Oakland Coliseum Authority To Discuss Progress In Negotiations With Raiders
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- A special meeting has been scheduled Wednesday for the Coliseum Authority board to discuss a potential Raiders lease in a closed session, according to reports.
Under the proposed deal, the Raiders would be able to play in Oakland next season with an option to stay for the 2020 season in case the team's new Las Vegas stadium isn't ready by then.
The news comes after the Raiders reportedly reached a tentative agreement late last month with the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Authority to play one final season in the East Bay before moving to Las Vegas.
Amid a lawsuit filed by the City of Oakland over the Raiders 2020 move to Las Vegas, the team had been looking at other venues as a temporary home for the upcoming season.
Oracle Park in San Francisco had been rumored as the Raiders' temporary home in 2019, but Mayor London Breed expressed opposition, and the 49ers, who have territorial rights to San Francisco, indicated they would not waive them.
Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, as well as venues in San Diego and even London, have also been rumored as possible temporary homes for the Raiders.
Tuesday on the KPIX 5 News at Noon, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said the proposed deal would still need to be approved on by several different bodies before it is official.
She also noted that the potential deal does not mean the city is dropping its antitrust lawsuit against the team and the NFL.
"Let me be clear: we are not dropping our lawsuit against the Raiders or the NFL for wrongfully abandoning the city they were born in," said Mayor Schaaf. "They wanted that dropped as a precursor to extending the lease. I'm very glad and very clear that that was not on the table, but if they want to give our fans one to two more years of enjoyment, that's great."
The Mayor also said that the city and county would not be interested in providing financial incentives to the team in order to entice the Raiders to stay in Oakland.
"Let's also be clear that we're going to stop subsidizing this team. The city and county have been doing that for years. I'm very confident that, whatever deal gets finally agreed on will not be a subsidy deal."
When asked about the current state of the relationship between the city and the Raiders, Schaaf said, "Well, you can love the team, but not particularly like the management."
At Ricky's Sports Bar in San Leandro, members of the Raider Nation are crossing their fingers for another season with the Silver and Black in Oakland.
"It is frustrating with the back and forth, with London and San Francisco," said fan Tina Ricardo. "I don't think anybody wants them but us."
"Whatever. We'll take whatever we get," said Raiders fan Kelly Haze.
Reports say an official vote to approve the deal could happen sometime next week
