LONG POND, Pa. — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro reaffirmed the state would not present funding for any new sports activities arenas — a chance that looms with the Eagles‘ lease set to run out in 2032 — and mentioned there have been conversations about bringing NASCAR to Philadelphia.
Shapiro, making an look Sunday at Pocono Raceway, mentioned he would proceed speaking with Eagles proprietor Jeffrey Lurie and the Rooney household in Pittsburgh about what — if something — the NFL groups want on the subject of the state of their stadiums.
Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium, the house of the Steelers, opened in 2001 whereas Lincoln Monetary Discipline opened in 2003 in Philadelphia’s shared sports activities complicated.
The Eagles don’t personal the Linc. The crew might want to renew its lease or construct a brand new stadium, and Lurie mentioned in the course of the lead-up to the Tremendous Bowl that he was “torn” over the concept of changing the stadium or staying put within the house the place they raised their solely two Tremendous Bowl championship banners.
If a brand new stadium is proposed, it will not include state cash — simply as Shapiro mentioned he wouldn’t present when the NBA’s 76ers thought of constructing a brand new enviornment final 12 months. Sixers possession didn’t ask for funds, and so they determined to accomplice with Comcast Spectacor, their present landlord, to construct a brand new enviornment in South Philadelphia.
“I am very fearful concerning the general funds,” Shapiro mentioned Sunday forward of the scheduled NASCAR Cup Collection race on the observe. “I am very fearful concerning the general financial state of affairs given the federal cuts. You need to steadiness investing in tourism, investing in sports activities, investing in nice arenas and services, with ensuring that you just’re additionally investing these {dollars} in issues that Pennsylvanians want most.
“I’ll let you know that we need to be sure that the Steelers, we need to be sure that the Eagles, and all of our professional groups have excellent locations to play. Which can be welcoming for followers. That generate income. We will proceed to dialog with them about what they want and what’s potential.”
NASCAR expressed not less than a cursory curiosity in including to its latest string of offbeat race areas — all over the place from Mexico Metropolis to a brief observe contained in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — and floated the concept of holding a race inside a Philadelphia stadium, Franklin Discipline. The positioning is historically house to the Penn Relays and school soccer.
“There’s some conversations,” Shapiro mentioned. “Firstly, we do not need to do something that undermines Pocono. … The extra NASCAR the higher. The extra racing, the higher. The extra we will flip folks on in communities that have not been to Pocono but, to get enthusiastic about racing, after which make that journey to Pocono subsequent 12 months, the higher. I need to see extra NASCAR, extra racing. I additionally simply need to see extra sports activities on the whole.”
Among the many occasions in 2026, Pennsylvania will host the baseball All-Star Sport at Residents Financial institution Park, the World Cup on the Linc and the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Membership. The massive 12 months kicks off with the NFL draft in Pittsburgh subsequent April.
“I labored my ass off to deliver that to Pittsburgh, along with the Steelers,” Shapiro mentioned. “I am excited for them.”
