Bills' new stadium deal resurfaces puzzling question: Why do owners get taxpayer money to build venues?

The Buffalo Bills are getting a shiny new stadium in upstate New York.

The state's taxpayers are picking up most of the $1.4 billion-dollar tab.

And as far as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is concerned, it's really just a hell of a deal.

In a Monday announcement, Hochul didn't focus so much on the $850 million in taxpayer funds that will be funneled to the Bills – which is believed to be the largest public contribution ever made to build an NFL football facility. Nor on the additional $280 million for maintenance and improvements, which will drive the public's total contribution north of $1 billion.

Instead, Hochul stressed the 10,000 temporary construction jobs that will be created, and claimed that the team's economic impact will cover "more than 100 percent" of taxpayers' investment.

"I’m really proud to negotiate such a good deal for the state and our many, many fans," Hochul told reporters.

The deal left some state lawmakers asking why Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula, who have an estimated net worth of $5.8 billion, couldn't just foot the bill themselves.

Why, many have wondered, do stadiums get any taxpayer money at all?

"Economists have had really a tough time explaining this," said Kennesaw State economics professor J.C. Bradbury, a critic of public stadium financing.

It's become a bizarre sort of cycle, he and other experts say. For decades, local and state governments have used taxpayer money to help build new sports stadiums for their hometown teams, often with the promise that those venues will have a major impact on the local economy. And for decades, experts have studied those arrangements and found those promised economic boons did not pan out.

Yet as the body of research grows, and that consensus strengthens, governments are not spending less money on stadiums, according to Bradbury.

As the cost of new stadiums goes up, they're actually spending more.

"I think it just goes to show that policy decisions don’t seem to be tied to actual knowledge," he continued.

The Bills' new stadium, for example, will be the 19th NFL venue constructed since 2000 and the eighth in a row with a price tag over $1 billion. Only three of those facilities– Gillette Stadium, MetLife Stadium and SoFi Stadium – have been built without any public funding, according to figures compiled by The Buffalo News.

The other 16 have received a combined $7.3 billion from taxpayers, when adjusted for inflation.

"A lot of it has to just do with politics, in the sense that somebody’s wanting to get reelected, no one ever wants to be the mayor that lost the team because they didn’t sign the funding package," said Nola Agha, a professor of sport management at the University of San Francisco.

Bradbury, who recently co-authored a paper comparing the findings of more than 120 studies on the issue dating back 30 years, said wealthy local business leaders often serve as the catalysts for these deals – the CEOs who are most likely to entertain clients in a brand-new luxury suite.

MORE: SoFi Stadium is multibillion dollar dream for three and nightmare for thousands

He also thinks there might be something to the celebrity effect, noting that the film industry also gets massive subsidies despite little evidence of economic benefit to the community – an allure that transcends geography and politics.

"Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on anything," Bradbury said, "except they love giving money to sports teams and movie stars."

Bradbury referenced the basic economic principle of opportunity cost – that municipalities directing hundreds of millions of dollars to sports stadiums could be "spending it on roads, spending it on schools, spending it on healthcare."

Agha said many people might not realize that the Bills already get about $13 million from taxpayers every year to maintain their current home, Highmark Stadium.

"It’s like saying the bakery down the street receives $100,000 a year from the city government, just so they can bake croissants every morning," Agha said. "And yet, that’s exactly what’s happening here."

Hochul, who grew up a Bills fan, would likely counter that the team's presence in upstate New York plays a key role in the fabric of the community. The deadline to finalize the New York state budget – which includes the public stadium funding – is set for Friday.

Bradbury said teams are building new stadiums about once every 27 years, and the Bills are just one of many NFL teams who could be on the move.

In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee has asked state lawmakers for $500 million in bonds for the Titans' stadium. In South Carolina, Panthers owner David Tepper paused construction earlier this month on an $800 million practice facility while awaiting financing from the local government. And Virginia has offered to kick in $350 million for the Washington Commanders to build a new stadium there.

"Municipalities seem to have just become accustomed to funding these stadiums," Bradbury said, "without thinking about whether it’s a good idea or not."

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL stadiums: Why do taxpayers continue to fund huge projects?