Cleveland Browns relocation controversy

The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, sometimes referred to by fans as "The Move", was the decision by then-Browns owner Art Modell to move the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from its long-time home of Cleveland to Baltimore during the 1995 NFL season. Subsequent legal actions by the city of Cleveland and Browns season ticket holders led to a compromise that saw the Browns history, records, and intellectual property remain in Cleveland, while Modell was permitted to move to Baltimore and establish the Baltimore Ravens, who are officially regarded as a 1996 expansion team. The city of Cleveland agreed to demolish Cleveland Stadium and build a new stadium on the same site, and the NFL agreed to reactivate the Browns by the 1999 season through either an expansion draft or a relocated franchise. The Browns were officially reactivated in 1998 through the expansion process and resumed play in 1999.

The compromise between Cleveland, the NFL, and Modell was a first in North American professional sports. The compromise has been cited in other franchise moves and agreements, including those in the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and Major League Baseball (MLB).

In 1975, knowing that Municipal Stadium was costing the city over $300,000 annually to operate, then-Browns owner Art Modell signed a 25-year lease whereby he agreed to incur these expenses in exchange for quasi ownership of the stadium. Under the terms of the lease he agreed to give back the City a portion of the profits he would realize each year, and also agreed to make capital improvements to the stadium at his expense. Modell's newly formed company, Stadium Corporation, paid an annual rent of $150,000 for the first five years and $200,000 afterwards to the city.

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