The Raiders are Relocating to Las Vegas


It’s official: The Oakland Raiders will relocate to Las Vegas.

NFL team owners approved the team’s relocation proposal at the Annual League Meeting on Monday.

Here’s a timeline of the notable events leading up to the NFL’s decision to greenlight the Raiders‘ move to Las Vegas:

Nov. 18, 2009: Raiders announce agreement to stadium lease with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority that runs through the end of the 2012 season. Oakland City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente tells the Associated Press the agreement gives the city time to work out a long-term plan to keep the Raiders in Oakland.

August 26, 2011: Raiders executive Amy Trask tells The Mercury News the team has had discussions with the 49ers about the possibility of sharing their soon-to-be constructed stadium in Santa Clara, California.

July 15, 2013: A team-commissioned study by the Raiders finds enough demand in Oakland for a 56,500-seat stadium. The team states a new stadium would cost roughly $800 million.

Nov. 25, 2013: Raiders agree to a short-term lease to remain at O.co Coliseum through the 2014 season.

July 29, 2014: Raiders owner Mark Davis confirms reports he talked to San Antonio officials about possibly moving the team to the Texas city.

Feb. 20, 2015: The Raiders and San Diego Chargers announce plans for a joint stadium project in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson. The $1.7 billion stadium proposal comes a little more than a month after Rams owner Stan Kroenke announced his plan to build an 80,000-seat stadium in nearby Inglewood.

March 6, 2015: Raiders finalize a one-year lease extension to stay at O.co Coliseum.

March 9, 2015: Anschutz Entertainment Group abandons efforts to build a proposed NFL stadium in downtown L.A. The Raiders were among the teams courted by AEG.

April 21, 2015: The Carson city council unanimously approves the Raiders-Chargers stadium plan after more than 15,000 petition signatures in support of the project are collected.

May 19, 2015: The land deal to acquire 157 acres at the proposed stadium site is completed between Raiders, Chargers and Carson city officials. Mark Davis tells reporters at the Spring League Meeting he’s not interested in sharing Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara with the 49ers or potentially moving to St. Louis if the Rams left.

May 26, 2015: Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tells the San Francisco Chronicle she doesn’t support the use of public tax dollars to fund a new stadium for the Raiders.

Oct. 30, 2015: During an NFL-sponsored town hall meeting in Oakland attended by league officials and fans, Raiders owner Mark Davis reiterates he is committed to finding a stadium solution in the city.

Jan. 4, 2016: The Raiders, Rams and Chargers file relocation proposal paperwork with the NFL detailing their plans to move to Los Angeles.

Jan. 12, 2016: At the Winter League Meeting, the NFL’s relocation committee votes to support the Raiders-Chargers stadium project in Carson. However, later in the day, NFL owners vote 30-2 to approve the St. Louis Rams‘ relocation proposal to return to L.A. They give the Chargers until Jan. 15, 2017 to decide if they will move to L.A. to eventually play in Inglewood with the Rams. They give the Raiders the option to join the Rams if the Chargers decline.

Jan. 14, 2016: San Antonio businessman and former Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs states he’s willing to help the Raiders relocate to the city.

Jan. 29, 2016: Mark Davis meets with casino mogul and Las Vegas Sands Corp. president Sheldon Adelson to discuss potential move to Las Vegas to play in a proposed, $1.7 billion domed stadium, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Feb. 5, 2016: Mark Davis tells reporters that he doesn’t think sharing Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara with the 49ers would be a good fit for his team and its fan base.

Feb. 11, 2016: Raiders sign another one-year O.co Coliseum lease.

April 28, 2016: Speaking before the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee, Mark Davis announces his desire to move the Raiders to Las Vegas and pledges $500 million toward the construction of a stadium. “We’re not using Las Vegas as a bargaining chip. I would never do that. This is real,” he says.

May 11, 2016: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones tells ESPN he believes an NFL team can be successful in Las Vegas.

May 20, 2016: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft voices his support for a potential Raiders move to Las Vegas in an interview with USA Today. “I think it would be good for the NFL. I know Mark Davis has tried so hard in Oakland I want to support him,” Kraft says.

May 24, 2016: At the Spring League Meeting, Mark Davis tells reporters, “I’ve given my commitment to Las Vegas and if they can come through with what they’re talking about doing, then we’ll go to Las Vegas.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says it’s “premature” to speculate on any potential Las Vegas move for the team.

Aug. 20, 2016: Raiders file trademark for “Las Vegas Raiders,” according to report by Forbes.

