The 49ers continue the slow and steady process required to get a new football stadium built as they received several approvals from the Santa Clara Stadium Authority on Tuesday related to aspects of stadium construction and development. The Authority approved the procurement process that will be utilized to hire subcontractors to do much of the construction trade work on the stadium. They also approved the selection of Legend Premium Sales as the agency that will manage and sell Stadium Builders Licenses (SBLs). That's another way of saying personal seat licenses.
This stuff might not be the most exciting of information, but consider it the broccoli of Niners Nation. Personally I enjoy broccoli, but work with me on the metaphor. The sale of SBLs will be an integral aspect of stadium financing. Two years ago when we sat down with Jed York, he said that if people didn't want to buy the SBLs then the deal wouldn't move forward. Given where we're at in the process, the team must feel some level of confidence that they can get a deal done on these licenses. For current and potential season ticket holders, would you be willing to pay this fee on season tickets in the new stadium? The SBLs will retain certain benefits for holders including access to other events at the facility. I'd imagine we'll hear more of those details in the coming months.
The 49ers stadium project is slowly creeping forward but a portion of the financing remains contingent upon a new collective bargaining agreement. The 49ers need access to funds via what was previously called the G3 Fund. The fund was cleaned out with the new stadiums in Dallas and New Jersey but has been a point of negotiation and appears set to return in the eventual new CBA.
There remain some questions as to the involvement of the Oakland Raiders in a new stadium. If I were the NFL I'd basically tell the Raiders, if you're going to stick in the Bay Area and want a new stadium you better go in with the 49ers, otherwise you're on your own. The Raiders want a new stadium and unless they plan on moving back down to LA, the prudent business move would seem to be going in with the 49ers in Santa Clara.
Of course, prudent and Al Davis have not exactly gone hand-in-hand over the years, so we'll see how that plays out.