Report: Bengals Want New Stadium Lease Deal Without Waiting For State Funds

 The Bengals would like to get a stadium lease deal finalized with Hamilton County sooner rather than later. Local 12's James Pilcher spoke with Duane Haring, the Bengals' director of stadium and event operations, who noted the team would welcome state funding for Paycor Stadium renovations but doesn't want to wait for those funds before striking a deal.

"An agreement between the Bengals and Hamilton County can be achieved now without waiting on what the state ultimately decides," Haring stated to Local 12.

The deadline to extend the current Paycor Stadium lease is June 30, all while the upcoming state budget gets finalized in the Ohio State Senate. That budget did not include any funding for the Bengals as of this week.

The final version of that budget is due to the governor on the same day the lease deadline arrives. Nothing on the stadium lease front has been finalized yet, but Pilcher noted things are close.

"Haring confirmed that the Bengals are committing $120 million towards the $830 million renovation cost," Pilcher wrote. "The team and county are reportedly close to agreeing on a 10-year lease, with potential extensions for another 10 years."

Cincinnati has played at Paycor Stadium for the better part of the entire 21st century.