The Rams settlement money — the $790 million the NFL and Rams owner Stan Kroenke paid in 2021 to resolve St. Louis’s relocation lawsuit — was split, after roughly $275 million in attorneys’ fees, among three plaintiffs: the City of St. Louis received $250 million, St. Louis County received $169 million, and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority received $70 million, with an additional $30 million going to the America’s Center convention center expansion. As of mid-2026, much of that money has still not been spent, and the city’s share in particular has become the center of a bitter public fight reshaped by a devastating May 2025 tornado.
Why the NFL Paid
The Rams played in St. Louis from 1995 to 2015 under a lease requiring the publicly financed Edward Jones Dome to be maintained as a top-tier NFL stadium. A 2013 arbitration panel found the stadium had fallen short, local authorities declined to fund upgrades, and Kroenke — who had already bought land in Inglewood, California — moved the team after NFL owners approved the relocation in January 2016.1BizJournals Media. Rams Statement of Reasons for Relocation
In 2017, the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority sued the NFL and all 32 teams in St. Louis Circuit Court, alleging breach of contract, unjust enrichment, tortious interference, and fraudulent misrepresentation.2St. Louis Trial Lawyers. City of St. Louis Sues NFL Over Rams Relocation The core claim was that the league had ignored its own relocation guidelines, which required a good-faith effort to keep a team in its home market, and that the Rams gave false assurances about staying while quietly planning the move. The plaintiffs said they spent $16 million developing a stadium proposal in reliance on those assurances.
With trial set for January 2022 and financial discovery ordered against team owners, the parties settled through mediation for $790 million on November 24, 2021.3ABC News. Rams, NFL Settle St. Louis Lawsuit Over Franchise’s Relocation
Who Actually Wrote the Check
Kroenke personally paid $571 million. The other $219 million came from the remaining NFL teams, with roughly $7.5 million pulled from each franchise’s revenue-sharing payment in May 2022.4CBS Sports. Rams Owner Stan Kroenke Forced to Pay Staggering $571 Million of NFL’s St. Louis Settlement
That split came out of a fight among owners. When the Rams moved in 2016, Kroenke signed an indemnification agreement to cover the league’s legal costs. As bills climbed into eight figures for some franchises, his attorneys began challenging that agreement. New York Giants co-owner John Mara called the reversal “ridiculous.”5ESPN. Stan Kroenke Angers NFL Owners With Financial Pivot Related to St. Louis Lawsuit To resolve the standoff, the league lifted debt limits on Kroenke to let him make the $571 million payment.6Sportico. Stan Kroenke Reimbursing NFL for Rams Settlement
How the $790 Million Was Divided
The plaintiffs’ law firms — Dowd Bennett LLP and Blitz Bardgett & Deutsch — worked on a 35% contingency, taking approximately $275 million.7The Center Square. NFL Settlement With St. Louis Totals $790 Million The remaining $519 million was allocated in late 2022 this way:
- City of St. Louis: $250 million
- St. Louis County: $169 million
- Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority (RSA): $70 million
- America’s Center convention center expansion: $30 million
The $30 million for America’s Center was appropriated by city ordinance in February 2023 to cover cost overruns tied to pandemic-era supply chain problems.8City of St. Louis. Ordinance 71645
What the City Is Doing With Its $250 Million
The city’s share has produced the loudest fight. The Board of Aldermen originally committed to a long public engagement process, and in January 2024 launched an online portal letting residents rank 20 possible uses. Water and street infrastructure, downtown, subsidized childcare, and a redevelopment loan fund were the early top picks.9St. Louis Public Radio. St. Louis Residents Can Now Vote on Ways to Spend $250 Million Rams Settlement
Then, on May 16, 2025, an EF-3 tornado tore through north St. Louis, damaging an estimated 5,000 homes and buildings. Recovery costs were estimated between $1.6 billion and $2 billion.10St. Louis Public Radio. North St. Louis Residents Call for $150M of Rams Settlement Funds for Tornado Recovery
Board Bill 22
On May 15, 2026, Mayor Cara Spencer and Board of Aldermen President Megan Green introduced Board Bill 22 to spend $230 million of the city’s share (with $20 million already appropriated or set aside). The original proposal:
- $110 million for north St. Louis tornado recovery and neighborhood redevelopment, including $79 million for home repairs, infrastructure, and demolition, $5 million for immediate housing support, and $31 million for resident-driven neighborhood plans.11Spectrum News. St. Louis Leaders Propose $230 Million Spending Plan for NFL Settlement
- $65 million for citywide water, street, and sidewalk improvements.
