- After 13 seasons (2007-19) as team president, Bidwill became owner following the 2019 passing of his father, Bill. Michael continues a tradition of Bidwill ownership of the Cardinals that dates back to his grandfather, Hall of Famer Charles Bidwill in 1933. After taking over as team president in 2007, Bidwill's leadership transformed the Cardinals both on and off the field.
- Over the last three years, that transformation has led to the significant and successful restructuring of both the football and business sides of the organization. That has included Bidwill's hiring of GM Monti Ossenfort and Head Coach Jonathan Gannon to lead the football operation and Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Walls to guide a revamped business structure.
- In the last two years, the transformation that Bidwill spearheaded has seen the team open new business offices and hire more than 100 new staff members, mostly in the areas of sales and service. After ranking third in the NFL in new season-ticket sales in 2024, the team has sold over 10,000 new season tickets in 2025, which is on pace to lead the league. That figure also represents the most season tickets sold during an off-season since State Farm Stadium opened in 2006.
- On the whole, Bidwill's most substantial accomplishment in his time leading the Cardinals is the creation of State Farm Stadium itself. The world-class venue has not only been critical for the franchise but has also resulted in over $6 billion in economic impact for the state of Arizona.
- In response to the devastating wildfires that broke out in Los Angeles County in January of 2025, Bidwill led a remarkable effort to have State Farm Stadium serve as host to the Rams for their Wild Card matchup vs. the Vikings. Despite a short turnaround, State Farm Stadium hosted a sellout crowd in the first postseason game in NFL history to be moved due to a natural disaster.
- In April of 2025 Bidwill was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, which honors athletes, coaches, administrators and others who have made exceptional contributions to sports in Arizona. Michael joined his late father, Bill, as one of six members of the Cardinals organization ever selected for the honor.
- In May of 2025 Bidwill was named the recipient of the McCain Institute's "In The Arena Award". According to the McCain Institute, the honor is given to an individual who reflects the ways in which the late Senator John McCain proudly modeled and espoused the philosophy set forth in Teddy Roosevelt's famous 1910 "Man in the Arena" speech praising those who have the courage and determination to get In The Arena and fight for a cause, rather than critiquing from the sidelines.
- Under Michael's direction in 2025, the organization launched Cardinals Premier Travel, a first-of-its-kind, elevated travel experience to give all fans the opportunity to see the team play on the road in unmatched comfort and convenience. The all-inclusive experience includes round-trip private air transportation aboard the team's wide-body Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, two-night hotel accommodations, in-city transportation, a pre-game tailgate experience, game tickets and an immediate return to Phoenix after the game, among many other perks.
- On February 12, 2023 State Farm Stadium hosted its third Super Bowl when a then-record 115.1 million viewers watched Super Bowl LVII. State Farm Stadium also hosted Super Bowls XLII (following 2007 season) and XLIX (following 2014 season).
- In addition to his role in helping Arizona land three Super Bowls, Michael was also instrumental in getting the 2015 Pro Bowl moved to State Farm Stadium; played a week before Super Bowl XLIX, the two events combined to deliver a record economic impact of $720 million to the region.
- Since State Farm Stadium opened in 2006 the Cardinals have sold out every non-pandemic game played at the venue.
- Bidwill also created the highly-successful Civics Matters Arizona community initiative which sends hundreds of high school students from across the state aboard the Cardinals team plane on an educational trip to Washington D.C. The fourth-annual Civics Matters Arizona trip took place in July of 2025 and saw 275 students visit the nation's capital where they were given a red coat tour of the U.S. Capitol and a private tour of the Supreme Court, where they met with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. They also met with elected representatives and experienced instructor-led visits to monuments, memorials, museums, and government institutions, providing them an opportunity to learn about civics in a way that is both educational and fun.
- Of the franchise's seven all-time postseason wins, five have come during Michael's tenure leading the organization. Arizona has played in 10 postseason contests over the last 18 seasons (2007-24), after having appeared in just seven total playoff games prior.
- Arizona has appeared in the NFC Championship Game twice since 2008 including a victory in the 2008 conference title game that led to the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance (Super Bowl XLIII).
Michael Bidwill practiced law for six years as a federal prosecutor but in 1996 returned to the team for which he had once been a ball boy. He represents his family's third generation of franchise leadership, following in the footsteps of grandfather Charles - a Pro Football Hall of Famer who purchased the team in 1933 - and his dad Bill, who handled day-to-day operations for decades.
CARDINALS LEADERSHIP: After initially serving as Vice President/General Counsel, Michael immediately transformed the franchise when he took over as team president in 2007. Since that time, the Cardinals have posted five double-digit win seasons (none in previous 20 years), including a franchise-record 13 victories in 2015. Of the Cardinals' seven postseason wins, five have come during Bidwill's tenure leading the franchise.
In 2021, Arizona posted an 11-6 record on its way to its fifth postseason berth under Michael's leadership. It marked the third time (13 in 2015; 11 in 2014) during Bidwill's tenure that the Cardinals won 11+ games in a season. The franchise had won 11+ games in a season just three times prior.
