Exclusive: Cowboys extending lease with City of Arlington to 2055, mayor says
In a meeting with the Star-Telegram editorial board on Thursday, Arlington mayor Jim Ross announced that the city is finalizing a lease extension for the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium to 2055.
The original lease signed in 2009 was set to expire in 2039, but that has now been extended out by 16 years.
Here is the quote from Mayor Jim Ross to the Star-Telegram:
“A huge project that will hit the agenda next week is we’re extending the Cowboys’ lease here in Arlington to 2055. That is a phenomenal deal, because that means the small business around the entertainment district, and everybody else, has now 30 more years of having the Cowboys here in Tarrant County and the Cowboys here in Arlington. We are super stoked about what’s going on, and we have tremendous momentum.”
“We are always working with the city to make great things happen,” Dallas Cowboys senior vice president of communications Tad Carper said.
He declined to comment any further, citing respect for the review process that is still taking place regarding the extension plan.
Effectively, this extension gives AT&T Stadium a lifespan that will last at least 46 years, as long as the Cowboys decide not to tear down and rebuild on the same site. However, the stadium has stood up to the test of time over its first 17 years of existence and is still viewed as one of the marquee venues around the NFL and in the United States.
This summer, the venue will host nine matches in the FIFA World Cup, more than any other venue in the tournament. It has also hosted a Super Bowl in 2011, NBA All-Star Weekend in 2010, the NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2014, a College Football Playoff national championship game in 2015 and has become the permanent home of the Cotton Bowl since 2010.
In anticipation of the World Cup, the Cowboys made a nine-figure renovation to the stadium to upgrade suite areas and to enhance video boards. The facelift has allowed the venue to bring the high-dollar standard of newer stadiums around the league back to AT&T Stadium.
In the original lease signed in 2009, the Cowboys were required to pay monthly rent to the city in the amount of $166,666.67 for 360 months for a total of $60 million by the end of 2039. While the details of the new lease agreement are not yet known, the Cowboys would pay the city $92 million by the end of 2055 if the rent price remains the same. In August 2025, it was announced that the city paid off its portion of the debt ($325 million) associated with the construction of the $1.2 billion stadium 10 years early.
The venue is expected to become the longest-standing home stadium in Cowboys’ history after the 2046 season. Texas Stadium in Irving lasted 37 years for the franchise from 1971 to 2008.
This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 6:26 PM.
