Jerry Jones Would Be 'Open' to Mark Cuban Joining Cowboys Ownership in Future If Team Sells Stakes

If Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ever decides to sell ownership shares to outside investors in the future—in the present, it isn't on the menu—it sounds as though he'd consider former Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban.

"That's exactly why if you're me, you would be open to that is because of the man," Jones told Calvin Watkins of the Dallas News regarding the possibility. "I have all the respect in the world for him and I know what he did for the Mavericks and what he's done for basketball. ... You want to associate with the highest quality of [a person] who loves the game and then also at the same time wants to do something about it. Mark leads the way in that."

As for Cuban, consider his interest piqued.

"I'm sure our Harbinger fund [Cuban's private equity fund] would be open to it," he told Watkins.

Private equity funds are currently permitted to purchase up to 10-percent stakes in NFL teams, though any purchase must be for at least a three-percent share. The Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers have already sold shares to private equity.

Doing so can provide organizations with an influx of immediate cash.

"It can only be at its full potential if it attracts capital," Jones told Watkins. "That's what you're seeing and the league made it possible for capital to come in. ... It's a very big positive. It's very positive for the quality of the games where you call it positive for our fans. And we'll just continue to improve what the NFL has been."

As for Cuban, he sold his majority stake in the Mavericks to Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont in 2023, though he now has seller's remorse.

"I don't regret selling," he said on the Intersections podcast in March (h/t ESPN's Tim MacMahon). "I regret who I sold to. I made a lot of mistakes in the process, and I'll leave it at that."

He maintains a minority stake in the Mavs, and the Harbinger Sports Partners holds a minority share in MLB's Athletics.