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Gayle Benson's New Orleans Saints are worth almost 30 times what her late husband, Tom Benson, paid for the team 33 years ago.

The Saints are now worth $2.075 billion, according to Forbes' annual study of NFL franchise valuations. On June 3, 1985, Tom Benson paid $70 million for the club. Gayle Benson inherited the club after Benson died in March.

The valuation represents a 4 percent increase from 2017, when the Saints were valued at $2 billion, and moves the Saints ahead of the Tennessee Titans to 26th in the rankings list of NFL teams.

The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable team in the NFL at $5 billion. The New England Patriots are second at $3.78 billion.

The Saints have one of the most team-friendly lease agreements in the NFL, according to Forbes. The Saints pay no rent at the Superdome, which is owned and operated by the State of Louisiana. Last year the state paid a total of $18 million to the Saints, excluding the rental property owned by the Benson family, the report said.



The Saints' annual revenue has increased by 64 percent over the past decade from $232 million in 2009 to $413 million, easily outpacing the 34 percent rise in player expenses ($200 million in 2018) during the same span, the study found.

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Rugby Saint II

Rita's rich!!! Now maybe she can cut concessions costs.