Hamilton County, Bengals reach lease agreement to keep team in Paycor through 2036

Hurray for good news!

I don’t think there was really any doubt a deal between the Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County would get done, but now we don’t have to even discuss it anymore. At least not until 2036.

The Bengals and Hamilton County have officially come to an agreement, four days short of the deadline, to keep the team in Paycor Stadium for the 2025 season and the next 10 years after that.

The Bengals and the county they reside in have been going through negotiations, which were sometimes tense and other times were played out in the media. One of the administrators on behalf of the county said they weren’t perfectly happy with the deal, but the Bengals likely weren’t either.

“To be clear, it’s not perfect, but as often is the case in tough negotiations, no one leaves the table thinking they got the perfect deal,” Hamilton County Commissioner Administrator Jeff Aluotto said on Thursday, per Jay Morrison. “And I think as you’ll hear, it’s a better deal, a smarter deal than what was done under the previous lease. I’m hoping the team would concur with that.”

More details are sure to come, but we do know the new lease agreed upon would reduce the $830 million in renovations called for down to $470 million, and the county would be responsible for $350 million, while the team would kick in the remaining $120 million.

However, there is a possibility that a portion of $400 million, which has been set aside in the State of Ohio’s budget for “qualifying projects,” could come to the Bengals, as well as the Browns, who are building a new stadium.

There is sure to be more information released in the coming days on the new lease agreement, but we do know the team is staying in Hamilton County and in Paycor Stadium for at least the next decade.

Then we get to do all this again!