Arizona State Ends Talks With Cubs To Share New Spring Complex

It was going to be a great partnership. The Cubs and Arizona State University were going to share the Cubs' new spring-training complex, now under construction in Mesa, Arizona near the intersection of highways 101 and 202.

Talks bogged down, and Thursday we learned that ASU is pulling out of the proposed deal; the university issued this statement:

"After many months of negotiation, ASU regrets that the effort to have the ASU baseball team play in the new Cubs stadium in Mesa has failed.  The university approached the talks enthusiastically and readily accepted the deal as originally outlined.  But as the new Cubs management changed the original deal points and added new issues to the negotiation, the new terms became far too costly to the university, imposed too many restrictions on ASU’s use of the facility and exposed the university to too great a level of financial liability for the entire complex.  We wish to thank the City of Mesa, in particular, Mayor Scott Smith and his staff for the enormous effort the city made to bring the two sides together.  We also want to assure ASU baseball fans that the university will immediately start pursing other stadium options."

This doesn't make it sound like the Cubs offered ASU a very good deal. But, according to Arizona State, they'll move on to make another deal, possibly at Phoenix Municipal Stadium ... if the Athletics move out of there and into the Cubs' soon-to-be old spring home at HoHoKam Park.