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This opinion column by Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden originally in The Phoenix Business Journal. 

As an Arizona sports fan, I can鈥檛 help but lament that in , we鈥檝e lost our place among the handful of markets that could claim a franchise in the highest levels of football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. There was a sense of civic pride 鈥� at least for those of us who care about sports 鈥� for being part of such an exclusive club.  

As the leader of a business organization, I鈥檓 disappointed about the loss of a prominent business. We don鈥檛 often think of our sports franchises when we think of leading job creators, but we should.  

Not only do our teams employ well-compensated athletes and front office staff, but they鈥檙e also the enterprises behind stadium and arena workers鈥� jobs. They add to concessionaire and restaurateurs鈥� bottom line. They move merchandise for our retailers. Maybe most of all, they鈥檙e an integral part of the state鈥檚 brand beyond our borders. 

When your team is on national TV 鈥� like the , or the Suns in the playoffs 鈥� it鈥檚 publicity that even the best tourism marketing campaign can鈥檛 buy. 

Few markets have as much to offer as Phoenix and all of Arizona.  

We have outstanding MLB, NFL, and NBA franchises that are contributing to the Valley and state鈥檚 economic health. Consider the new multimillion-dollar Suns practice facility and the Mercury鈥檚 new , also home to the teams鈥� new offices.  

We鈥檝e rightly earned a sterling reputation for hosting mega events like Super Bowls, college football bowl games, World Baseball Classics, All-Star games, two NASCAR weekends and, as we proved earlier this month, . The Footprint Center will host the women鈥檚 edition in 2026. This summer, Phoenix is home to the WNBA All-Star Game, and will host the NBA All-Star Game in 2027.  

All of that鈥檚 on top of our annual Cactus League that welcomes fans from all over the country to 10 modern stadiums all within a 45-minute drive of one another, and signature PGA Tour and PGA Champions Tour events like the WM Phoenix Open and the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.  

It all adds up to hundreds of millions of dollars in positive economic impact and created by sports and sports tourism. 

Arizona has been on the receiving end of teams that relocated. Now we鈥檙e the ones saying goodbye. Some markets have gotten a team back. The NHL returned to Winnipeg, for example, after shipping the Jets to Phoenix in 1996, but another market 鈥� Atlanta 鈥� lost a team for that to happen. Other markets haven鈥檛 been so lucky, just ask fans of the Hartford Whalers or Quebec Nordiques. Does anyone think the NFL will return to St. Louis?  

Don’t let the D-backs slip away

To ensure we don鈥檛 find ourselves in this predicament again, there are a few things that we as a business community need to commit to doing: 

It鈥檚 not a guarantee, but I鈥檓 going to assume that the hockey ownership group will win the auction in June for the land where it wants to put a new arena. Once that鈥檚 done, the cooperation from the city of Phoenix must be seamless. We can鈥檛 afford to slow-walk permits or bog the project down with needless studies and analyses. Where there鈥檚 red tape, it has to be cut. 

Take nothing for granted. We鈥檝e lost a franchise. Don鈥檛 think it can鈥檛 happen again. Just ask Oakland and San Diego what happens when teams start looking for the exit. It鈥檚 demoralizing and leagues get skittish about placing another team in a soft market.

With that in mind, let鈥檚 get serious about finding a solution for the Diamondbacks, whose . Whether it鈥檚 a modernization of the downtown ballpark or a new home, we can鈥檛 let them leave. Let鈥檚 not delude ourselves into thinking Salt Lake couldn鈥檛 pick our pocket again.

The D-backs are the type of corporate citizens other communities would welcome with open arms. Who wouldn鈥檛 want a business responsible for contributing more than $85 million to charitable partners and whose most recent post-season success generated more than $100 million in positive economic activity?  

Maricopa County voters in 2000 passed Proposition 302, which established the mechanism that allowed State Farm Stadium to get built and maintained. We should at least consider the best model for a stadium solution for the Diamondbacks. 

Lawmakers and the governor should commit to recapitalizing the mega events fund, the account that helps host committees put together the bid packages to lure big events like Super Bowls and college championships.  

Our sports franchises are important members of the Arizona business community and an immense point of pride. Let鈥檚 resolve to secure another NHL club and ensure that our current teams know they鈥檙e welcome and valued.

Danny Seiden is president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

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