WFAA NEWS 8:
The Mavericks and Stars have resolved their legal dispute and say both teams will remain at American Airlines Center through at least 2030-31.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars have reached an agreement resolving a yearslong legal battle over control of American Airlines Center.
“The Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars have reached an agreement that resolves the outstanding matters between the two organizations,” the groups said in a joint statement. The statement issued on Monday, Aug. 17, did not disclose the terms of the agreement or provide details about how the teams resolved the litigation.
The teams also confirmed American Airlines Center will continue to serve as the home of both franchises at least through the 2030-31 season. Both teams’ current leases at American Airlines Center expire in 2031.
Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert welcomed the announcement, calling the agreement an important step as the city looks toward the future of downtown Dallas and its sports and entertainment district.
“We are pleased to hear that an agreement has been reached,” Tolbert said in a statement. “As we plan for the future of downtown and our sports and entertainment district, this agreement is an important step, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with both organizations as we work to strengthen their long-term future in our city.”
In June, both the Mavericks and the Stars announced plans to move: The Stars to a new arena in Plano and the Mavericks to north Dallas at the site of the former Valley View Mall.
Longtime legal battle over American Airlines Center
The announcement comes after a judge with the Business Court of Texas ruled in favor of the Mavericks in May in a legal fight over control of the arena. The Stars appealed that decision.
The dispute dates back to an October 2025 lawsuit filed by the Mavericks, which claimed the Stars violated an agreement to jointly operate American Airlines Center. The Mavericks argued that violation made them the sole operators of the arena.
The Stars countersued, calling the Mavericks’ lawsuit “nothing short of a hostile takeover.”
The roots of the dispute stretched back even further.
In 1999, both teams agreed with the city of Dallas to jointly lease and operate the arena. According to the Mavericks’ lawsuit, the agreement required both teams to keep their corporate headquarters within Dallas city limits. Moving elsewhere could result in a team losing its right to operate the AAC.
The Stars relocated their headquarters and practice facility to Frisco in 2003, but the move did not become an issue between the teams until more than two decades later.
In 2024, the Mavericks attempted to buy out the Stars’ share by sending the organization $110 along with a letter outlining their claims. The Stars rejected the claim and returned the money.
The Mavericks later argued in their lawsuit that the Stars’ move to Frisco triggered the provision allowing the Mavericks to buy out the Stars’ ownership interest in the companies that operate the AAC.
The Stars countered that they had leased office space in Dallas in November 2024 and formally designated it as their principal business address, addressing any potential noncompliance. The Stars later claimed the Mavericks were actually headquartered in Las Vegas, which they argued would nullify the Mavericks’ rights to operate the arena.
Judge Bill Whitehill ultimately ruled the Stars had relocated from Dallas and that the Mavericks had the right to redeem the Stars’ “entire interests” in the company that operates American Airlines Center.
Whitehill also ruled that the Stars’ designated members were terminated from the company’s board of directors and that the Stars would take nothing on their counterclaims.
The Stars appealed the ruling.
Monday’s joint statement did not disclose the terms of the agreement or provide details about how the teams resolved the litigation. Both teams’ current leases at American Airlines Center expire in 2031. 
