Cleveland threatens to use ‘Modell Law’ to keep Browns from leaving city, playing in proposed dome

By TOM WITHERS The Associated Press

FILE - Cleveland Browns Stadium during an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Sue Ogrocki]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns’ push to move out of the city and play in a proposed domed stadium has encountered a new road block. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb sent a letter to owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, saying the city intends to invoke the “Modell Law” to prevent them from leaving the Browns’ current lakefront stadium. The lease expires in 2028. Bibb said he wants a response from the Browns by Jan. 9 and to comply or the city will “take appropriate legal action.”