St. Louis Rams Stadium Lease Dispute: Rams Cleared To Play In 2012 London Game

The NFL announced on Monday afternoon that the St. Louis Rams had solved their ongoing dispute concerning their home stadium contract with the St. Louis Conventions & Visitors Commission (CVC). According the NFL, the dispute is over, and ticket sales for the Rams' 2012 game in London have resumed:

The Rams have achieved a resolution to the stadium lease issues that caused last week's delay in the sales process and are excited about bringing their team to London to host the AFC champion Patriots.

The Rams learned in late January that they would face the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The October 28th game will be the first regular season game overseas for the Rams, as they begin a three-year tour of international sites.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

St. Louis Rams Stadium Lease Dispute: Team Responds To CVC's Claim Of Violation

The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission released a statement on Friday claiming the St. Louis Rams' decision to enter into a three-year deal to play one regular season NFL game in London each year violated the terms of the lease agreement between the CVC and the Rams:

The commission acknowledged that the Rams playing overseas would "elevate an awareness of St. Louis on the global stage." But it added, "Our lease with the Rams requires that the Rams play all their home games in the Edward Jones Dome."

As pointed out by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch earlier this month, the team's stadium lease with the city's Convention and Visitors Commission on the Edward Jones Dome contains a provision that would allow the Rams to leave if it is not deemed a "first-tier" facility among the top eight stadiums in the NFL.

This upcoming Wednesday (February 1, 2012) is the deadline for the CVC to submit their proposal for upgrading the Edward Jones Dome to put in line with their interpretation of it being a "top tier" facility. The Rams then have until May 1 to submit their counter-proposal. The key issue is how the sides define a "top tier" facility. If there is a material disagreement in the interpretation of the term, the parties can enter arbitration to determine what constitutes "top tier" and which proposal might control the upgrade process.

In the meantime, the St. Louis Rams have issued a statement in response to the CVC's claims that the London deal violated the terms of their lease:

We think that playing in London is great for the Rams and great for St. Louis. We are in talks with the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, which is also the region's chief marketing group, about how to make the most of this opportunity. As the CVC said today, this will ‘elevate an awareness of St. Louis on the global stage.' We look forward to having amicable and meaningful dialogue with the CVC on many issues and believe those conversations should remain between the parties.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Commission Says Rams Must Play All Home Games In St. Louis

Last week, the NFL announced that the St. Louis Rams would play a regular season game in London in each of the next three seasons. All three games would be considered Rams home games, meaning that they would only play seven games in St. Louis during each of the next three seasons.

Related: Bad Faith: St. Louis CVC Says Rams Trip To London Violates Dome Lease

The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission released a statement on Friday voicing the commission's objection to this scheduling change.

The commission acknowledged that the Rams playing overseas would "elevate an awareness of St. Louis on the global stage." But it added, "Our lease with the Rams requires that the Rams play all their home games in the Edward Jones Dome."

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

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