As expected, the PSL agreements signed by folks who held the right to purchase tickets to Rams games in St. Louis contained language aimed at allowing the team to leave town -- and preventing the PSL holders from suing.
Randy Karraker of 101 ESPN in St. Louis forwarded to PFT a copy of Section 12 of his PSL agreement, which states: “Licensee acknowledges that this Agreement remains valid only as long as NFL football is played at the Stadium by the Rams, up to a maximum of thirty (30) years. Licensee acknowledges that Licensee has no claim against the Rams with respect to this [PSL] and/or its termination whatsoever. Licensee understands and acknowledges the possibility that the Rams may not play its gams in the Stadium or St. Louis for the entire term contemplated by this License. Licensee expressly agrees not to sue the Rams for damages or injunctive relief relates to this [PSL], including without limitation should the Rams not play its home games in the Stadium or in St. Louis for any reason.”
The Rams will argue that this language defeats the lawsuit filed by PSL holders who believe they have rights to purchase tickets to Rams games through 2025. The plaintiffs likely will claim in response that Section 12 should not be enforced, since the entire agreement is what the law calls a “contract of adhesion.” The term refers to a contract that provides no opportunity to engage in meaningful negotiation and requires consumers to agree to any and all potentially onerous terms in order to purchase the thing they want to buy.
Ultimately, the question will turn on the manner in which a court in Missouri handles the situation. With the Rams leaving Missouri, that dynamic could work against the team, forcing it to potentially honor the rights that thousands had secured to attend Rams games for another decade.