Over the last three years in particular, Bidwill has led a transformation involving highly-regarded additions on both the football and business sides of the organization. That effort has included his hiring of general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon to lead the football operation while bringing in Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Walls to guide a revamped business structure.
In the last two years, the re-making of the organization's front office has seen the team open new business offices and hire more than 100 new staff members, mostly in the areas of sales and service. After ranking third in the NFL in new season-ticket sales last year, the team has sold over 10,000 new season tickets in 2025, which is on pace to lead the league. That figure also represents the most season tickets sold during an off-season since State Farm Stadium opened in 2006.
Most recently, under Michael's direction, the organization launched Cardinals Premier Travel, a first-of-its-kind travel experience to give all fans the opportunity to see the team play on the road in unmatched comfort and convenience starting this season. Cardinals Premier Travel will make its debut with the Cardinals November 3rd Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The all-inclusive experience includes round-trip private air transportation aboard a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, hotel accommodations, transportation, a pre-game tailgate experience, game tickets and an immediate return to Phoenix after the game, among many other perks.
The Cardinals success under Bidwill has greatly elevated the team's profile both locally and nationally. Michael oversaw the team's appearance in the groundbreaking Amazon Original series 'All or Nothing: A Season with the Arizona Cardinals', which chronicled the 2015 Cardinals season from the NFL Draft through the NFC Championship game. Produced by NFL Films, the eight-episode series was awarded the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary in May of 2017. In February of 2018, the Cardinals launched 'Cardinals Flight Plan', a first-of-its-kind documentary series available on Facebook Watch and YouTube that takes fans behind the scenes at the team's offseason. The first seven seasons of 'Flight Plan' garnered over 21 million views between Facebook and YouTube.
IF YOU BUILD IT:Â Among Michael's most significant accomplishments with the Cardinals was leading the effort that led to the creation of State Farm Stadium. The venue has been an integral factor in the transformation of the Cardinals and a catalyst for the franchise's success. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that impacted sporting venues around the world, the team had sold out every game played since the opening of the iconic stadium that has welcomed millions of Cardinals fans. With fans back in attendance the last five seasons, Arizona sold out every game (regular season and preseason) at the venue during that span.
During the 2024 postseason, Bidwill led an effort that resulted in the Wild Card Playoff matchup between the L.A. Rams and Minnesota Vikings being played at State Farm Stadium in response to the devastating wildfires that broke out in Los Angeles County in January. On the Thursday of that week it was announced that the scheduled Monday game would be moved from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium. Despite the short turnaround, the venue hosted a sellout crowd of 64,515 as the Rams defeated the Vikings in the first postseason game in NFL history to be moved due to a natural disaster. Bidwill also arranged for the Cardinals team planes to transport the Rams players, staff and their families to Arizona in preparation for the game.
State Farm Stadium has also given Arizona the opportunity to host three Super Bowls in a 15-year span, something that would not have been possible previously. After hosting Super Bowl XLII in 2008, the stadium staged Super Bowl XLIX in 2015 and Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023. Super Bowl XLIX and surrounding events delivered an economic impact of $720 million, the highest for any Super Bowl on record and the largest for any special event in the state of Arizona.
In addition to those Super Bowls, State Farm Stadium also hosted the second-ever College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship Game in January of 2015 as well as the NCAA's Men's Basketball Final Four in both 2017 and 2024. The 2017 Final Four was the first since 1995 held west of Texas and capped an unprecedented run of major sporting events at the stadium. That grand slam (Super Bowl XLIX, 2015 Pro Bowl, CFP Championship, and Final Four) poured $1.3 billion into the Valley's economy according to a study completed by the Seidman Research Institute, W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
In the lead-up to Super Bowl LVII, State Farm Stadium underwent $150 million in improvements including parking infrastructure, a new outdoor dining and entertainment venue, state-of-the-art wi-fi, video boards, sound system upgrades and club-area enhancements.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ARIZONA AND GREATER PHOENIX:Â In addition to his prominent role with the Cardinals, Bidwill has established himself as one of the most influential leaders in the greater Phoenix business community where he has been a strong advocate for economic growth and development.
In 2025, he joined forces with former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema to establish Arizona's Business Roundtable and serves as Chairman of the advocacy group that connects 30 of the largest corporations and industries in the state.
He has also been a member of the Arizona Commerce Authority's Board of Directors since it was founded in 2011 and currently serves as Co-Chairman of the group. Since its inception, ACA has landed nearly 1,400 projects that have resulted in 328,207 jobs and $297.5 billion worth of capital investment.
From 2019-22, Bidwill was Chairman of the Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL), an organization composed of the region's top business and civic leaders. From 2008-10, Bidwill served back-to-back terms as Chairman of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC).
