SANTA FE, N.M. -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson announced
Wednesday he is headed to Mexico to discuss the possibility of a
bi-national effort to lure an NFL team to the region.
Richardson also announced the administration will contract with
Barrett Sports Group of the Los Angeles area to study what would
make New Mexico competitive in attracting an NFL team.
"Today, New Mexico is not ready to host an NFL team," the
governor acknowledged at a news conference. "But I am thinking
five years from now."
Richardson said he would meet with the mayors of El Paso, Texas,
and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and the governor of Chihuahua during a
one-day trip Thursday that also will include a pitch to business
leaders in Monterrey.
The governor said a regional partnership could make it
attractive for an NFL expansion or relocation that would draw fans
from the fast-growing areas of southern New Mexico, west Texas and
Mexico.
But he also said Albuquerque "has to be the primary base," and
suggested that a team might play some of its games in New Mexico
and some in Mexico.
"What we're looking at is a variety of options," Richardson
said.
Consultant Dan Barrett will help New Mexico figure out the
feasibility of making a bid for an NFL team, including what sort of
financial commitment and local sponsorship would be entailed, what
kind of stadium would be required and how much it would cost, and
what teams might be available, the governor said.
The precise terms of Barrett's contract haven't been worked out,
said Finance and Administration Secretary James Jimenez. But
$500,000 is available: $300,000 from the governor's capital
projects funds, $100,000 from the city of Albuquerque, and another
$100,000 from the New Mexico Finance Authority, through which
financing of facilities likely would be done, Jimenez said.
He said Barrett was selected from among five bidders.
Barrett, who participated in the news conference by phone, said
small communities "often require many years of planning and
preparation" before they can land teams. He cited Jacksonville,
Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., now home to the Jacksonville Jaguars and
the Carolina Panthers.
The New Mexico market couldn't currently support an NFL
franchise, Barrett said, and the study could conclude that it's not
feasible in the long run.
But he also said "it's something that from a regional
perspective may be viable down the road, and we're going to look
into that and identify the steps that are necessary."
Richardson said his discussion with business leaders in
Monterrey also would include the possibility of Mexican investments
in New Mexico's renewable energy, aerospace and technology
industries.