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REV Entertainment, based in Arlington Texas, bought the Kane County Cougars from Dr. Bob Froehlich for an undisclosed amount.
Froehlich owned the minor league team for the past decade.
Forest Preserve Commission President Bill Lenert, R-Sugar Grove said the deal was finalized on Friday.
“The Forest Preserve is very excited about the new agreement with REV Entertainment. We feel it will benefit the Forest Preserve, REV Entertainment and also the communities,” Lentert said.
REV Entertainment will take on continuing the upgrades at the stadium, located at 34w002 Cherry Lane, Geneva, which is owned by the Forest Preserve District, Lenert said.
Froehlich’s contract with the Forest Preserve District was reassigned to REV Entertainment and extends to 2034, Lenert said.
Lenert confirmed that Froehlich was current on his $500,000 per year rent payments to the Forest Preserve District, which are now transferred to the new owner.
In 2023, the Cougars were in danger of having their 2024 season canceled due to unpaid licensing fees in 2021, eventually paying up the $321,000 in a settlement – a reduction of $179,000 of what was owed.
In a news release posted on its website, reventertainment.com, REV Entertainment President Sean Decker said, “We are honored to become the new stewards of the Kane County Cougars and look forward to continuing the team’s legacy in this incredible community.”
“Our vision is to build upon the Cougars’ rich tradition of fun family entertainment by enhancing the experience for their loyal fans and partners while ensuring the long-term success of professional baseball in Kane County,” Decker said in the release.
The Kane County Cougars franchise history dates to 1888, and the club has been a staple of the Chicago-area baseball scene for more than three decades since relocating to Kane County in 1991, according to the release.
The Cougars are a member of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. Kane County was a Single-A affiliate of six different MLB franchises as a member of the Midwest League from 1991 until 2020, before joining the American Association in 2021, according to the release.
REV Entertainment will be formally introduced Wednesday, April 2, at Northwestern Medicine Field as the new owners of the Kane County Cougars – with more details to come – according to the release.
“It has been a privilege and honor for my wife, Cheryl and I to have owned the Kane County Cougars for the past 10 plus years,” Froehlich said in a news release. “And we could not have done it without the incredible support, care, and dedication of this Cougars community over the years.”