The New England Patriots and their ownership group have taken the town of Foxborough to court.
Kraft Sports & Entertainment and the New England Patriots filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Massachusetts town over nearly $1 million in security-related fees connected to the annual renewal of an entertainment license at Gillette Stadium, according to ESPN.
The filing marks a formal legal dispute between one of the NFL's most prominent franchises and the municipality where the team has played since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002. The entertainment license renewal is a routine process, but the security-related fees at the center of the lawsuit appear to have pushed the relationship into open conflict.
No further details about the specific breakdown of the fees or the timeline of the dispute were immediately available. The case puts the town of Foxborough in the unusual position of facing legal action from its most prominent tenant, a franchise that has won six Super Bowl championships.
Gillette Stadium hosts not only Patriots games but also concerts and other large-scale events throughout the year, which likely factor into the security cost calculations that led to the dispute. The outcome of the case could affect how entertainment venues and local governments negotiate license terms going forward.
