Raiders owner Mark Davis tells Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network that talks regarding a new stadium in Oakland are in the “11th hour.”
“I would probably say (negotiations are in) the 11th hour,” Davis said Tuesday at the Spring League Meeting. “It’s always the 11th hour because we’ve been waiting a long time, been waiting a long time on this project. If it doesn’t happen, then we have to start looking at the other options. … We want to stay in Oakland. We want to get something done.”
Davis mentioned that they are willing to put up $400 million towards a new facility, but added that “we need help.”
According to Davis, they were willing to look at alternative options if progress isn’t made at some point in the near future.
The Raiders have been playing in one of the oldest stadiums in the league for a number of years now. There is no question that the league would like to see the facility upgraded, especially now that the Vikings and Falcons have both managed to secure new stadiums in recent years.
Just for the sake of perspective, the Vikings will put up $477 million with the of Minnesota state chipping in $348 million, and another $150 million coming from a hospitality tax in the city of Minneapolis. The total cost of the project should come close to $975 million.
There have been rumors circulating for years that the Raiders could eventually end up in Los Angeles as the NFL tries get a franchise located in the second largest market in the country. The Falcons actually used a possible move to L.A. in negotiations with the city of Atlanta during negotiations.
However, the NFL has also awarded Super Bowls cities with new stadiums such as New York and Minnesota in recent years, so today’s news could help the team in their talks with the city of Oakland.
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