Retired soccer star David Beckham was present as part of his promotional obligations to Sands Corp.as well, and he mentioned the importance of a potential move: “To bring a great organization like the Raiders to Las Vegas is wonderful, but it’s bigger than that”.
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“The Raiders would like to thank the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee and Mayor Goodman for their time today as we continue to explore options for a permanent stadium solution”.
“Together we can turn the Silver State into the silver and black state”, Davis told the SNTIC, via the Associated Press.
Reid said he thinks Davis is being “disingenuous” in telling loyal Raiders fans he wants to stay in Oakland and asks them to buy tickets for games this season but will not engage in serious talks about building a new stadium that would keep the team in Oakland for the long term. Sam Boyd Stadium, where UNLV now plays its football games, would be inadequate for NFL regular season games, though Davis said the Raiders would start playing some preseason games there.
Davis promised to work on relocating the Raiders to a $1.3 billion domed stadium proposal near the Las Vegas Strip if formally approved by the Nevada state legislature, and he backed it up with cash.
“Let’s give them an offer they can’t refuse”, Davis said. They are committed to coming here and being your partner on a stadium.
Davis has said he can contribute $500 million toward an estimated $900 million stadium in Oakland. Besides approval from 24 of 32 NFL owners and a blessing from state lawmakers, such a move would challenge the league’s reluctance to have a franchise in proximity to legalized gambling.
On the morning of the NFL Draft, Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis told reporters in Las Vegas that “The Las Vegas Raiders are now undefeated”.
John Boyd Jr., a corporate site selection expert who has worked with clients in Las Vegas, said the differences in the Bay Area and Las Vegas markets might dampen the Raiders’ chances. And if the Chargers get a new stadium in San Diego, that would open the possibility of the Raiders sharing a stadium with the Rams in Inglewood.
Even if the Raiders want to skip to Las Vegas, they’ll need approval from 24 of the 32 National Football League owners to do so.
Actually a couple of them, if you consider the NFL’s longtime refusal to even admit that Las Vegas exists. “We’ll fight for it”.
Dolich said getting the vote to move is “as hard as Mt. Everest built out of 100 dollar bills”.
Davis is going to go wherever he can get the best deal and right now, that seems like Vegas. “We appreciate the support and passion of Raiders fans everywhere”, the team said in a statement following the meeting Thursday. He said the Raiders could play a preseason game in the aging 40,000-seat UNLV stadium but that it wasn’t suitable for regular-season games.
Beckham, reflecting on his involvement in bringing professional soccer to Miami, spoke to the committee about the impact a professional sports team would have on the quality of life for Las Vegas.
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Not only does he want to move, but Davis said that the team would pay $500 million to help with just under half of the cost.
