The Oakland Raiders have done more than just 'mull over' a move from Oakland to a new location, and representatives from Los Angeles and San Antonio have been seriously trying to bring the team to their cities.
The Raiders' lease at Oakland-Alameda County (O.co) Coliseum expires after the 2015 season, and Raiders owner Mark Davis has made it known that he is open to considering other locations for the team. Under previous owner Al Davis, Mark's father, the Raiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles, only to return to Oakland.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, there hasn't been any progress in talks between the Oakland Raiders and the City of Oakland in recent weeks, according to multiple league and city sources. It appears that Davis is stepping up his efforts to find a new stadium elsewhere, and it appears he has the NFL's support, according to league sources.
Davis said he has no plans to ask for an extension to play in Oakland's aging coliseum, and has recently met with people in San Antonio and Los Angeles about moving the team. To stay in Oakland, the Raiders have also said the team wants to bulldoze Oakland's O.co Coliseum to build a new stadium at the current site as part of the Coliseum City project, which would include a hotel, offices and housing.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently brought up the idea of the Raiders renting the field at the 49ers' new stadium in Santa Clara, but Davis is opposed to that idea, too.
According to the San Antonio Express News, when Raiders representatives including Davis met with Henry Cisneros, Mayor Julián Castro, City Manager Sheryl Sculley, Mario Hernandez of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, and both Richard Perez and David McGee, the president and chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce on July 18, city officials had been 'quietly and feverishly' preparing for the Raider's arrival. They had prepared an NFL relocation study and war-gamed a potential move by the NFL team to San Antonio. Documents obtained Tuesday by the San Antonio Express-News show a much more concerted effort to attract the Raiders than previously disclosed.
At a recent practice in Oxnard near Los Angeles, Chants and signs of 'bring back the silver and black' rang out in the crowds who came to watch. When the Raiders scrimmaged the Cowboys, even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones got in on making the case for the Raiders to choose Los Angeles over San Antonio, if Davis decided to move the team.
Jones was a close friend of Al Davis, and seems to hold sway in Mark's decision making, according to past remarks by Davis, who calls Jones a mentor.
Los Angeles Dodgers Co-Owner, and Laker legend Magic Johnson told ESPN that he believes Los Angeles is ready to bring back the NFL, too.
"I think for the first time, I truly believe we're going to get a team. Finally," Johnson said. "Everybody is on board. The city is on board. The business community is on board. The NFL is on board. Finally we have momentum. In the next couple years, at least in the next 24 months, I think one team will be coming. I don't know what team that will be, but I believe in the next two years we'll have a team."
Los Angeles is said to have multiple stadium plans in the works that could house a new NFL franchise.
