As the summer heat swept over the Washington area, long-awaited news broke out on July 19. The Washington Commanders were sold to a group of owners led by Josh Harris. Harris is a familiar name within the sports industry, owning the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia 76ers. The group paid $6.05 billion to purchase the team from Dan Snyder, the owner since 1999.
In the 24 years that Snyder was owner, the Commanders only had six postseason appearances and attendance rates plummeted. Fans were vocal on social media platforms in expressing their gratitude towards Harris for purchasing the team and their excitement for the future.
In the short term, the team spirit within the Washington area has risen. Tickets for the first few regular season games are almost sold out, and some of the popular Commanders jerseys on the Nike website are regularly out of stock due to surging demand.
Sophomore Gobind Gosal enjoys watching professional football, and commented he is “looking forward to being a part of the packed stands at FedEx field.”
In the near future, fans hope to see improvement in the team’s quality of play. With more funds being pumped into the team, the players will have more resources available for them to develop, eventually translating to better in-game performance.
The team’s final and most significant change will be a new stadium, which seems to be in the works despite many questions surrounding the exact location. The Harris group reportedly prepared a 43-page document to present to potential investors.The proposal predicts that Virginia will offer $1.5 billion, with the total price of the new stadium coming around $3 billion. Estimates from the Commanders proposal say that the stadium will be completed in 2031.
A new stadium would improve the fan experience by providing modern concourses, chairback seating, new VIP lounges and culinary improvements.
In addition, the stadium will likely be closer to the district, making it an easier commute for the large fanbase residing in and around Washington.
Finally, this stadium is rumored to have a temperature-controlled dome design, which has become increasingly common around the NFL. Aside from improving the Commander fan experience, this new stadium will also impact the Washington community.
With the domed design, the stadium could welcome notable events, including Final Four games, concerts and possibly the Super Bowl.
Sophomore Linus Rhee still says that he will “be attending more games in the new stadium because FedEx Field is such a hassle to get to,” and he is “hopeful that DC can host a Final Four or Super Bowl one day.”
Commanders training camp began in late July, which helps the rookie players develop and gain more experience while providing the veterans additional practice in the areas they need improvement.
The Commanders took the road on Aug. 11 for their first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. Sam Howell, the Commander’s starting quarterback, started to feel his rhythm in the 2nd quarter of the game, throwing some quality passes, including a touchdown. The team worked hard to deliver the win, starting the 2023 campaign on a positive note.
Based on what he saw in preseason week one, Commanders Coach Ron Rivera commented that he was “very encouraged” for the upcoming season. The Commanders are now conducting joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens before playing them on Aug. 21. Afterwards, they will play one final preseason game on the 26 against the Bengals at Fedex Field.
On Aug. 19 Rivera spoke to the media with an update on injured players, saying that there are a few “guys that got a couple of nicks, and we’re just trying to be careful. Again, the key to it, more so than anything else, is getting to Week 1 of the regular season with our guys.”
