A San Diego lawmaker is introducing legislation that would ban future public subsidies to NFL teams in California unless the league scuttles its television blackout policy for those clubs.

“I don’t see this as an outrageous request,” Democratic Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña said. “But since they’ve made it clear they aren’t willing to do that we’ll have to consider pulling the plug on public subsidies.”

Since 1973, the NFL has mandated a blackout within a 75-mile radius if a game is not sold out within 72 hours of kickoff. Despite increasing criticism around the country, the league has been steadfast in sticking with the policy.

Blackouts are a rare occurrence for the San Diego Chargers.


The team has been a perennial playoff contender in recent years, but even last year the Bolts struggled to fill all of the seats at Qualcomm Stadium. At times, the NFL waived the 72-hour rule to provide more time to sell tickets. The last time hometown fans couldn’t tune in to a regular season contest, they missed Drew Brees lead the Chargers in a 43-17 laugher over the New Orleans Saints in 2004.

San Diego has provided subsidies for both the Padres of Major League Baseball and the Chargers. The most notable was the controversial Chargers ticket guarantee in which the city — meaning taxpayers — bought all unsold tickets for years, guaranteeing sellouts. That policy, agreed to in 1995, was dropped in 2004 after considerable criticism.

The proposed legislation, which seemingly faces long odds and is still being crafted, comes as negotiations intensify between the city of San Diego and the Chargers over a new venue, possibly downtown.

Stadium talks could hinge on the public’s willingness to support subsidies for the estimated $800 million project. Saldaña estimates that taxpayers could be asked to cover as much as a quarter of the bill.


Her proposal comes in the wake of contentious legislation that bypassed strict environmental laws to allow a new football stadium in the City of Industry near Los Angeles.

Saldaña, who represents the 76th District, and other San Diego-area lawmakers opposed that measure, which some suggest could clear the way for the Chargers to relocate north.

Whether the Legislature would pass a bill certain to anger the NFL after going out of its way to help build a stadium in the Los Angeles area — and attract at team — remains to be seen.

The Chargers last week referred inquiries regarding the bill to the NFL. The league did not respond to an e-mail message requesting comment Friday.


According to a Time magazine column last fall, some cities urged the NFL to rethink its policy in these recessionary days.

The NFL wasn’t budging.

“No consideration is being given to changing the blackout policy,” a league spokesman told Time in September.

The blackout policy grew out of worries that local fans would watch the game on TV for free rather than buy tickets.


Saldaña said a blackout can hurt the local economy. Sports bars and restaurants count on game-day patrons, drawn by big-screen televisions and party atmospheres. Families, hard-hit by the economic downturn and unable to afford tickets, also are denied the joy of rooting for their home team, she said.

Saldaña’s proposal will be amended into existing legislation, AB 2522, in the coming weeks.