Foley Entertainment Group Announces VGK Founder Bill Foley’s Bid to Bring NBA Franchise to Las Vegas

Morgan Stanley Appointed as Exclusive Financial Advisor

LAS VEGAS, June 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Foley Entertainment Group (FEG) confirmed today that Chairman William P. (Bill) Foley II, founder and majority owner of National Hockey League (NHL) team Vegas Golden Knights (VGK), is pursuing the award of a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for Las Vegas. Foley has retained Morgan Stanley & Co, LLC as his exclusive financial advisor, in his effort to structure an ownership platform built around Mr. Foley’s existing Southern Nevada sports holdings, as well as Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP to advise on the effort.

Foley intends to build the franchise on the foundation already in place in Las Vegas: majority ownership and control of the Vegas Golden Knights, the 2023 Stanley Cup champions; and venue rights at T-Mobile Arena. Foley’s sports ventures began when he founded VGK, the first major-league professional sports team in Las Vegas’ history and the fastest expansion team in NHL history to reach 300 wins. Under Foley’s nine-year stewardship, VGK has captured more postseason series victories than any other club, reaching the postseason eight times, winning five Pacific Division titles, reaching the Conference Final five times, and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final three times.

"Las Vegas has earned its place among the great sports cities in America, and an NBA team belongs here," said Mr. Foley. "We built the Golden Knights into a championship organization in a world-renowned arena from the ground up, and we are prepared to do it again for the NBA – with the same standard, the same commitment to this community, and the same insistence on winning,”

Foley’s success in Las Vegas led to the acquisition of additional Nevada sports properties, including the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League and the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League. Expanding globally, Foley founded the Black Knight Football Club (BKFC), leading the 100% acquisition of AFC Bournemouth in the English Premier League and FC Lorient in the French Ligue 1, as well as an 82% ownership stake in Auckland FC in the Australian and New Zealand A-League. BKFC also has ownership interests in Portugal’s Primeira Liga club Moreirense Futebol and Croatia’s HNK Rijeka.

Foley’s financial career started when he purchased Fidelity National Financial and built it into the nation’s largest title insurance company. In 1996, Foley founded Foley Family Wines & Spirits and grew it into a portfolio of more than 30 wine and spirits brands such as Chalk Hill Estate Winery, Chateau St. Jean, Ferrari-Carano, and Silverado Vineyards in California, as well as Minden Mill Distillery in Nevada. Foley’s collection of hospitality properties now includes luxury hotels in California and Oregon, in addition to the Rock Creek Cattle Company ranch and golf course and Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort in Montana. Foley’s Glacier Restaurant Group is the largest restaurant group in Whitefish, Montana.

Mr. Foley expects the group to include a limited number of strategic and minority partners, selected for alignment with the franchise's long-term vision and fit under league ownership policy. The proposed platform also includes a dedicated NBA practice and player-health campus anchored by an integrated medical partner, as well as the integration of media, sponsorship, and premium-experience programs across the combined sports enterprise.

About Foley Entertainment Group
The Foley Entertainment Group is committed to providing five-star service and experiences to its fans, guests, customers and clients. Established by Bill Foley in 2021, FEG operates the Foley Family’s growing portfolio of entertainment properties, which is highlighted by the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League; AFC Bournemouth of the English Premier League; the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League; Auckland FC of the Auckland A-League; two community hockey facilities; the 6,000 seat Dollar Loan Center venue in Henderson, Nevada; the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation; Liora Estate and Maréla in Healdsburg, California; Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, California; Hotel Californian and Blackbird restaurant in Santa Barbara, California; Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort in Whitefish, Montana; Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard in Dundee, Oregon; Wharekauhau Country Estate in Palliser Bay, New Zealand; a number of other assets; and any future acquisitions. For more information, please visit www.foleyentertainmentgroup.com.

Media Contact
Bryan Harper, Chief Marketing Officer of the Vegas Golden Knights
bharper@vegasgoldenknights.com

Bill Foley with Las Vegas Golden Knights

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