Art Modell Law applies to Bengals, too

You don’t live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati. But you still benefit from a law aimed at keeping Cleveland from losing the Browns, again.

The Art Modell Law, passed in 1996 after the Browns became the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland was left without an NFL team for three seasons, applies to all professional sports teams in Ohio.

And while multiple pieces of Modell Law litigation are currently pending in connection with the Browns' ongoing effort to exit downtown Cleveland for suburban Brook Park, the Modell Law hovers over the stadium situation in Cincinnati.

Bengals executive V.P. Katie Blackburn said it this week. The team has an option on a two-year lease extension. If the option isn't exercised by June 30, 2025, the team's lease at Paycor Stadium will expire before the start of the 2026 NFL season.

"We could, I guess, go wherever we wanted after this year if we didn’t pick the option up," Blackburn said.

Some have tried to downplay the remark or dismiss those who put a spotlight on it. Whatever. It's a big deal whenever any owner publicly declares that their team could, in theory, move away.

Beyond the terms of the lease, the Bengals would have to deal with the Modell Law, if/when they try to move. The Bengals, if the law applies, would have to give local groups a chance to buy the team before moving it out of town.

But the law might not apply. The Browns' current attack against the provision would, if successful, benefit the Bengals.

That doesn't mean the Bengals will move. Wiping out the Modell Law, however, would give them even more leverage in their ongoing talks with Hamilton County over upgrades to their current stadium.