The Rome Emperors are expected to remain at AdventHealth Stadium for at least one more season after the Floyd County Commission approved a one-year lease extension during its regular meeting Tuesday night.
County Attorney Chris Jackson said the county has spent several months negotiating with Diamond Baseball Holdings, a New York-based company that owns more than 40 minor league teams. The new agreement updates parts of the previous contract, including responsibilities related to stadium upkeep and other operational matters.
Diamond Baseball Holdings bought the team from the Atlanta Braves organization in 2021. The franchise was renamed the Rome Emperors in 2023.
The original stadium agreement was signed in 2002 between Floyd County and the Atlanta Braves. It covered 18 seasons, beginning in 2003 and running through the end of the 2020 season. That contract included three optional four-year extensions that could have kept the team at the stadium through the 2032 season.
In 2011, the county and the Braves revised the deal, extending it through the 23rd season, which ended on Dec. 31, 2025. The updated agreement also included a five-year extension option. However, Diamond Baseball Holdings chose not to use that option, instead expressing interest in a shorter, one-year extension.
As part of the newly approved agreement, the team will now take over responsibility for field maintenance and stadium security. County officials said shifting those duties to the Emperors will help reduce the strain on county staff, whose maintenance crews are already operating with limited resource.
