Report: Ronnie Lott, Rodney Peete trying to gain support for new stadium for Raiders
Former NFL players Ronnie Lott and Rodney Peete want to keep the Raiders in Oakland.
According to Matier & Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle, the two former Raiders have joined up with a group of African-American investors with the hope of financing a new stadium in Oakland. Among the group are Egbert Perry, chairman of Fannie Mae, and sports agent Bill Duffy, who counts Klay Thompson and Festus Ezeli among his clients.
The group has met with Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf, but she says anyone financing a new stadium would require the support of the team first.
“I will not meet with any developer for this project unless they are brought to me by the Raiders, and I have asked the City Council to do the same,” she said.
It is said that Lott and Peete’s group seeks a minority ownership in the Raiders in return for the new stadium. It is unclear how much money the group would be willing to invest in the stadium and the team.
Time may be running out for the group to get what they want. Mark Davis is eyeing a move to Las Vegas, and support for it is gaining steam around the league.