Since 1990, more than 50 new stadiums and arenas have been built, and another 20 are in either planning or construction phases. The vast majority are mostly or entirely financed with tax dollars. With no other cities over 100,000 people, the rest of the Ninth District would seem to be far removed from the stadium debate. But, in fact, numerous district cities are investing millions in stadiums and multiuse arenas for quasi-professional or college teams and to bring other entertainment to town. But aside from a lack of zeroes, the stadium issue still boils down to many of the same core arguments.
Teams still seek public assistance to improve their profitability.
City officials, worried about the national or regional persona of their community, argue that the presence of a professional or college sports team and the ability to host concerts and other entertainment provides economic and civic benefits well worth the public investment. Though outside the mainstream sports leagues, Ninth District cities nonetheless have a grab bag of sporting options available to them. Teams, and even entire leagues, are often footloose, sometimes not playing for more than a year in a particular location as they look for stronger fan bases and financial viability. Given the volatility of franchises, one might think teams have little or no bargaining power with cities. Most cities have hosted numerous teams in different sports over the years, but a handful are making stadium improvements directly connected with local professional teams.