Shareholders with the Syracuse Chiefs have approved the sale of the team to the New York Mets organization.

That vote came late Friday afternoon during a special meeting of the Chiefs' board of directors.

The Mets announced in September they planned to pay $18 million for the Chiefs franchise. The Chiefs were one of the few remaining publicly owned professional sports teams in the nation.

Shareholders will be paid $1,400 per share.

The Mets have agreed to operate the Chiefs through at least the 2025 season. That's also when the current stadium lease at NBT Bank Stadium will expire.

In addition to the shareholders, Major League Baseball and Onondaga County officials still need to approve the sale.