SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs are tentatively scheduled to play four home games outside its home arena in the 2022-2023 NBA season.
On Tuesday, Bexar County commissioners voted on amending its non-relocation agreement with the Spurs so it can play games in Austin, the Alamodome and Mexico City. Two of those games will be at UT’s new Moody Center.
Two weeks ago, commissioners voted 3-2 in support of the move, which county leaders said was not a good sign. On Tuesday, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said he feels much better about the team's intentions.
"I don't think we could've asked for any more, [Peter J Holt] owns the vast majority of the Spurs, twice as much as anybody else so I feel very confident about that and the fact we've got to enlarge the base of attendance," Judge Wolff said after the vote.
Spurs ownership penned a letter to fans the following week stating the Spurs “are here to stay, Por Vida” after fierce fan speculation this move meant the Spurs were looking to leave town permanently.
Although the Spurs owners were in Chicago on NBA Draft Lottery business, Spurs chief legal officer and general counsel Bobby Perez reaffirmed the team's commitment to San Antonio.
“Our goal is to develop and build a regional market from Mexico to Austin, Texas," Perez said.
Today, the Spurs got a (4-1) final vote of Bexar County Commissioners after the team guaranteed its four ‘home’ games mean the team is not leaving San Antonio. Tommy Calvert, Bexar County Commissioner for Precinct 4 was the one no vote.
Commissioner Calvert said he voted no because he wants to improve ways to have things for the common working man in the Spurs future at the coliseum's grounds.
"I just think that my constituents wanted me to vote that way, and that's what I do," Commissioner Calvert said.
The Spurs first proposal was to play 9 total home games outside the AT&T Center, owned by Bexar County, over the next two seasons. County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez counter-offered with four games during next season, which Spurs’ legal counsel accepted.
Strengthening the roots
County commissioners want to make the Spurs more enticed to stay by developing the area surrounding the AT&T Center.
In a statement, Commissioner Calvert says since the lease on the AT&T Center grounds is up in ten years, he wants to offer the Spurs the ”first opportunity to have equity in new housing, restaurants, office space retail and entertainment” and provide the team additional revenue.
His vision is for the Spurs to have grounds similar to Victory Park, the plaza outside the American Airlines Arena in Dallas.
He says $250,000 was apportioned to a consultant to determine what they can build on the land.
“That’s a knock on the county, quite frankly for not fulfilling the economic development promises we should’ve had. We have to look to those models as an opportunity for the Spurs to have ownership," Commissioner Calvert said.
What this development would look like is unclear, but Commissioner Calvert states he has worked with an engineering firm on the “River East” concept to take Salado Creek out of the flood plain, allowing the Willow Springs Golf Course into real estate development.
The Spurs are also building The Rock at La Cantera, which will include a new practice facility along with a mixed-use development including a research center, public park and space for commercial offices.
The games itself
Although the agreement is finalized, the Spurs say the team and the NBA are still finalizing the venues, dates, and opponents for the four "home games."
The two games in Austin could potentially take place at the UT Moody Center, and the Alamodome will host the team's 50th-anniversary celebration, and the Mexico City venue is unclear at this time.
The Spurs initially proposed to do this for two seasons, but a decision on future games beyond the 2022-2023 season will come at a later time.