In June of 2022, in partnership with then-Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and State Farm, Bidwill spearheaded the first-ever "Civics Matters Arizona" trip which sent 241 Arizona students mostly from Title I schools and 30 of their teachers on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Washington, D.C. aboard the Cardinals team plane. "Civics Matters Arizona" returned the last three years in a partnership with Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and the Close Up Foundation. In 2025, Civics Matters Arizona sent 275 high school students selected by their teachers to Washington, D.C. The students participating in this year's Civics Matters Arizona trip represented 35 schools, 14 school districts, 9 cities, and 6 of the 15 counties across Arizona.
Under Bidwill's leadership, the Cardinals took a lead role in a number of initiatives to assist those in Arizona impacted during the COVID-19 outbreak. That March, the Cardinals made a $1 million founding donation to the Arizona Coronavirus Relief Fund and shortly thereafter, the team organized three major blood drives at State Farm Stadium to meet the dire need to replenish the Valley's dwindling blood supply. In early April of 2020, at the height of the outbreak when demand for assistance from food banks in Arizona more than doubled, the Cardinals joined State Farm to provide one million meals to five local food banks. To assist local businesses during the crisis, the Cardinals made a $100,000 donation to Local First Arizona, Arizona's Coronavirus Micro Grant Fund and also helped promote local restaurants through the Cards Carryout initiative. Through the Cards Carryout program, Cardinals players and staff joined fans in helping promote independent, locally-owned restaurants hit hard by the coronavirus crisis while also recognizing those working on the front lines of the pandemic.
Honors:Â In May of 2025, Bidwill was named the recipient of the McCain Institute's "In The Arena Award". The honor is given annually to "salute extraordinary, character-driven leaders who conspicuously and bravely fight to defend human rights, foster security and advance freedom through action." The award reflects the ways in which the late Senator John McCain proudly modeled the philosophy set forth in Teddy Roosevelt's famous 1910 "Man in the Arena" speech praising those who have the courage and determination to get In The Arena and fight for a cause, rather than critiquing from the sidelines.
In April of 2025, Bidwill was among eight individuals inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, which honors athletes, coaches, administrators and others who have made exceptional contributions to sports in Arizona. He became the sixth member of the Cardinals organization to be elected to the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, joining his late father, Bill Bidwill, WR Larry Fitzgerald, S Pat Tillman, S Adrian Wilson and QB Jake Plummer.
In January of 2019, Michael received the Paul Tagliabue Award from the Fritz Pollard Alliance for demonstrating integrity and leadership in the area of career development for minorities and advocating for diversity. In May of 2019, the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association named Bidwill its Honoree of the Year for his efforts to unify the tourism industry by convening industry leadership throughout the state to advance economic development and increase visitation.
In September of 2018, Bidwill was chosen as the Grand Marshal of the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl parade joining a notable list of Grand Marshals that includes Diamondbacks Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson, former Cardinals QB and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and former Suns/Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo.
In November of 2017, Bidwill returned to St. Louis where he was honored at the prestigious Musial Awards after stepping up to fund the city's high school football awards when the previous sponsor pulled out. In January of 2016, Bidwill and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey were inducted into the National Football Foundation (NFF) Hall of Fame for their roles in helping shape the economic future of the state. In March of 2016, Bidwill was chosen to serve as the Grand Marshal of the 33rd annual St. Patrick's Day parade, one of the most popular and longest running such events in Phoenix.
In May of 2015, Michael was presented with the esteemed Vision Award from the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau, an honor bestowed just three times previously: Phoenix mayors Skip Rimsza and Phil Gordon plus former Suns and Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo.
Bidwill received the 2014 Transformational Leader Award from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. In November of 2013, he received the "West Valley Regional Advancement Award" from Western Maricopa Coalition, which cited continued positive impact in that community. Bidwill was selected by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of its 25 "Most Admired CEO's" in 2010.
NFL LEADERSHIP: Within the National Football League, Bidwill's considerable influence is illustrated by his appointment to numerous and notable league committees, including two of the most prestigious – the Compensation Committee as well as the Management Council Executive Committee that represents the league in labor discussions with the NFLPA. He also chairs the league's Security and Conduct Committee and serves on four others: Business Ventures, Social Justice, Health and Safety, and Diversity.
BACKGROUND: Bidwill earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from St. Louis University in 1987 and in 1990 earned a law degree from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In May of 2015 – 25 years after his own graduation from the school – Michael delivered the commencement address at Catholic University's School of Law and was also awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
A flying enthusiast and licensed pilot since he was a teenager, Bidwill regularly flies himself to road games as well as other team and league business. In 2020, the Cardinals became the second NFL franchise with its own aircraft following the team's purchase of a Boeing 777-200ER wide body jet.
Michael is an emeritus member of the board for the Pat Tillman Foundation, which carries on the legacy of the former Cardinals safety killed in Afghanistan in 2004. Bidwill has also previously served as a member of the Air Force Chief of Staff Civic Leader Program whose membership "comprises respected community leaders (who) provide ideas and feedback to advise the secretary of the Air Force, the Air Force chief of staff and Air Force senior leaders."
