According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the NFL made a strong pitch to owners at the latest league meetings that the Oakland market is far superior to that of Las Vegas. However, the Raiders pointed to two of their own studies that attempted to discount the league’s data and show the strength of the Las Vegas market.
Raiders owner Mark Davis is reportedly pushing to get a vote on relocation as soon as possible, but the NFL continues to explore options to keep the team in the Bay Area, according to La Canfora.
One interesting note is that the NFL is eyeing the possibility of assisting the development of an area around a new stadium in Oakland.
In regards to the league’s study, La Canfora mentions that the average NFL market was given a rating of 68 but the city of Oakland produced a score of 70 with Las Vegas coming in at a 60 on their scale.
Even after being presented the data from the NFL, Davis told the owners that he will file relocation papers as soon as possible in January.
“[Raiders president Marc]Badain basically stood up and said the league’s study was BS,” a source told La Canfora. “And he had two of his studies that looked nothing like the one Grubman presented.”
Davis also assured owners that the ongoing issues with outside developers and financiers will be resolved well in advance of relocating the team.
In the end, Davis will need to convince 24 owners that his Las Vegas plan is what’s best for the franchise long-term.
La Canfora adds that the NFL can slow or stall the process and prevent a vote on the matter from taking place until the spring. La Canfora’s sources believe the NFL could stall the situation by getting nine votes and buying themselves more time to explore options in the Bay Area.
We’ll have more regarding the Raiders and negotiations with the city of Oakland as the news is available.
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