Aug. 25, 2016: The location for the proposed Las Vegas stadium located near the famed strip is finalized by the Raiders, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and developers.

Sept. 15, 2016: The Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee unanimously approves the proposed $1.7 billion stadium plan and sends it to Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval for review. The financial breakdown of the plan includes a proposed $750 million in public funding that would be raised through an increased hotel occupancy tax. The Raiders and NFL would provide $500 million and additional funding would come from Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs.

Sept. 18, 2016: Roger Goodell tells the Associated Press “there’s still a lot of work to be done” regarding potential relocation plans involving the Raiders. He expresses hope a stadium solution can be found in Oakland.

Sept. 25, 2016: In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jerry Jones believes Nevada lawmakers must be “aggressive” in their efforts to build a stadium in order to land the Raiders.

Oct. 14, 2016: The Nevada Senate and Assembly pass a bill approving the public financing of the proposed 65,000-seat domed stadium. The Assembly votes 28-13 and the Senate votes 16-5 in favor of the project after making some minor changes to the bill.

Oct. 17, 2016: Gov. Brian Sandoval signs Senate Bill 1 to approve public funding for the project. The measure raises hotel taxes by up to 1.4 percent to fund the stadium and a convention center expansion.

Oct. 27, 2016: Sheldon Adelson hints he could withdraw his financial support for the Las Vegas stadium in comments to Reuters. An Adelson spokesman downplays the comments and says the Las Vegas Sands Corp. CEO is “not even close” to walking away from the project.

Nov. 30, 2016: An investment group led by former NFL players Ronnie Lott and Rodney Peete in partnership with Fortress Management Group pledges $600 million to build a stadium near the Oakland Coliseum, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The Raiders are not associated with the proposal.

Dec. 13, 2016: Oakland and Alameda County officials vote to enter negotiations with Ronnie Lott’s investment group on a proposed $1.3 billion stadium project. A total of $350 million in public funds are earmarked for the plan. Lott’s group would contribute $400 million and the Raiders and the NFL would give $500 million. The Raiders are not part of the negotiations.

Dec. 14, 2016: At the Winter League Meeting, Roger Goodell says the NFL hasn’t made “great progress” in its efforts to keep the Chargers and Raiders from relocating. “I think there are some real strengths to the Las Vegas market … and there’s a growth to the market,” Goodell says.

Jan. 11, 2017: Mark Davis updates the NFL’s stadium and finance committees on his team’s progress toward potentially moving to Las Vegas.

Jan. 12, 2017: Chargers announce their decision to relocate from San Diego to L.A. The Raiders no longer have a league-approved potential option to relocate to L.A.

Jan. 19, 2017: The Raiders file their Las Vegas relocation proposal paperwork with the NFL.

Jan. 30, 2017: Sheldon Adelson announces he and his family “will no longer be involved in any facet” of the Las Vegas stadium plan. In a statement, Adelson says he and his family were surprised to learn they were excluded from the proposed lease agreement presented to the Las Vegas Stadium Authority.

Jan 31, 2017: Goldman Sachs withdraws its financial support for the stadium. The company’s commitment reportedly was contingent upon Sheldon Adelson remaining an investor.

March 6, 2017: Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf makes a presentation before the NFL’s joint stadium and finance committees that outlines the city’s plan to keep the Raiders.

March 7, 2017: NFL Executive Vice President Eric Grubman confirms to NFL.com that the Raiders presented a new stadium financing plan that includes funding from Bank of America. The project is once again fully financed, Grubman says.

March 22, 2017: NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports there is a “positive outlook” regarding NFL owners approving the Raiders‘ relocation proposal at either the Annual League Meeting or the Spring League Meeting in May. Rapoport also reports the relocation fee for the Raiders is expected to be in the $350-$375 million range.

March 24, 2017: Oakland and Alameda County officials submit a final plan for a stadium proposal that includes backing from Ronnie Lott’s investment group through a partnership with Fortress Management Group. “We’re not giving up in the fourth quarter,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf writes in a statement. Responding to Schaaf, Roger Goodell writes in a letter, “the information sent today does not present a proposal that is clear and specific, actionable in a reasonable timeframe, and free of major contingencies.” He adds: “All of these efforts, ours and yours, have not yet identified a viable solution.”

March 27, 2017: At the Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, NFL owners vote 31-1 in favor of approving the Raiders‘ relocation proposal to move to Las Vegas.

Timeline provided by the NFL.


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