LANDOVER, Md., Aug. 17 (UPI) — Even it could mean a new stadium, members of the Washington Redskins front office will not consider changing the team’s nickname.
The lease at FedEx Field goes until 2026. The privately financed $180 million stadium was built in 1997. But if the team wishes to move from Landover, Md. to Washington D.C., team president Bruce Allen said a name change wouldn’t be a stipulation, according to CSN Washington.
Allen also told CSN Washington that the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland are possibilities for a new stadium site.
Allen seems to be aligning his thoughts to owner Dan Snyder, who has long said he would not change the name of the team, despite public pressure.
“We will never change the name of the team,” Snyder told USA TODAY Sports in 2013. “As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season.”
In July a Virginia federal judger upheld a ruling that had ordered the cancellation of the team’s trademark registration, because the Redskins moniker may disparage Native Americans.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe wants the stadium to be built in his state. His spokesman, Brian Coy, said the governor would not ask the Redskins to change its name.
“His position is it’s not his responsibility or place to tell a private business what it should or should not call itself,” Coy told the Washington Post in April.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewel opposes the name, which could be a roadblock to the team’s desire to return to D.C.
“Secretary Jewell has been clear that she considers the Washington football team’s name a relic of the past and believes it should be changed,” Department of the Interior spokeswoman Jessica Kershaw told ESPN.
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.