Northwestern Law Sports Law Society Week: Public Financing of Sports Facilities

In addition to DuPuy, the panel consisted of Northwestern Professor Tonya Jacobi and Chicago lawyer Milton Wakschlag with Northwestern Professor Daniel Gandert serving as the moderator. The discussion covered a recent article by Professor Jacobi which appeared in the Florida Law Review and was titled, “League Structure & Stadium Rent Seeking – the Role of Antitrust Revisited.” The article takes the position that public finance participation in sports stadia takes money away from other essential governmental projects for the benefit of rich owners and provides no benefit to the community. On the contrary, DuPuy’s response was that sports facilities provide major benefits in four areas: social capital (providing a major social and bonding experience for residents of all types not found anywhere else); economic development as seen in cities like Baltimore, Denver, Cleveland and San Diego; performance as economic drivers in and of themselves; and helping define a city as major league, focusing attention on the community and attracting professionals and industry to the locale.