The Oakland Raiders are making that move to Sin City after garnering enough votes from NFL owners on Monday to relocate to Southern Nevada.
The Raiders received 31 of 32 votes to approve the move, seven more votes than the needed number. The Miami Dolphins were the only team to vote against the move.
The Oakland fans undoubtedly feel betrayed, but the Raiders will still play in Oakland in 2017 and there is no set to date for when the unprecedented Vegas relocation will actually occur.
The Raiders will be sharing a 65,000-seat, $1.9 billion domed stadium with UNLV, but the grand edifice is not expected to be open until 2020. The team holds a pair of one-year options at the Oakland Coliseum.That should keep the Raiders in Oakland at least two more seasons with a squad with seven Pro Bowlers good enough to do some playoff damage and hopefully leave the town with a Super Bowl victory as a final parting gift.
Reports say Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf made a last-ditch effort to retain the Raiders on Monday, after being told by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a letter on Friday that the city’s proposal was not a “viable solution.” In another letter delivered to owners Monday morning, she asked them to delay the vote in order to give Oakland a chance to negotiate with a small group of owners to complete a stadium deal at the Coliseum site.
It was too late. Enjoy the Oakland Raiders while you can because by 2020 they will be in Vegas beginning a new era of NFL football.
