Back in February, the Rams won an arbitration case against the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission regarding upgrades to Edward Jones Dome.
The case hinged on the amount of money needed for upgrades to the stadium that would place it among the top 25 percent of stadiums in the NFL. If the stadium fell short of that mark, the Rams would be free to break their lease after the end of the 2014 season. The Rams said it would cost $700 million to make the needed renovations while the CVC proposed $124 million in public money and the arbitrator ruled in favor of the Rams.
They aren’t going to be getting the money, however. The Associated Press reports that the CVC sent a letter to the Rams this week informing them that they will not get the desired amount of public financing for stadium upgrades, which isn’t a surprise since they indicated they would pass on the Rams’ proposal at the time of the arbitration ruling.
As a result, the Rams are now free to leave the stadium after the 2014 season. That could mean a renewed push for a new stadium in St. Louis and it could also mean flirtations with other cities for a franchise that’s already called three different towns their home.