Earlier this season, the Raiders put out a statement calling Las Vegas their new home. The Nevada state legislature has already approved funding for a state-of-the-art stadium.
However, not every NFL owner thinks a move to Sin City is automatically happening.
In an interview with SportsBusiness Journal, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair cited Levi’s Stadium, and their isolation on the map, as a reason the Raiders could expand their fan base and stay in Oakland.
“I don’t think it will be automatic,” McNair said. “Oakland is improving economically, there is no doubt about that. And really the San Francisco 49ers, they are an hour, an hour-and-a-half away. That creates an opportunity for a lot of people who did not, who were not fans of Oakland to become fans of Oakland, just 30 minutes across the bridge.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that when the owners meet in December, the NFL will make a similar case to the one McNair has made. Raiders owner Mark Davis will argue he’s out of options and needs a new home.
Davis will need 24 of the 32 owners to approve the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas.