LAS VEGAS – Raiders owner Mark Davis said Thursday that he wants to move the team to Las Vegas and pledged $500 million toward the building of a proposed $1.4 billion domed stadium in the renowned gambling city during a meeting of the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee at UNLV.
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The Las Vegas stadium group proposes the domed stadium would be financed by $650 million in private funding, with the Raiders committed to chip in $500 million – the same as for the Oakland site – $200 million of which would come from an National Football League stadium loan.
A move to Los Angeles is still an option for the Raiders, if the San Diego Chargers elect to remain in San Diego instead of joining the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, California. Attendance in Oakland has sagged amid 13 consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs.
Beckham, a resident of Las Vegas, hopes to bring a Major League Soccer team to the city which will play at the proposed state-of-the-art stadium.
Las Vegas has been a frequent topic of conversation as a possible destination for an expansion team in one of the four major sports, with the National Hockey League including it on its short list of potential homes for an expansion team. However, the Chargers get first choice and plan on pursuing a long-term solution in San Diego over the next year.
They are also asking to create the Clark County Stadium Authority, similar to the authority that oversees the Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena.
“We would put this on the fast track”, the Raiders owner said.
The NFL has long shunned Las Vegas, refusing its TV ads and telling players not to make appearances at casinos. Beckham, who has partnered with Sands on hotel projects, said the stadium would draw worldwide soccer clubs.
“We are as excited as everyone in having David Beckham and the leadership of the Raiders come to our town, but we are even more pleased and excited to witness the commitment to the convention and trade show industry that supports tens of thousands of jobs and opportunities for everyone in our community”. In the clip below, you can see the airport, followed by the 42-acre stadium site, followed by the strip.
Davis’s $500 million pledge would include $200 million in NFL G-4 money, plus $300 million out of his own pocket.
Although final approval for a Miami stadium is far from a done deal, Beckham said in Las Vegas on Thursday he was determined to set up his team in Florida.
“The Raiders were given permission by other clubs to evaluate their options and to consider their alternatives, and they’re doing that”, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters Wednesday.
Despite the commitments, there are hurdles to overcome if the dozen or so Raiders fans who showed up to support the move will be watching their team in Las Vegas in 2020.
“With your help, it won’t be another 50 years before the Raiders play another football game in Las Vegas”, Davis told the committee.
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“That’s what Las Vegas is going to provide us, and it’s going to be a great marriage”, said Davis.
