NFL Owners Vote Unanimously to Approve Sale of Commanders to Josh Harris Group

For the first time in 24 years, the franchise will not be owned by the Snyders.
In this story:

For the first time in 24 seasons, the Commanders will no longer be owned by Dan Snyder after the NFL owners voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the sale of the team to the Josh Harris Group for $6.05 billion, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Harris, who co-owns the 76ers and the Devils, is joined by NBA legend Magic Johnson and David Blitzer of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment in the ownership group. The sale is officially the highest record price for an NFL team in league history. 

Harris released a statement via the team shortly after the announcement.

“As a lifelong Washington football fan who grew up here, I know that the Commanders are more than just a sports team,” Harris said. “This is an institution, passed down from generation to generation. From day one, it is our top priority to deliver you a championship caliber team, and we will strive everyday to ensure that we are a franchise you can be proud of. To Commanders fans everywhere, our promise is simple: We will do the work, create the culture and make the investment needed to deliver for this team and for Washington.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also released a statement about the vote.

The Commanders first went on the market back in November 2022 after longtime owners Dan and Tanya Snyder hired Bank of America to explore a possible sale. That announcement came after a Dec. 8 report from the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform implicated Snyder in perpetuating “a toxic workplace culture by ignoring and downplaying sexual misconduct” within the organization.

The NFL hired attorney Mary Jo White to investigate the Snyders and the Commanders franchise beginning in Feb. 2022. The NFL released her findings on Thursday immediately following the announcement of the owners’ vote, resulting in a $60 million fine for Snyder.

The Snyders’ tenure ends with the team having six playoff appearances (none of which resulted in a trip to the NFC championship), two playoff wins, 10 head coaches, 27 starting quarterbacks and an overall .427 winning percentage.


Published
Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.