Ownership of the Steelers to Dan Rooney and His Son Approved

Reports are coming out that as expected today the NFL owners have approved a plan that consolidates ownership of the Steelers in the hands of Dan Rooney and his oldest son while separating the football team from the family’s gambling interests.

Approval came as the owners met at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in just outside of Dallas. The vote was 31-0 with one abstention. It came two days after the NFL’s finance committee, via conference call, recommended approval.

Under the terms of the plan, Dan Rooney and Art Rooney II together will own a 30 percent interest in the team. The sale is expected to close on March 31.

Three new partners in the Steelers also were approved by NFL owners:

• James Haslam III, 54, of Knoxville, Tenn. He is the president of Pilot Travel Centers, operator of travel centers and truckstops. Pilot, based in Nashville, Tenn., also operates 40 convenience stories in the Knoxville, Tenn., area.

• Thomas Tull, 38, of Los Angeles. He is chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures, a film production company, which joined with Warner Bros, to co-produce and co-finance films such as The Dark Knight, 300 and Batman Begins.

• The Paul family, whose members include Donna and Robert Paul and their children Larry Paul, 44, Stephen Paul, 44 and Karen Zimmer, 39. The family’s operations are based in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles and include Ampco-Pittsburgh, a metal fabricator, TV and radio stations and cable and cell phone operations.

“We are obviously very pleased to be keeping the Steelers’ ownership within the Rooney family and are appreciative of our fellow NFL owners’ support,” Dan Rooney said. “Today’s vote ensures that the Rooney family will be associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL for a very long time.”