The Home Team Act of 2026 aims to prevent professional sports franchises from relocating away from their home communities by requiring owners to give local entities a chance to purchase the team before it can move or be eliminated. If a franchise owner wants to relocate, move across state lines, or shut down a team, they must first offer to sell it at fair market value to local governments, nonprofits, community cooperatives, or local businesses in that order of priority, with the appraisal deducting any public subsidies previously given for stadium construction. The legislation applies to major sports leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, WNBA, and NWSL, and prohibits these leagues from banning public or community ownership of franchises. Franchise owners who violate the law face daily fines of thirty thousand dollars, and local governments or states can sue in federal court for additional relief. The bill does not affect existing labor agreements or collective bargaining rights.
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