Before the start of the 2016 season, the Rams, Chargers and Raiders were all in talks of finding a new home, or trying to renew their old one. Fast forward now where the city of Los Angeles now holds the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, but Oakland is going to say goodbye to the Raiders.
It’s official. The NFL owners voted today to agree to the relocation of the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas. Please welcome the Las Vegas Raiders.
Vote was 31-1
The approval was conditioned upon the Raiders getting a lease and finding a developer for the new stadium in Nevada. More news to come on that..
Following the vote, Commissioner Roger Goodell, Raiders owner Mark Davis, Texans owner Bob McNair, the chairman of the league’s finance committee, and Steelers President Art Rooney II, the chairman of the league’s stadium committee, will speak to the media. Which underscores the widespread expectation that there won’t be nine “no” votes in the room.
The move has been anticipated for months. The Raiders received about $750 million from Nevada taxpayers last year to build a stadium in Las Vegas, and team owner Mark Davis is putting up $500 million. Bank of America has committed to financing the rest.
The stadium, expected to cost $1.9 billion, would open in 2020. The Raiders would stay in Oakland in the meantime.
It would be the third NFL franchise move in recent years. The Rams moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, and the former San Diego Chargers will move to Los Angeles for the 2017 season.
The move would bolster efforts by Las Vegas to become a destination for professional sports. An NHL expansion franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights, will begin play next season. And Vegas has long been a host of big-name boxing bouts and UFC matches.
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