The Chicago White Sox may have a valid lease for U.S. Cellular Field running though 2029, but that’s not stopping the Illinois Sports Facility Authority from reevaluating its relationship with the team.
The team’s lease is pretty simple: the team pays $1.5 million a year and controls all revenue from ticket sales, concessions, parking and merchandise operations. It’s been amended in recent years to allow the team to open a team store and restaurant across the street from the ballpark on state-owned land.
That’s all well and good, but with everyone’s budgets tighter these days, the sports facility authority — which also manages Soldier Field — may be looking for ways to squeeze some money out of the White Sox. As long as both sides are living up to the terms of the lease, however, it’s not easy to go back and demand more money.
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