The state of Nevada and governor Brian Sandoval recently passed a bill approving the build of a $750 million stadium in Las Vegas with the presumption that the Oakland Raiders would relocate.
After the bill was passed the Raiders and owner Mark Davis released a statement saying that the new stadium will be the home of the Raiders in the future, although Davis later said that the team would remain in Oakland for at least two more seasons while the stadium is being built.
The mayor of Oakland Libby Schaaf did not help the cause as she said that the city’s preference is with baseball and the Athletics, as opposed to the Raiders.
Sandoval, on the other hand, is happy to have the Raiders in Nevada as he said that Las Vegas is ready to have an NFL team, via Josh Alper of NBC Sports:
“Las Vegas is ready for this. Nevada is ready for this,” Sandoval said, via the Associated Press. “The best brand on the planet is coming together with one of the best brands in professional sports. It is truly one of those situations where 1+1=3.”
The only remaining hurdle that the Raiders need to get past before moving to Las Vegas is that 23 of the 32 owners in the NFL need to approve the move.
If the owners do not approve the move Davis could take the case to court, so there is still a possibility the Raiders make the move without the approval of the NFL’s owners.
Davis also recently said that he is not using the new stadium in Las Vegas as leverage to get a new stadium to remain in Oakland, so it is almost a fact at this point that the Raiders will end up in Las Vegas.
