Michael Bidwill

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Bidwill grew up the second of five children in his family, and is the third generation of his family to own the Cardinals. His grandfather, Charles Bidwill, bought the Cardinals in 1933, while they were still in Chicago. When Charles died in 1947, his widow, Violet, inherited the team, moving it to St. Louis in 1960. Upon Violet's death, ownership passed to father Bill and uncle Charles Bidwill Jr., with Bill becoming sole owner in 1971. Only the Chicago Bears (owned by the Halas-McCaskey family since 1921) and New York Giants (owned by the Mara family since their founding in 1925) have been in the hands of a single family longer than the Cardinals.

In Their Own Story

In the late 1980s, Michael faced a critical challenge: Sun Devil Stadium could not fill its seats. He argued publicly that fans would respond to a better environment and that the franchise needed new revenue streams to compete. This vision materialized in 2006 with the opening of University of Phoenix Stadium (now State Farm Stadium). The results were immediate and stark; the team sold out all 100 games played there since opening, compared to just 12 sellouts in 18 seasons at Sun Devil Stadium. On-field performance mirrored this stability: in the first nine seasons at the new stadium, the Cardinals won their division three times, earned three playoff berths, and finished .500 or better six times. This stood in sharp contrast to their previous 18 years in Arizona (1988–2006), where they managed only two seasons with a winning record. In 2007, Bill Bidwill formally named Michael team president, ceding most day-to-day control and making him the operating head of the franchise.

Reader's Guide

Bidwill began to enjoy American football when he visited the Cardinals' training camp for the first time in 1969. In 1974, his father, Bill, made him one of the team's ball boys including his brothers William Jr., Patrick, and Tim. Michael Bidwill attended Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, Maryland and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Saint Louis University in 1987 where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. Later, he received his Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in 1990. Bidwill followed the Cardinals to Phoenix in 1988. From 1990 to 1996, he was a federal prosecutor in Phoenix. In 1996, he worked for Bob Dole's presidential campaign.

Did You Know?

• Bidwill is only the sixth principal owner in franchise history; the Cardinals were founded in 1898 in Chicago as an independent team and were a charter member of the NFL in 1920.
• In 2007, Bill Bidwill named Michael as team president and ceded most day-to-day control over the Cardinals to Michael.
• The Cardinals have not sold out every game at State Farm Stadium since it opened in 2006; some games were not officially sold out.
• Bidwill served as Chairman of Greater Phoenix Economic Council from 2008 to 2010.