Despite signing a lease to stay in Oakland for
the 2016 NFL season — and possibly beyond — the Raiders continue to
pursue a move to Las Vegas. A move to Sin City once seemed like a pipe
dream, and though it might not be likely, the idea of the Raiders
eventually making their home in Las Vegas is getting more and more
traction.
Shortly after the Raiders were passed over for
relocation to Los Angeles in favor of the Rams, the team signed a
one-year lease, which included two one-year options, to continue playing
at the Oakland Coliseum. But owner Mark Davis is still trying to find a
permanent home for the Raiders in the future.
“The Raiders will come if Nevada handles this properly,” Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman told ESPN Radios’ Capital Games podcast Tuesday.
“Mark Davis has assured us that Las Vegas is not getting played in a Raiders stadium deal. I know we will have a team.”
Davis wants a new venue for his team, and Las
Vegas seems eager to provide one. Meeting with the Southern Nevada
Tourism Infrastructure Committee on April 28, Davis offered $500 million
toward building a 65,000-seat stadium that would cost $1.4 billion in
total.
A plan for the domed venue has been in the
works for months. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has partnered with Majestic
Realty to pledge $150 million in the proposal, and $750 million would
have to come from the taxpayers. The stadium would not only host
Raiders’ games but also University of Nevada - Las Vegas football and
possibly a new Major League Soccer franchise.
The framework is there to make the Las Vegas
Raiders a reality, but several obstacles stand in the way of getting
something done.
First, there’s the matter of getting the $750
million in public funding. Davis and the Raiders haven’t agreed to
remain in Oakland for the long haul because local officials won’t give
them money for a new venue. Las Vegas could provide that money, but only
if the Nevada Legislature approves such a proposal. Those involved in
the process that want the Raiders to move to Las Vegas are hoping that
the deal is finalized at a special session in August.
Even if the Raiders get a deal done to build a
stadium in Las Vegas, the venue won’t be ready for a few years.
Construction hasn’t begun, and the Raiders might have to wait until 2020
to play in Las Vegas if everything falls into place.
Where will the Raiders play for the next three or four years?
Sam Boyd Stadium, where the UNLV Runnin'
Rebels currently play their home games, isn’t big enough to host 8
regular-season NFL games a year, seating no more than 40,000 fans. The
Raiders could stay at the Coliseum during the option years of their
contract in 2017 and 2018, but doing so when the team has already
announced it’s leaving for another city would be unprecedented. And that
would still leave 2019, when the Raiders’ new Las Vegas stadium might
not be complete.
After getting the city to approve the building
of a new, expensive stadium, as well as finding a venue to play in for
the next few years, the NFL still must agree to let the Raiders move to
Las Vegas. Oakland needs votes from 24 of the 32 league owners,
something that is far from a guarantee.
The NFL, as well as other professional sports
leagues, has been wary of putting a team in Las Vegas. The city is home
to a minor league baseball team but has never had a major professional
sports team.
With legalized gambling, leagues have been
fearful that a scandal could be just around the corner. The mere
appearance of wagers influencing a game's final results have made
leagues wary of a Las Vegas franchise.
“I think it would be a tough sell, but I don’t think it’s impossible,” one influential NFL owner told Gary Myers of the New York Daily News.
“If they put such a good deal in front of the Raiders, it has a chance
of getting support. I would prefer not to have the Raiders there. I
would prefer they stay where they are. Oakland is a great market, but if
there is no opportunity to put a stadium there, it would be hard to
blame them for moving. I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to it if it’s
the best alternative. If it’s between Las Vegas and being stuck in an
awful stadium, there is nowhere else to go.”
Perhaps the most influential owner has given
an unofficial vote of approval for putting a team in Las Vegas. Dallas
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was essential in getting the Rams to L.A., and
he could potentially play the same role with the Raiders and Las Vegas.
It’s unknown if the city would support an NFL
team, considering there are already so many other attractions, and Las
Vegas has never had a team from a Big Four sport. But ESPN’s Darren Rovell
notes that casinos would be eager to purchase luxury suites, and the
team could have a loyal fan base with no competition from other local
franchises.
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