Ohio isn't just weighing this move — it already made it, then courts put it on hold. The state's FY2026 budget, signed by Gov.
Mike DeWine on July 1, 2025, directs $600 million in unclaimed funds toward a new domed Cleveland Browns stadium in Brook Park, covering roughly a quarter of the project's $2.4 billion cost, according to Ohio Capital Journal. Unclaimed funds are money the state holds on behalf of owners who never collected it — old bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten security deposits. Ohio's plan to redirect a slice of that pool into sports facilities is currently frozen by a state-court injunction, even though the law authorizing it is still on the books.
Table of Contents
- What the budget actually authorizes
- Who else applied for a piece of the $400 million
- Why this went to court
- Where the money stands right now
- What this means if you have unclaimed money in Ohio
- Frequently Asked Questions
What the budget actually authorizes
The FY2026 budget caps any single stadium or arena grant at 25% of a project's construction or renovation cost. It also creates a separate $400 million pool — on top of the Browns' $600 million — for other qualifying sports and cultural facilities statewide, per Ohio Capital Journal. The money comes from unclaimed property that has sat untouched for at least 10 years as of January 1, 2026.
The law sweeps those older balances into a new fund, the Ohio Cultural and Sports Facility Performance Grant Fund, while pushing out the deadline for a rightful owner to reclaim transferred money to 2036, according to Ohio Capital Journal. That extended reclaim deadline matters most for readers checking whether old money is still theirs. If your name turns up in Ohio's unclaimed funds database and the balance has been sitting for a decade or more, this law does not erase your claim — it just changes which fund the money sits in and gives you until 2036 to ask for it back.
Who else applied for a piece of the $400 million
Twenty-two applicants sought a slice of the $400 million pool, requesting roughly $689 million combined — far more than the fund can cover. Hamilton County asked for over $234 million toward the Cincinnati Bengals' Paycor Stadium, and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Rocket Arena sought more than $40 million, according to WVXU/88.5 WYSU. By July 2026, the state's Office of Budget and Management had denied 8 of those 22 applications, leaving 14 still in contention, including the Bengals, Cavaliers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Cleveland Guardians, and FC Cincinnati, per Ohio Capital Journal.
- Browns stadium (Brook Park): $600 million, separate from the $400 million pool
- Bengals' Paycor Stadium: over $234 million requested
- Cavaliers' Rocket Arena: more than $40 million requested
- Remaining contenders as of July 2026: Blue Jackets, Guardians, FC Cincinnati, and others among the 14 still pending
Why this went to court
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost publicly urged DeWine to veto the stadium-funding provision before it became law, calling it poor policy to spend Ohioans' unclaimed money on privately owned sports facilities, according to Ohio Capital Journal. Former state Rep.
Jeff Crossman and former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann sued in Franklin County court, arguing that handing unclaimed funds to private stadium owners isn't a constitutional "public use" of the money. A federal judge, Edmund Sargus Jr., declined in December 2025 to block the transfer on federal grounds, which let the state begin moving money starting January 1, 2026, while the underlying federal case continued, according to WYSO. That federal ruling didn't settle the state-law question, which is where the case turned next.
Where the money stands right now
In March 2026, Franklin County Magistrate Jennifer Hunt issued a preliminary injunction halting the transfer, finding the plaintiffs were substantially likely to win their "not public use" claim. The Sixth Circuit rejected a related federal appeal the same week, reported by 88.5 WYSU. As of the most recent reporting in July 2026, none of the $1 billion has actually moved to any team.
The state-court injunction remains in effect while litigation continues, leaving both the Browns' $600 million and the $400 million pool on hold, according to Ohio Capital Journal. For anyone with unclaimed property in Ohio, this freeze is reassuring on one point: the money hasn't gone anywhere. The law's extended 2036 reclaim window still applies to any balance that eventually does get swept into the sports fund, so an owner's right to claim it doesn't disappear even if the transfer eventually resumes.
What this means if you have unclaimed money in Ohio
This fight is specifically about older, dormant balances — those untouched for 10+ years as of January 1, 2026. If you suspect you have unclaimed property in Ohio, the most useful step is checking the state's database directly rather than waiting to see how the litigation ends. Nothing about the pending litigation requires an owner to act faster than usual — the reclaim window is longer, not shorter, than it would otherwise be.
- Search Ohio's unclaimed funds database by name to see if a balance exists in your name
- Note the age of any balance — funds held under 10 years aren't part of this sports-facility fight at all
- If a balance is old enough to be affected, the 2036 reclaim deadline applies whether or not the stadium transfer ultimately proceeds
- Check back periodically, since the injunction could lift or the case could resolve while litigation continues
Frequently Asked Questions
Has any unclaimed money actually been transferred to the Browns or other teams yet?
No. As of July 2026, a Franklin County injunction keeps the entire transfer on hold, so none of the $1 billion has reached any team.
Does this law affect unclaimed funds held for less than 10 years?
No. Only balances unclaimed for at least 10 years as of January 1, 2026 are eligible to be swept into the sports facility fund.
If my old unclaimed money gets moved into the sports fund, can I still get it back?
Yes. The law extends the deadline for owners to reclaim transferred money to 2036.