Dallas may be getting another pro sports team.
According to multiple reports, the Dallas City Council is expected to vote this week to bring the WNBA’s Dallas Wings, who currently play in Arlington, to Downtown Dallas.
Rumors of relocating the team spread after an agenda item citing a “professional sports team” for an upcoming city council meeting was discovered. Based on the WNBA season’s timeline, the Wings were the logical subject, and Dallas Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb later confirmed the ongoing discussions.
“The Wings have had ongoing talks with Mayor Johnson and Dallas officials about the City’s planned renovations to Memorial Auditorium,” a statement from Bibb on the team’s social media accounts read. “While there are many details that remain to be worked through, including approval of the Dallas City Council and the WNBA’s Board of Governors, the possibilities of relocating to downtown Dallas are boundless.”
The proposal would move the team into Dallas Memorial Auditorium, part of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center that will be undergoing renovations. The Wings would have a 15-year lease agreement and receive $19 million in incentives for the move. The incentives would be paid over a three-year period, according to The Dallas Morning News.
If the team does move, it will do so after the 2025 WNBA season or later.
“Women’s basketball has captured the nation’s attention like never before, and both the WNBA and the Wings are experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity,” Bibb’s statement continued. “The City of Arlington, the University of Texas at Arlington, and College Park Center continue to be wonderful partners, and we look forward to continuing that relationship during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The City of Dallas’s proposal offers a fitting, world-class stage for our remarkable athletes and devoted fans and we look forward to commenting further at the appropriate time.”
The Wings have played at the College Park Center on the Campus of UT-Arlington since they relocated from Tulsa to DFW in 2016. Their current arena holds around 7,000 fans, while Memorial Auditorium holds nearly 10,000.
The vote is expected to happen during a city council meeting on Wednesday.