Eric Christian Smith / AP
Raiders owner Mark Davis watches teams warm up before the first half of an AFC Wild Card NFL game between the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Houston.
Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017 | 10:01 a.m.
As expected, the Oakland Raiders will follow through on their intentions to leave the Bay Area for Las Vegas and a new $1.9 billion stadium.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com is reporting this morning the Raiders will file relocation paperwork with the league, well ahead of the Feb. 15 deadline.
The move must be approved by 24 of the NFL’s 32 owners, but that doesn’t seem to be much of a hurdle with owners such as Dallas’ Jerry Jones and New England’s Robert Kraft repeatedly endorsing Mark Davis’ desire to bring his franchise here.
The vote is expected in March, Rapoport reports. Oakland would continue playing in Northern California on one-year lease agreements at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum. The 2020 season could be the first in Las Vegas.
Funding for the Las Vegas stadium is still being worked out. The state last fall passed legislation to contribute $750 million in public money for the facility, which would also house UNLV football.
That leaves the Raiders and Sheldon Adelson of Las Vegas Sands to finance the rest, with negotiations going public this week. The initial plan was for the Raiders to contribute $500 million and Adelson the remaining $650 million. They still haven’t come to terms, possibly because Adelson may want to purchase part of the team or seek a path to control it, according to Pro Football Talk.
Regardless, Davis is determined to come here and has said this week he’d find another investor to get the stadium built.
Here’s the complete story from NFL.com.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
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