The Las Vegas Raiders are set to begin training camp soon. The franchise has a large presence throughout Southern California, so the team will hold training camp in Costa Mesa, CA, at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex.
However, this return to Southern California for camp has gone basically unnoticed. Veterans are set to report on Tuesday, and the Raiders will be there for 18 days, but due to NFL policy, the franchise is not allowed to promote anything.
Because the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers hold exclusive rights within a 75-mile radius, the Raiders aren’t allowed to market in the Southern California area, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN:
No billboards. No newspaper ads or radio commercials. Las Vegas media can cover camp, but no invites for L.A. or Orange County media. Nor will practices be open to fans, though some VIPs, select season-ticket holders, sponsors and invited guests will be allowed into the Jack Hammett Sports Complex, about 40 miles south of SoFi Stadium.
Since permanently relocating from St. Louis and San Diego, respectively, the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers share territorial marketing rights to the area.
“Every club has an exclusive home territory extending 75 miles in all directions from the exterior corporate borders of the city for which it holds a franchise,” per league policy. “If another club holds its preseason training camp within that exclusive territory then it cannot be marketed locally.”
Raiders owner Mark Davis isn’t too happy with this and wishes fans could attend, but he is accepting of the policy:
“That’s where we’re having camp,” Raiders owner Mark Davis told ESPN, “but the Chargers and Rams have the ability to block us from [promoting.] It’s fine.”
Davis paused.
“It would be nice if all the fans could be there, but, whatever. Like I said, the Chargers and Rams have that ability.”
It is most unfortunate for the fans, many of whom would love to attend camp and garner an excellent experience that only training camp could provide. But ultimately, these are the rules of the NFL, and the Rams and Chargers are simply doing what they are allowed to do.
Raiders reveal new logo to commemorate franchise’s 65th season
This will be the Raiders’ 65th season in existence between the AFL and NFL and the franchise will be wearing a commemorative logo patch in honor of that. The logo features a shield with two swords going through it and the letters LXV across the middle.
The LXV in the middle of the shield represents 65 years of the Raiders’ existence in Roman numerals. The LX represents the 60 years the franchise spent in California, in Oakland and Los Angeles, while the V stands for the last five years the team has been in Las Vegas. The LV is silver over the black shield background, while the X is white.
