Field of Schemes

Even though $5 million a year in tax revenue that is currently being used for other city expenses would instead be given to the Royals, Mayor Lucas says K.C. wouldn't really be losing anything, because of, uh, something about isosceles triangles? https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/06/02/24217/kc-mayor-says-new-sales-taxes-will-help-pay-off-royals-stadium-but-he-cant-say-how-much-or-hell-have-to-kill-you/

The Illinois legislature adjourning without passing tax breaks for the Bears wasn't a "fumble"; it was an attempt at a cash grab, one that didn't pay off, and now team owner George McCaskey needs to decide what cards to play next, as owners always do. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/06/02/24211/the-bears-are-right-back-where-they-started-and-is-that-really-so-bad/

A last-minute bill to set up a bidding war between Chicago and Arlington Heights for the Bears failed to pass the Illinois state house, leaving team execs to decide if Indiana's multibillion-dollar stadium offer is worth leaving Illinois for. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/06/01/24201/illinois-legislature-adjourns-without-passing-bears-bill-team-to-finalize-evaluation-of-arlington-heights-hammond-by-summer/

FL Gov. Ron DeSantis promised state cash for a Rays stadium while threatening if Tampa won't build one, "Orlando’s ready, willing and able" and "Raleigh-Durham, Nashville [are] great cities." Now that’s what friends/campaign donation recipients are for! https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/29/24178/friday-roundup-rays-stadium-could-get-vote-in-july-maybe-sacramento-offers-1b-in-tax-money-for-mlb-expansion-team/

A Bears-only tax break bill "is more viable in the Senate than the House," says Crain's, leaving the possibility that the senate could revise the megaprojects bill to gain passage there, but couldn't win the support of the house in reconciliation talks. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/28/24185/what-the-hell-is-up-with-the-bears-stadium-bill-updating-maybe/

The sports authority is right to wonder if a huge Rays subsidy would leave anything for the Bucs; though given they're eyeing the Community Investment Tax that voters were told wouldn't go to stadiums, maybe they're a little ahead of themselves anyway. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/27/24180/bucs-want-667m-in-renovation-money-from-tampa-could-set-up-battle-with-rays-for-tax-dollars/

Maybe Rays CEO Ken Babby saying he’s “not reopening a discussion” on the terms of a stadium deal is a move to pressure the city and county to commit to something binding before the end of their sessions this week? It's so hard to tell 4D chess from hubris. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/26/24175/rays-ceo-to-unhappy-legislators-like-our-stadium-deal-the-way-it-is-or-lump-it/

Allowing big development projects to set their own property tax bills could cost city, county, and Illinois state treasuries billions — plus the Bears want $855m in infrastructure money, and the bill would allow diverting sales tax funds as well. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/26/24165/how-many-billions-of-tax-dollars-would-a-bears-megaproject-bill-cost-illinois-the-cook-county-treasurer-investimagates/

Tampa councilmember Bill Carlson said he voted yes on an MOU to “help the Rays get the state money” but would “definitely vote no” on a binding one because "I don’t believe in private sector subsidies"; will this complicate Rays efforts to get state cash? https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/22/24161/friday-roundup-rays-stadium-gets-a-yes-vote-thats-actually-a-no-bears-tax-break-talks-get-weird/

It certainly looks like the skids are at least partially greased for ultimate approval of a $2B+ Rays stadium subsidy in Tampa, but we said much the same thing in 2024 in St. Petersburg, so everyone involved surely knows that it ain't over until it's over. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/21/24154/county-gives-conditional-yes-to-yet-to-be-finalized-rays-stadium-deal-city-likely-to-follow-suit-today/

It's very possible no one knows what the IL legislature will do, or what Bears ownership will do if they don't get what they've demanded — up and move to Indiana, or take what they can get in Illinois? Past stadium games of chicken have gone both ways. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/20/24150/goodell-says-bears-stadium-process-is-going-on-offers-no-details-where-itll-end-up/

The Hillsborough County commission and Tampa council look set to vote this week on a nonbinding MOU requiring about $2B in subsidies for a Rays stadium costing $2.3B. Let's hear what some of the main players have to say for themselves! https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/19/24144/rays-advocates-call-2b-tampa-stadium-subsidy-deal-city-building-critics-call-it-pie-in-the-sky/

The Blazers trying to move if Tom Dundon doesn't get his $600m in arena money is a threat, yes, but a very vague one, in the "don't make me come in there" category of things people threaten while hoping they don't have to decide if they're just bluffing. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/18/24139/blazers-owner-says-hes-not-threatening-to-move-team-to-nashville-austin-kalamazoo-or-greensboro-media-ignores-him/

Rays CEO Ken Babby boasted the MOU "protects all public funding currently allocated for police, fire, emergency management or response," which is not entirely true since a city and county with $975m less tax money will find it harder to fund those things. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/15/24130/friday-roundup-rays-execs-propose-squishy-mou-to-unlock-stadium-vote-bears-tax-hike-proponent-crushed-in-reelection-bid/

Florida Politics hints that state money for the Rays could still come via the Public Education Capital Outlay, presumably on the theory that cramming Hillsborough College into a corner of campus to make room for a stadium is really a higher ed improvement. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/13/24123/florida-senate-wont-act-on-rays-stadium-until-city-and-county-do-could-raiding-higher-ed-fund-be-next/

D.C. Metro's report cites "a $600m Transportation Improvement Fund that is currently unfunded" to help build a bus rapid transit line plus train station upgrades, which would push the total public cost of the Commanders stadium back over $7B. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/13/24119/dc-considers-new-bus-line-to-get-commanders-fans-to-games-could-push-public-cost-back-over-7b/

This is where we are with sports subsidies, 40 years in: Even being allowed to ask that the public get anything in return for their gift of tax money to a billionaire owner is seen in some circles as tantamount to running your team out of town on a rail. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/12/24113/portland-council-president-says-he-wont-be-held-hostage-to-blazers-arena-deal-sports-columnist-insists-he-will-too/

While we have no idea how many future $100m+ projects would tap an Illinois megaprojects tax break, if a Bears Arlington Heights stadium could hit $2B in losses, the total cost to taxpayers from other development deals could easily end up in the billions. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/11/24110/bears-stadium-tax-break-could-cost-illinois-billions-more-in-other-development-subsidies/

CEO Ken Babby says the Rays now just want a nonbinding MOU to show the state that Tampa and Hillsborough are "committed to this partnership." Translation: Let's hurry and get the state part done before Ron DeSantis leaves office, then figure out the rest. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/08/24106/friday-roundup-rays-blink-on-june-1-stadium-deadline-illinois-residents-dont-want-to-break-the-bank-to-keep-bears/

Rays execs calling their mixed-use stadium district "fully taxable," it appears, is misdirection: They'll be paying some property taxes, but they'll be paying them to themselves, to pay off bonds for their own stadium. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/07/24097/how-many-billions-of-dollars-a-rays-stadium-development-would-cost-taxpayers-an-update/

In the worst-case scenario, host city residents will skip town to avoid traffic and transit nightmares while tourists steer clear because of high prices and ICE fears, leading to a situation where nobody will go to the World Cup because it's too crowded. https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2026/05/05/24077/it-may-officially-be-time-to-call-the-2026-world-cup-an-omnishambles/