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SEATTLE — Eight months ago, it dawned on Vinod Khosla and his son, Neal, that Lumen Field stands a cut above.
The duo attended the Seattle Seahawks’ 41-6 playoff win over San Francisco in January as 49ers fans, donning attire in support of the losing squad. It was their first game at Lumen Field.
At the time, the Khosla family owned a minority stake in the 49ers, which they will soon sell as part of their agreement to buy the Seahawks. Two weeks ago, NFL owners voted unanimously to approve the sale of the Seattle Seahawks to Vinod and his wife, Neeru.
Deep in the fourth quarter of that playoff game, with Seattle comfortably leading by five touchdowns, the Seahawks’ “12s” kept rocking, leaving quite an impression in the process.
“It’s a 30-point game in the fourth quarter, and you see how special the fanbase is,” Neal said Wednesday during a news conference at Lumen Field ahead of Seattle’s season opener against the New England Patriots. “I think we walked away going, ‘Oh my God, this is built different.’ And so, that was kind of the first cue to tell us that this franchise, I think, has something really special in how it’s connected to the community.”
Now, Neal and the rest of the Khoslas have inserted themselves into that community as the fourth ownership group in franchise history. They are already well on their way to winning over the fanbase, thanks to Neal’s announcement that the Seahawks will roll out their ’90s-era, throwback white uniforms in 2027.
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It will inevitably be a different ownership style than what Seahawks fans became accustomed to when the Paul G. Allen estate operated the team. Allen’s sister, Jody, had operated the team since Paul died in 2018, and both were known for their laissez-faire approach and infrequent public appearances.
On July 11, the Seahawks announced the Paul G. Allen estate had reached an agreement with the Khoslas to sell the franchise for an NFL-record $9.612 billion.
Vinod took to social media shortly after the sale was approved to defend his Pittsburgh Steelers fandom — he had raised eyebrows during his introductory news conference when he revealed he’s been a Steelers fan, and remains one, since arriving in the U.S. in 1976.
On Wednesday, Vinod, who is considered one of the more influential innovators and venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, said he will continue to be active on social media.
“I’m not spending an hour a day on social media. It’s mostly on weekends,” Vinod said. “But I will continue to engage and continue to speak out on important issues. I have a very direct style.”
The Khoslas will also keep living in the Bay Area rather than relocate to Seattle; Vinod has resided in the same house with Neeru since 1986, and Neal went to college close by at Stanford.
In terms of ownership style, the Khoslas hope to operate similarly to how the Allens did. Vinod doesn’t expect he and his family will make many changes and will instead defer to general manager John Schneider, coach Mike Macdonald and the rest of the Seahawks brass.
The “close-knit family,” as Vinod put it, will also operate relatively interchangeably as owners. Neeru will be more involved in community outreach, while Vinod (chair of the Seahawks) and Neal (vice chair) will focus on day-to-day operations.
Titles and responsibilities aside, the Khoslas don’t intend to tinker with much.
“How lucky is it? How often do you get to buy a team that just won the Super Bowl?” Vinod said. “So, the best thing we can do is not mess with a lot.”
Outside of Seattle’s recent success, which includes two Super Bowl championships in the last 13 years, Vinod said he was attracted to the city by way of connections in the tech industry. When the team went up for sale in February, Vinod and his wife became very excited about the prospect of owning the team.
Neal, who grew up a 49ers fan, put it bluntly when he and his father were asked why the family was so intrigued by the Seahawks in particular.
“It’s the best sport in the world, and it’s the best fanbase in the sport, and in the world,” Neal said. “Like, (it’s) that simple.”
Vinod also used the word “simple” to describe the task ahead: becoming the ninth franchise in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
The Khoslas recognize they have big shoes to fill, especially considering the Allen family helped keep the Seahawks in Seattle. The team’s previous owner, Ken Behring, nearly moved the Seahawks to Southern California in 1996 before Allen stepped in.
Vinod also highlighted the Nordstrom family, which owned the Seahawks for their first 12 years, alongside the Allens when discussing his family’s responsibility to the city of Seattle as owners.
Attending that Seahawks-49ers playoff game in January gave Vinod a better understanding of what the team means to its fans, and he hopes the Khoslas can be stewards in the same way the Nordstroms and Allens were.
“That game really brought home to us the power of the 12 brand,” Vinod said. “Literally, how passionate a fanbase it is. I never realized how popular a brand the 12s are, and so, that’s very exciting.”
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