Oakland Officials Will Present Raiders Stadium Proposal At NFL Meeting
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Oakland officials will travel to New York next week to make a presentation to the National Football League about their plan for building a new football stadium that would keep the Raiders football team in Oakland, city and NFL officials said.
The context for the Nov. 11 meeting is that Raiders owner Mark Davis is actively exploring the possibility of moving the team to Carson, a Los Angeles suburb, where the team might share a new stadium with the San Diego Chargers, who also are considering moving.
In addition, the St. Louis Rams are considering moving to a new stadium in Inglewood, which also is in the Los Angeles area.
Last week the NFL had public hearings in Oakland, San Diego and St. Louis to give fans in those cities a chance to try to convince the league to keep their teams in their respective cities. The NFL said 440 people, many dressed in the Raiders' colors of silver and black, attended the meeting at the Paramount Theater in downtown Oakland last Thursday night.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement, "I want to thank Raiders fans from across the Bay Area and the team's ownership for their powerful showing last week."
She said, "I know it's a big part of why the city of Oakland will have the opportunity to make a strong case to the team owner Mark Davis and the NFL for keeping the Raiders in Oakland."
Schaaf said that at the meeting next week, "The city of Oakland will demonstrate to the league how Oakland continues to be a tremendous market for the Raiders franchise. We'll show how everything from Oakland's growing economic momentum and urban vitality to the team's die-hard regional fan base make it clear that there is no better time for a major league team to be located in, or associated with Oakland."
The mayor said, "We remain committed to a partnership that supports a team-centered effort to build a new stadium for the Raiders in Oakland that will be successful for the fans and the team and responsible for the city and its taxpayers."
COMMENTARY: Oakland Should Build Raiders New Stadium In Exchange For Stake In Team
The NFL said Oakland will join the cities of St. Louis and San Diego in giving presentations to a joint meeting of the league's Los Angeles, Stadium and Finance committees.
The NFL said St. Louis and San Diego have previously discussed their proposed stadium projects but this will be the first time for Oakland to discuss a proposed project.
League officials said there will be no votes or other decisions at the committee meeting.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in Oakland last week that teams that want to apply to relocate to a new city may do so between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15 next year.
He said three-fourths of the owners of the NFL's 32 teams must approve any team moves.
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