A trial date has been set in the ongoing legal battle between the Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks over a contract breach and the future of American Airlines Center.
The Stars and Mavericks are scheduled for a jury trial on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, at 9 a.m. in Texas Business Court, according to legal filings. The two sides will also meet for a scheduling conference hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at 2:30 p.m. The case has been assigned to Judge Bill Whitehill, who is working out of the mock trial courtroom at SMU’s Dedman School of Law.
The Mavericks filed suit against their American Airlines Center co-tenant on Oct. 28, seeking legal finality on an alleged breach of contract dispute. The Stars filed a counterclaim hours later, seeking to restore normal operations at the arena.
The sides most recently met Monday when the Mavericks withdrew their demand for a temporary injunction that would have revoked the Stars’ joint control of American Airlines Center.
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The Mavericks told The Dallas Morning News in a statement that the decision followed an agreement by both teams to fund American Airlines Center employee bonuses.
“Those employee bonuses will now be funded — directly by the Mavericks ownership group,” the Mavericks’ statement said. “As such, the Mavericks withdrew an injunction request it had previously sought. Importantly, the Mavericks reserved their legal rights to continue to seek an injunction if the Stars’ misconduct warranted that.”
Both the Stars and Mavericks affirmed the case related to the Stars’ alleged contract breach remains unaffected and that the sides still intend to go to trial or reach a settlement to resolve their differences.
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The Mavericks alleged in a 253-page lawsuit that the Stars are “holding American Airlines Center hostage” and are in breach of a clause in their 1998 franchise agreement that requires their corporate headquarters to be located within the city of Dallas. The Stars’ headquarters and practice facility have been in Frisco since 2003.
The Mavericks sent the Stars a letter and $110 in cash last October alerting them of the breach and that the Mavericks would be taking over the Stars’ interest in Center Operating Company, the joint venture between the franchises that operates American Airlines Center.
For the past year, the Stars have not had access to their quarterly arena proceeds. The Stars say the amount is “in the tens of millions.” The Mavericks pointed out to The News that their arena distributions are frozen, as well.
Hours after the Mavericks’ filing, the Stars filed a counterclaim, alleging the Mavericks had no right to claim a breach of agreement — only the city could — and that the Mavericks cannot claim the Stars’ interest in Center Operating Company until a court of competent jurisdiction finds that the Stars breached certain obligations owed to the city.
The Mavericks first raised awareness of the agreement breach over a year ago, a few weeks before the team and the city of Dallas say the Stars backed out of a $300 million deal to renovate AAC, according to interviews and documents obtained by The News.
In the deal, according to the city and the Mavericks, the Stars agreed to remain in AAC through 2061 and would have paid no renovation costs, with the city and Mavericks footing the bill 50-50.
The Stars strongly deny they agreed to the deal and say had it gone through, the Mavericks and Stars would have shared half the renovation costs. The Stars maintain they agreed to a different deal that would extend the existing lease with both teams staying at AAC through 2035.
Days after last year’s deal collapsed, the Mavericks on Oct. 25, 2024, cited the breach of contract and seized the Stars’ half of AAC’s operating company.
The city of Dallas sided with the Mavericks, affirming the contract breach, both last October and in December, when city attorneys prepared a default letter to the Stars. Not explained is why apparently no one from the city noticed the Stars’ breach in 2003.
Both teams have asked the courts to help settle their differences, as the two parties will remain co-tenants until at least 2031. After the American Airlines Center lease expires, the Mavericks intend to move to a new basketball-only arena in Dallas. The Stars are still contemplating their next move but have expressed an interest to stay at AAC as its only tenant or pursue a move to the suburbs.
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