PHOENIX — The Arizona Cardinals confirmed on Thursday that they are restructuring the franchise's business operations, resulting in layoffs but also several new positions.
A team spokesman said less than 10 people were dismissed in the restructuring. ESPN and Bettingodds.com reported that chief financial officer Greg Lee and two team vice presidents were part of the layoffs.
The Cardinals said that they've also added 40 positions to the business side in recent weeks and will be adding more in the future.
The franchise, which is owned by Michael Bidwill, hired new chief operating officer Wesley Walls in August. Walls has spent the last five months doing a review of business operations and is now beginning to make changes, according to the team.
The majority of the team's business operations recently moved to new office space down the street from the team's practice facility in Tempe. The 30,000-square-foot space houses the team's non-football personnel, including finance, marketing and other departments.
The Cardinals say the 40 additional positions are part of a new sales and service team that focuses on the fan experience.
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Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
