Virginia Gov. wants the Redskins: 'I view this as a Virginia team'

The Washington Redskins are identified with the nation’s capital (hence, the name) but play in Maryland.

That doesn’t matter to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who views it as Virginia’s team and wants the Redskins to make it official by moving there.

“I view this as a Virginia team,” McAuliffe said Friday on ESPN 980, the Redskins’ official radio station, via the Washington Post. “I know they’re in Maryland right now. But a majority of the season ticket holders are Virginians, all the players live in Virginia, we have all of your [practice] facilities. … We’re in very serious negotiations, as I assume other jurisdictions are. Listen, we would love to have them.”

Washington has been exploring options to get out of FedEx Field for a few years. The stadium in Landover, Md. was built just before a new era of very expensive, lavish stadiums around the NFL. The Redskins’ stadium felt inadequate almost immediately, and less than two decades after it opened owner Daniel Snyder is looking for something better. He has already hired a stadium architect, the Post said, even though the team’s lease at FedEx Field runs through 2027.

Washington D.C. and Maryland have also expressed interest in being the Redskins’ new home, whenever they move, but Virginia is pushing hard. McAuliffe hosted Snyder, team president Bruce Allen and other Redskins officials at his mansion on Thursday night, the Post said. The team is in a unique position, being able to have a bidding war between two states and Washington D.C. without having to officially relocate. It increases their odds of getting a stadium that is mostly funded by taxpayers. There will likely be multiple offers.

The Redskins will be moving to a sparkling new stadium at some point soon. Soon enough, we’ll figure out where it will be.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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