The City of Cleveland has announced it is officially invoking the Modell Law in response to the Cleveland Browns potentially moving to Brook Park.
In October, the team announced its decision to leave Downtown Cleveland, which has been the team's home since 1946.
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However, since that decision, there has been talk of a possible court case that could prevent the team from leaving.
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Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb sent a letter to Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam informing them of the decision to move forward with invoking the Modell Law.
In the letter, Bibb said the Browns have played home games at “a tax-supported facility” now known as Huntington Bank Field. However, the team has not provided the city or others with an opportunity to purchase the team prior to their relocation, as required by the Modell Law.
The so-called "Art Modell Law," is named for the former Browns owner who moved the team to Baltimore in the 1990s. The law requires Ohio team owners to seek permission to move. Without permission, they must give a six-month notice and allow both the local government and local investors an opportunity to purchase the team.
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This will be the first time the Modell Law will be truly tested, though the Haslams benefitted from it in 2018 when they purchased the Columbus Crew as the team faced relocation.
Bibb has asked the Browns to provide a date in which the six-month period will begin for the team to be available for purchase. He has asked for a response by Jan. 9 on the team's decision on whether or not it will comply with the Modell Law.
