The NFL has scheduled a July 20 meeting for owners to vote on Josh Harris’ deal to buy the Washington Commanders, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed.
The source said the NFL finance committee has yet to officially recommend Harris’ purchase for approval, but the process remains ongoing. Regardless, the scheduled meeting is an important — and possibly final — step for Harris to take over the Commanders. Harris and his investment group, which has agreed to buy the Commanders for $6.05 billion, must receive approval from at least 24 of the league’s 32 owners.
The NFL sent a memo late Thursday to owners to let them know to be available for July 20. Previously, the league was between July 20 and Aug. 8 for a possible vote. By having the date be set for July 20, the vote would put Harris in a position to take control of the Commanders in time for training camp, which begins a week later for Washington.
The Washington Post first reported news of the July 20 vote. The paper added the finance committee is poised to recommend Harris’ deal.
The league’s finance committee has been reviewing the structure of Harris’ deal since May, when the billionaire signed a purchase agreement with Commanders owner Dan Snyder. At first, the eight-member panel raised issues over the complexity of the deal, but Harris and his team reportedly agreed to tweak details such as the amount of debt taken on in the deal.
After meeting in May, NFL owners previously weren’t scheduled to meet again until October. But the league office has the power to call a special meeting at any time, such as it did last year when owners gathered in August 2022 to approve Rob Walton’s $4.65 billion purchase of the Denver Broncos.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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