Washington D.C. Is About To Lose Sports Teams To Virginia, Here’s Why

The owner of the Washington Capitals and Wizards has reached a deal to move both sports teams from D.C. to Northern Virginia.

Ted Leonsis, Monumental Sports & Entertainment owner, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia met up in Potomac, Virginia, to discuss the major move.

Youngkin shared,  “The best place to watch hockey — to watch basketball, but it will be the best place to innovate and press the envelope in what we can do together.”

The teams are going to Virginia after D.C. officials have failed to combat crime outside of the Capital One arena and cover renovation costs.

WIZARDS, CAPS TO VIRGINIA: The owner of the Capitals and Wizards and Virginia's governor announced a $2 billion proposal to move the teams from D.C. to Alexandria. Here's the plan. https://t.co/u9xYMKrWSF

— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) December 13, 2023

Per The Washington Post:

The owner of the Wizards and Capitals has reached a nonbinding arrangement that would move the teams from downtown D.C. to a new arena in Northern Virginia as soon as 2028, potentially upending the regional sports landscape.

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Ted Leonsis, owner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) appeared together Wednesday at an event in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood where the terms of the framework were detailed.

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“Virginia will not only be the best place to watch hockey — to watch basketball, but it will be the best place to innovate and press the envelope in what we can do together,” Youngkin said.

As envisioned, Monumental’s facility would anchor a 12-acre mixed-use development in the heart of that area, part of a tentative agreement still subject to multiple state and local approvals. If Monumental ultimately moves to Virginia, it would mark a major economic development win for Youngkin and deal a blow to D.C.’s struggling downtown. The transition could also ease the path for Leonsis to take the company public, a possibility he has openly discussed.

BREAKING: The owner of the Capitals and Wizards and Virginia's governor announced a $2 billion proposal to move the teams from the current D.C. area to Alexandria. pic.twitter.com/Rzrn25U7VD

— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) December 13, 2023

Per Axios:

Inside Washington’s pro sports world, there’s angst over crime. It’s leading Capital One Arena’s owners to beef up security, and businesses around Nationals Park to hire new patrol officers.

Why it matters: The District’s sports arenas are magnets for tens of thousands of Washingtonians and suburbanites, especially when there’s little other reason to be downtown — even if the Wiz are floundering and star players flee the Nats.

What I’m hearing: Ted Leonsis, who is in charge of the Monumental Sports & Entertainment group that owns the Wizards and Capitals, has expressed displeasure with the safety and quality of life surrounding Capital One Arena, according to an insider who spoke to him about it late last year and requested anonymity to describe a private conversation.

Police data shows there were 80 more incidents of overall crime within 1,000 feet of Capital One Arena over the past two years compared with 2019 to 2021. That includes more robberies and crimes with a gun. Last November, a double shooting occurred after a concert.
Be smart: Before panicking, it’s good to note that crime in D.C. is down overall. But businesses are increasingly worried that clusters of violence, and a public perception of disorder, are damaging Washington’s recovery.

Monumental Sports is investing in 20% more off-duty D.C. police officers around the arena this season, spokesperson told Axios.

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The Wizards and Capitols are leaving Washington, D.C. for northern Virginia in a big win for Glenn Youngkin and a horrible loss for DC mayor Muriel Bowser. pic.twitter.com/3waxQetIf7

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) December 13, 2023