GLENDALE, AZ — Frustration with the Arizona Cardinals is spilling beyond the football field and onto billboards across the Valley, as fans raise thousands of dollars to send a message to team owner Michael Bidwill: "Sell the Team."
The campaign comes after the Cardinals suffered a blowout loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, dropping their record to 1-4.
As of Thursday evening, fans had contributed more than $8,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to pay for the billboards, with organizers hoping to expand the effort.
Nathan Kropp, who runs the social media account "Mr. AZ Sports," organized the fundraiser after attending Sunday's game.
"I went to the game on Sunday, and it felt like the fan base has hit a breaking point," Kropp said.
Kropp said seeing large sections of Lions fans inside State Farm Stadium, along with mounting frustration on social media, inspired him to take action.
That's when he connected with Scott Harkey, a longtime Cardinals fan who helps run billboards and advertising campaigns in the Valley. Harkey agreed to help organize the campaign, providing his advertising services at no charge.
"I've always represented either the team or the brand, which is great. But to have an opportunity for your client to be the fans was something I just couldn't say no to," Harkey said.
While the Cardinals' struggles on the field helped spark the campaign, Kropp and Harkey say their concerns extend to how the franchise is operated. Despite four straight losing seasons leading up to 2026, many fans kept seeing their season ticket prices go up.
"It doesn't feel like there's ever anything for the fans," Kropp said. "I just feel like everything with the organization isn't about fans, it's just about profits."
He also says the billboards directly dispel the notion that Arizona doesn't have a passionate Cardinals fan base.
"I hear all the time we don't have Cardinals fans, we don't have fans. I beg to differ," Kropp said. "We just don't have fans who want to go to games anymore."
Despite the direct message calling for Bidwill to sell the team, Kropp said a change in ownership isn't necessarily the only outcome he would welcome.
"If he doesn't sell the team, at least give us a team president," Kropp said. "Give us somebody that can come in and make some changes."
Harkey said the campaign could expand beyond billboards to digital advertising as more donations come in.
"I guarantee the Cardinals and Mr. Bidwill will be thinking about this," Harkey said. "I guarantee he's going to see this."
ABC15 reached out to the Arizona Cardinals for comment on the billboard campaign but had not received a response as of Thursday evening.
