The Green Bay Packers' Stock Went on Sale Nov. 16

The Green Bay Packers are offering the public a way to own part of their historic NFL franchise. The sports team is offering 300,000 shares from Nov. 16, 2021, until February 22, 2022, or until all shares are bought. The sports team is publicly owned but not publicly traded, so fans and investors alike are curious if the stock will be worth anything.

The Packers are the oldest team in the NFL, with a league record of 13 championships. So, the stock could be valuable from a historical perspective. The stock has been selling quickly, with more than 33,000 shares sold within the first three hours.

The football team states that it will use the money gained from the offering to help ongoing construction projects for the team’s home stadium, Lambeau Field. Among the projects are new video boards and upgrades to the concourse. Even if the team wanted to use the funds for other purposes, it couldn’t, as the NFL requires funds raised through fan-purchased stock to be used on stadium projects.

Lambeau Field, built in 1957 and used for NFL gameplay immediately, is one of the world's most recognized sports stadiums. It's currently the oldest stadium constructed for NFL use. Technically, the Chicago Bears' stadium, Soldier Field, is the NFL's oldest stadium, but the Bears didn’t start playing in the stadium until 1970 when the team moved from Wrigley’s Field.

The Packers aim to raise $90 million dollars, and with the 300,000 shares being offered at $300 each, that seems attainable. This isn’t the first time the football team has offered stock to fans publicly—it sold shares in 1923, 1935, 1950, 1997, and 2011. There are over 360,000 public shareholders from the public offerings that have occurred, representing over 5 million shares.

The stock doesn't pay dividends, nor can it count as a tax deduction when purchased. Packers stock isn't a traditional stock investment—it basically offers nothing but historical and sentimental value.

The stock can’t be bought or sold after the original purchase and can’t usually be transferred. There's no protection by the SEC for buyers of the stock, and being a stockholder gives you no say in anything but voting for the team’s board of directors.

Packers stock can be purchased on the team’s stock portal. The shares are $300 each, and there's also a handling fee. They can be purchased by credit or debit card, electronic bank transfer, or mailed check. Only U.S. citizens can purchase shares, and they can only be purchased individually.

The team doesn’t allow any public shareholder to hold more than 200 shares, including if the person bought shares in previous offerings. So, if you already have 150 shares from the last offering, you’ll only be able to purchase 50 this time. Upon purchasing stock, you'll receive a certificate authenticating your holdings in the team.