If MLB comes to Raleigh, we must take steps to ensure taxpayers don’t bear high costs | Opinion

The buzz around bringing a Major League Baseball team to Raleigh is growing, fueled by hot takes from local commentators touting the Triangle’s fit as a prime candidate and bolstered by public declarations of support from a growing chorus of elected officials and community leaders. Charlotte is also a strong contender for an expansion team, though Raleigh appears to have the edge.

Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, the individual best-positioned to make Raleigh’s baseball dreams a reality, recently reiterated his commitment to leading a group to bring a team to North Carolina. MLB Raleigh, the grassroots, fan-led organization that helped put the issue on the map a few years back, also continues to beat the drum.

Much of the conversation has focused on the “what” of bringing in a team: the specifics of MLB’s expansion timeline, potential stadium locations — including sites near Leonovo Center and the old Cargill Mill — and the economic benefits and drawbacks for the city.

Yet, a critical piece of this expansion puzzle is receiving far too little attention: Who will actually pay for the new stadium, which, according to a recent study conducted by North Carolina State University Emeritus Professor of Economics Michael Walden, could cost between $1 to $2 billion.

While Hurricanes CEO Brian Fork recently acknowledged on the Ovies and Giglio Podcast that a stadium for an expansion team would need to be publicly financed, we have yet to hear any specifics on how much local governments would be on the hook for.

If history is our guide, we, the taxpayers, would almost certainly be stuck footing most of the bill. We’ve seen a wave of publicly funded, for-profit sports projects across the country. Here in North Carolina, taxpayers have already financed many of our largest professional sports venues, including Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and Lenovo Center, where the Dundon-owned Hurricanes currently play.

To avoid getting caught in the excitement and ensure a lion’s share of stadium development costs are covered by private investors, not state and local taxpayers, we must do three things.

First, we must demand transparency throughout the negotiation process and insist on openness in cost accounting and financing schemes.

Second, we must ensure the ownership group exhausts all possible avenues for private investment — including securing construction loans, adding third-party and private equity investors, selling licensing, naming rights and concessions — before coming to taxpayers for help.

Third, we must hold political and civic leaders accountable to make sure they ask the right questions of ownership and MLB and effectively advocate on behalf of taxpayer interests.

Bringing an MLB team to Raleigh would be an incredible achievement and source of civic pride for the city, the greater Triangle region and maybe even our entire state. But that pride will quickly turn to resentment if the public is forced to pay for a stadium that benefits a handful of wealthy investors. Staying vigilant now can help ensure we can enjoy the new team, without being saddled with unfair costs.

Sagar Sane is a senior consultant at Eleveya Public Affairs and an avid baseball fan. He resides in Fletcher, NC.

This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.