work. Using the WNBA for an example. This season they had the highest revenue ever for that league. The league still lost 40 million dollars. These [sic] league has never turned a profit, and has to be subsidized by the NBA.**
You’re conveniently leaving out the new TV deal that goes into effect in 2026.
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 12:05 pm:
===I’m in favor of stadium funding if the condition is that to access the funding, the owner has to sell the team.
But what about (theoretical good owner)…
Nevermind.
- Politix - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 12:09 pm:
“Although women’s sports teams generate a fraction of the revenue that men’s teams bring in, there is legislation in Springfield that would level the playing field when it comes to publicly funded stadiums.”
Terrible lede based on a false equivalence. Women’s sports haven’t been nearly as accessible as men’s. The WNBA marketing budget is a fraction of the NBA’s or any other men’s league. Give me a break.
“They just don’t show up.”
Why would women be to blame when it’s men who fill up stadiums all over the place for men’s sports. Counterintuitive.
- Kenny - Tuesday, Dec 17, 24 @ 12:26 pm:
Gender isn’t the only obstacle to financial viability for the Stars — soccer itself is. For all the growth in the number of kids playing the game, soccer is still no better than the fifth most popular spectator sport in America.
However, I am sympathetic to the argument that if the state is going to subsidize men’s sports (which I’m against) women should get something, too. But I’d prefer the ISFA float bonds for park district or public school-based facilities aimed specifically at girl’s amateur sports rather than the Stars — a franchise that has at least two billionaire families (the Ricketts and Pritzkers,) in their ownership group.