The city of St. Louis moved Friday to approve funding for a new NFL stadium, but the vote hardly guarantees the Rams will stick around.
Aldermen agreed by a 17-10 vote to a measure that would provide $150 million in city funds toward a project estimated to cost $1.1 billion. That leaves plenty of ground to make up, with the state, the NFL and ownership slated to cover the rest of the costs.
MORE: 10 worst Super Bowl performances of all time | Best photos from Week 15
That structure probably won't get the city too far with owner Stan Kroenke, who has made clear his preference to move the team back to Los Angeles.
Not to mention the NFL. The plan approved Friday assumes $300 million in stadium funding help from the league, but commissioner Roger Goodell said in a letter this week to Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon that NFL policy caps its contribution at $200 million.
Alderman Sharon Tyus summed up the city's frustration to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "We're like at the strip club … and the stripper is throwing the money back at us."
The NFL and its owners will have the final say. They are expected to issue a decision next month on which teams, if any, will relocate to the Los Angeles market. The Raiders and Chargers also are interested in making the move.
