Washington Commanders Spend $100 Million Buying Land, per Report

The move signals a possible next step in building a new stadium for the franchise.

The Commanders reportedly paid more than $100 million for land in Virginia, signaling a potential next step in building a new home stadium, according to ESPN’s John Keim.

According to Keim, Washington purchased approximately 200 acres of land in Prince William County, paying a little over $100 million for the area. The deal was completed late last week, but has not been officially filed with the county. 

A source told Keim that the site is the team’s preferred location for a new stadium, but other options remain in the mix. There’s a chance the franchise will buy another 65 to 70 acres nearby. Maryland has said it would spend $400 million to develop the area around FedEx Field, the Commanders’ current home venue in Landover. Washington is also looking at land in Loudoun County, which is near its current practice facility in Ashburn, Va.

The team would reportedly like to return to the District of Columbia at the site of RFK Stadium. However, because the location is on federal land, governmental roadblocks make that potential move difficult, per Keim.

The team’s current stadium, FedEx Field, was built by former owner Jack Kent Cooke and opened in 1997. The Commanders prefer to leave FedEx Field, but the team’s current contract with the stadium doesn’t expire until 2026.

In addition to potentially constructing a new 60,000-seat domed stadium, Washington has high hopes for the newly acquired land. A source told Keim that the franchise also intends to build a new practice facility; an amphitheater that seats between 15,000 and 20,000 people; a small indoor music arena; high-end retail shops; bars and restaurants and residential living.

The purchase comes amid multiple ongoing investigations into Commanders owner Dan Snyder. Both Congress and the NFL are examining allegations of sexual misconduct against the 57-year-old owner, which arose in 2020. Snyder has strongly denied the accusations. 

Additionally, the organization is under investigation after a 20-page letter U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Reform said that the Commanders an Snyder may have committed an “unlawful pattern of financial conduct that victimized thousands of team fans and the National Football League.” The attorney generals’ offices in Virginia and the District of Columbia have said they will investigate the financial claims.

The organization and Snyder responded to the allegations of financial improprieties with a 105-page letter sent to the Federal Trade Commission, asserting that emails and signed affidavits will proves their innocence.

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