Two of Dallas’ favorite sports teams are facing off against each other in court over their shared home arena.
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The Mavericks and Stars are each expected to move out of the American Airlines Center in 2031.
The Dallas Mavericks sued their NHL roommates at the American Airlines Center in Texas Business Court on Tuesday for a legal ruling on a breach of contract dispute over the arena. The Dallas Stars fired back with a countersuit, saying the Mavericks were attempting a hostile takeover of the venue the teams have shared for the last 25 seasons, The Dallas Morning News reported.
The teams’ leases at the American Airlines Center expire in 2031, and each franchise is on the hunt for a new home in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
The Mavericks' petition for injunctive relief states the Stars breached their franchise agreement by moving the team's corporate headquarters to Frisco in 2003. The Mavs also alleged the Stars have prevented maintenance and improvements from being done at the American Airlines Center after backing out of a deal that would have extended the NHL team’s lease through 2061.
The Stars' counterclaim says the NBA team can't determine that a relocation event occurred, as that is something only the city of Dallas can do. The NHL franchise also said it wants normal operations at the arena restored.
“Their lawsuit seeks to marginalize the Dallas Stars to the role of a mere tenant and, ultimately, drive the team out of Dallas,” Stars counsel Joshua M. Sandler said in a statement.
Sandler said the goal of the Stars’ lawsuit is to ensure that the American Airlines Center “continues to serve as a world-class venue for all who call Dallas home.”
Representatives of the Mavericks didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last year, the city and the Mavericks claimed the Stars backed out of a $300M agreement to update the American Airlines Center. The cost of that would have been split by the Mavericks and the city, while the Stars would have agreed to stay at the arena for another 30 years.
The Stars denied ever agreeing to the deal but said the team would have split renovation costs with the NBA team had it been done. The NHL franchise said there was a different deal in place that would have kept both teams at the arena through 2035.
The Mavericks want a new basketball-only arena in Dallas, and the team is considering the site of the former Valley View Center and Dallas City Hall, according to the DMN.
The Stars have talked with northern suburbs like Frisco and Plano about relocating there. The team is reportedly eyeing a $1B arena at the site of Plano's Shops at Willow Bend mall.