- $55 million for downtown revitalization, including work on vacant buildings, the riverfront, retail incentives, and an event attraction fund.12City of St. Louis Mayor’s Office. Rams Settlement Spending Bill
- $25 million in reserves.
The North Side Pushback
Residents and groups including Action St. Louis and the People’s Response called $110 million wildly insufficient given the scale of tornado damage, and demanded $150 million for the north side. They objected that downtown, which sustained little tornado damage, was slated to receive nearly half as much as the devastated north side.10St. Louis Public Radio. North St. Louis Residents Call for $150M of Rams Settlement Funds for Tornado Recovery
Business group Greater St. Louis Inc. defended the downtown allocation and pledged private matching funds. Green said the city wanted to use settlement dollars as seed money to attract state, federal, and nonprofit matches.13St. Louis Public Radio. Tornado Recovery Advocates, Downtown Investors Divided on Rams Settlement Spending A survey from her office drew nearly 1,400 responses; 51% named tornado recovery as the top priority.14Fox 2 Now. St. Louis City Holding Final Public Hearing Discussing Rams Settlement Money
Where the Bill Stands
On June 9, 2026, the Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee approved nine amendments and advanced the bill. The $25 million reserve was eliminated and redistributed. North St. Louis and tornado recovery rose to roughly $120–125 million, with an additional $10 million from the former reserves going to tornado repair and rental assistance. Another $10 million went to water infrastructure and $5 million to vacant buildings. The $55 million downtown allocation stayed intact but was renamed the Downtown Neighborhood Plan Implementation Fund.15St. Louis Public Radio. St. Louis Aldermen Move Forward With Rams Settlement Bill as Tempers Flare Over Tornado Funding The bill completed its second reading before the full board in mid-June, and Green said her goal was to send it to the mayor before the July 10, 2026 summer recess.16Spectrum News. Rams Settlement Spending Plan
What St. Louis County Is Doing With Its $169 Million
By August 2025, the County Council had approved just $56.2 million across five projects: $40 million for street, sidewalk, and curb repairs; $9.9 million for cybersecurity and HR system upgrades; $5.2 million for maintenance at 49 county buildings; $765,000 for greenhouse gas reduction planning; and $340,000 for a Spanish Lake area development study.
That month, Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick gave the county a “fair” rating — the second-lowest possible — for its handling of the funds, criticizing the County Council for lacking formal criteria and deciding on a “case-by-case basis.”17St. Louis Public Radio. Auditor Gives St. Louis County Second-Lowest Rating on Rams Settlement Funds County Executive Sam Page pointed to four 2023 town halls held to gather input. The auditor agreed infrastructure was an appropriate use of one-time money but recommended a more formal evaluation process.
What the RSA Is Doing With Its $70 Million
The Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority received $70 million in 2023, and its total cash balance had grown to roughly $89 million by December 2024 through investment returns. The problem: the Dome at America’s Center needs an estimated $155 million in repairs over the next decade. The auditor’s 2025 report called the Dome’s future “perilous” and said the RSA had made “no significant effort” to pursue other funding sources to close the gap.18Missouri State Auditor. New Report Finds Lack of Planning Has Created an Uncertain Future for the Dome at America’s Center
If You Held a Personal Seat License, That’s a Separate Case
The $790 million settlement did not cover fans who bought personal seat licenses at the Edward Jones Dome. Those claims were resolved in a separate class action, in which U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr. approved a $24 million settlement in June 2019. Each PSL holder received 30% of the original purchase price — ranging from $75 on a $250 license to $1,350 on a $4,500 license — with each of the two classes capped at $12 million and subject to proportional reduction if claims exceeded the cap.19NFL.com. Judge Approves $24 Million Settlement Over Rams PSLs20Illinois Business Journal. Deadlines Set for Rams PSL Holders’ Refunds
The Police Board’s Failed Claim
A 2025 state law requires St. Louis to allocate 22% of its “general revenue” to the state-controlled metropolitan police department. The Board of Police Commissioners sued, arguing the $250 million settlement and $154 million in city reserves counted as general revenue and entitled the department to roughly $68 million more than the city had budgeted.21St. Louis Public Radio. State Board Says City Shorted Police $68M, Lawsuit Demands Money by June 30
On June 2, 2026, Circuit Judge Joan Moriarty rejected the claim, ruling that “general revenue only includes current income of the fiscal year in question and does not include income from prior years.” Because the settlement funds were received in 2022, they did not qualify.22St. Louis Magazine. Police Board Rams Funds Reserves Ruling The police board said it would appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.