Texas Businessman Former Spurs and Vikings Owner Dead at 95

Red McCombs, the former owner of the Minnesota Vikings, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets has passed away at the age of 95 at his home in San Antonio.

“The entire McCombs family is heartbroken to announce that our father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Red McCombs passed away Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023," according to a statement from the family. “Red was a visionary entrepreneur who touched many lives and impacted our community in immeasurable ways,” the statement said. “But to us he was always, first and foremost, ‘Dad’ or ‘Poppop.’”

Born Billy Joe McCombs, he owned more than 400 businesses in his life starting with Red McCombs Automotive, a group of automobile dealerships in San Antonio, not to mention the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin was named after him.

He also established McCombs Energy in the oil and gas industry, had real estate and land development companies, and cattle ranches, and was also a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, which is now iHeart Communications, Inc.

He owned the San Antonio Spurs twice and between the two Spurs ownerships, he owned the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL and another NBA team, the Denver Nuggets.

The Vikings released a statement thanking him and offering condolences to his family.

“Red embodied his famous ‘Purple Pride’ phrase and remained a staunch Vikings fan,” according to the statement. “While Red had a clear passion for sports, it was evident what he loved the most were his children and grandchildren.”

McCombs was also the major reason that Formula One racing returned to the United States. He was one of the largest investors in the first purpose-built F1 racetrack in Austin, Circuit of the Americas, which has been the host of the U.S. Grand Prix since 2012.

McCombs was preceded in death by his wife Charline in 2019 and is survived by his daughters Lynda McCombs, Marsha Shields, and Connie McNab as well as 8 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.