Political donations by NFL owners in 2024 top $28 million, skew Republican

NFL owners donated at least $28 million to federal political candidates and causes during the 2023-24 election cycle — a significant amount that, according to USA TODAY Sports research, marks a seven-fold increase over the amount spent during the same time period four years ago. .

The significant increase in the owners’ political donations can be largely — though not exclusively — attributed to the addition of the Walton-Penner ownership group, which purchased the Denver Broncos in 2022. Federal Election Commission files reviewed by USA TODAY Sports, Broncos co-owner Rob Walton donated more than $16.5 million between Jan. 1, 2023 and Oct. 1, while team controlling owner Greg Penner and co-owner Carrie Walton Penner are also among the top big donors to NFL ownership. . The Penners, who oversee the team’s day-to-day operations, have donated $1.2 million, including a $1 million donation from Carrie Walton Penner to a Democratic political action committee earlier this year.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank ($3.3 million), David Tepper ($2.9 million) and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson ($1.8 million) are among the other NFL leaders who eclipsed seven figures in donations. Of the three, only Blank’s political dedication favored Democrats; He has donated more than $1.3 million Kamala Harris“The joint fund-raising committee since October 1, while also speaking publicly to support it.

“Kamala Harris is the right leader at a critical time in our country who can bring people together and help businesses and communities thrive,” he said. in a statement later launched by the advocacy group “Business Leaders for Harris”.

Blank declined an interview request from USA TODAY Sports through a spokesman, while team spokesmen for the other multimillion-dollar donors to NFL property either declined similar requests or did not respond.

In response to a request for comment, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in an email that “it is up to club personnel to determine which candidates and causes they will contribute to.”

Political donations by NFL owners are fair

To better understand the political influence wielded by owners in the nation’s preeminent professional sports league, USA TODAY Sports analyzed all federal campaign contributions made by major team owners and/or managing partners from January 1, 2023 through October 1, 2023. In group ownership arrangements, the paper also tracked donations from up to three additional co-owners – including spouses or other family members – depending on their level of association and involvement with their team.

The analysis showed that, collectively, NFL owners’ donations during the current election cycle have tipped the right way. Of the 24 owners with partisan donations, 16 donated primarily or exclusively to Republican candidates, political action committees (PACs), and joint fundraising committees. And overall, about 83 percent of the money donated by NFL owners went to conservative candidates and causes — a figure significantly skewed by Walton, who is a big-money Republican donor. (Although the Walmart heir led the family’s $4.65 billion purchase of the Broncos in 2022, he backed out last fall and relinquished his role as controlling owner to Greg Pennerhis son-in-law.)

Among other top donors, Blank has primarily supported the Harris campaign and Unite America, a nonpartisan PAC focused on election reform. Tepper focused most of his giving on former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley during her Republican presidential campaign. And all of Johnson’s federal donations went to the man who ultimately beat her to win the Republican nomination, former president Donald Trump. (Johnson served as US ambassador to the UK during Trump’s tenure.)

The right-leaning nature of political giving by NFL owners is not unusual among American sports owners, many of whom have made their fortunes in other industries and do not refer to their teams in FEC filings accompanying their political donations. Before the 2020 presidential elections, a USA TODAY Sports Analysis of political donations by owners in the six major US sports leagues found that they collectively gave more often to Republican candidates than to Democrats, and in larger amounts — about $12 to Republicans for every dollar donated to Democrats.

Political spending by NFL owners has increased significantly since 2020

Before previous presidential elections, political donations by NFL owners were largely limited to a handful of big spenders — namely Johnson, who gave more money federally in 2020 than any other owner combined. The total amount donated by NFL owners in 2019-20 was just over $3.6 million.

This cycle, that total is up more than 600 percent, with eight NFL owners more than doubling their individual political donations from four years ago. That group includes Blank, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ($16,600 donated), Houston Texans owner Janice McNair ($69,800), Robert Kraft ($58,500) and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II ($68,300) , among others.

Meanwhile, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has significantly reduced the amount he has donated to political candidates and campaigns. He is also one of the few NFL owners who has split his donations almost equally between Republicans and Democrats, giving about $50,000 to the former and $45,000 to the latter. That’s a significant departure from 2019-20, when he donated nearly five times as much to Republicans ($195,000) as to Democrats ($40,000).

Some NFL owners only give to the Gridiron PAC

Many NFL owners donate to political candidates and causes for reasons that have nothing to do with football — to support their own ideological beliefs or to advance other business interests. Other owners prefer to stay completely on the sidelines of politics.

Among NFL owners tracked by USA TODAY Sports, about 1 in 5 have not donated a dollar to federal candidates or causes so far this election cycle — though some members of that group may have donated to the state or local level. level. Another quarter donated just to Gridiron PAC, a political action committee founded by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in 2008 to promote the league’s interests on Capitol Hill.

According to campaign contribution records, Gridion PAC has received about $432,000 in donations from team owners and NFL employees during the current election cycle since Oct. 1. McCarthy said about $760,000 will be distributed to candidates and causes, with donations split equally. between Democrats and Republicans.

“The focus is on leadership, key committees, congressional incumbents and members with NFL teams in their district or state,” McCarthy wrote in an email. “No contributions for governors, presidents or challengers.”

Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.