NFL owners today approved the relocation of the Raiders to Las Vegas by a 31-1 vote, with only the Dolphins dissenting (Owner Stephen Ross had previously expressed concern over the pace of relocations). Afterwards, NFL owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell said all the expected things about trying to work out a solution in Oakland and feeling bad for the fans, but clearly the lure of more than $750M in public financing in Vegas proved too much. “This will lead to a more stable franchise,” said Texans Owner Bob McNair, who chairs the NFL finance committee. Steelers President and stadium committee chair Art Rooney II cited the A’s presence on the Coliseum site as intractable. Goodell also cited this uncertainty.
The Raiders have options to play two more seasons in Oakland, and Owner Mark Davis said he would like to sign a third for '19, before finally moving to Vegas in '20. Davis cited an unexpected hike of the team’s rent last year as what spurred the team to consider other options. While the franchise plays in Oakland, the team name will stay the same, then will change to Las Vegas Raiders upon moving.
Making a media appearance after the vote, Rooney said the league appreciated efforts by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf to keep the Raiders in the Bay Area and to “try to put something on the table.” Rooney: “The presence of the baseball team on that site was a complication that they really couldn’t find a way to work around.” Davis added, “I just hope in the future as we play in Oakland this year that they understand it wasn’t the players, it wasn’t the coaches that made this decision. But it was me that made it, and if they have anybody to talk to about it, it should be me, and I will in the coming days try to explain to them what went into making this difficult decision.”
