Greg Carey, Managing Dir of Goldman Sachs’ Public Finance & Infrastructure Group, said professional leagues have adopted a more hands-on approach toward stadium and arena financing. “You are dealing with Big Brother now,” Carey said this morning at the AT&T Sports Facilities & Franchises conference hosted by SBJ/SBD, where he appeared on a panel with Inner Circle Sports Founder Robert Tilliss and JPMorgan Chase Bank Managing Dir Richard Walden. “Leagues want to be able to control, and they are quick to step in and fix problems.” Walden said that banks have rebounded from the financial crisis and are offering competitive financing strategies for stadiums and arenas. But in the wake of the financial struggles of the Mets, MLB Rangers and others, teams and leagues are approaching debt conservatively, which puts more emphasis on obtaining some municipal or government money to help finance projects. “It’s still competitive on the bank side, but it comes down to finding the right balance of leverage and debt,” Walden said. He said public financing is available, but convincing the public to pay is still a challenge, specifically in California. All three said the labor issues in the NBA and NFL play a major factor in future finance deals. “The market is fairly stable, but people want to know if there's enough liquidity in these systems if there is a labor stoppage,” Carey said
