The only thing standing in the way of the Oakland Raiders packing up and moving to Las Vegas is the approval from 24 of the NFL’s 31 other team owners.
On Thursday, the Raiders officially filed the necessary paperwork to relocate to Vegas.
It is official! The @RAIDERS have filed their paperwork to relocate to #LasVegas.
— Steve Sisolak (@SteveSisolak) January 19, 2017
While there has been talk about a new stadium being approved for Oakland or some other area of California, the filing provides concrete evidence that Raiders owner Mark Davis is serious about taking the team to Nevada. Now that the paperwork has been filed, a vote will be held in the spring. If 24 NFL owners approve the relocation, construction will begin on a new stadium.
Reports of Oakland making progress on a new stadium have been unfounded. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Media said over the weekend, it is only a matter of time before the Raiders move to Las Vegas. Once they receive the green light, they will likely play at least the next two seasons in Oakland before the proposed $1.9 billion stadium in Vegas is completed.
That should go over well with the rabid fans in the Black Hole.
