Days after meeting with Las Vegas business magnate Sheldon Adelson, Raiders owner Mark Davis says the team is negotiating to stay in Oakland for the 2016 season.
In an interview with Tim Kawakami, Davis said the team is in the process of signing a one-year lease extension with the O.co Coliseum in Oakland, and expects his team will remain in the city for, at least, another year.
"As of today, right now we are in the process of trying to negotiate a one-year extension at the Oakland Coliseum to play the 2016 season there," he said on the "TK Show" podcast. "And after we get that done, we'll sit down and try to figure out where the future of the Raiders lies."
While Davis says the Raiders remaining in Oakland for 2016 is "not desirable", he says "in life, you have to do things that make sense, and this absolutely makes sense."
Their current lease expires Feb. 17.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf also told the AP Monday (Feb. 1) that she is looking forward to sitting down soon with Davis to negotiate a deal for a new stadium. "Of course I'm anxious to get them back to the table to talk about a new stadium," she said. "But I understand that their first focus is where they play next year."
Davis also commented on his visit to Las Vegas last week, calling it "interesting." He said he also met with casino magnates Steve Wynn and UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta.
Davis said UNLV is building a new stadium whether there is an NFL team involved or not. "I think Las Vegas is coming along," he said. "I don't know if the environment is correct for the National Football League or not. That's for the other [31] owners to decide."
He added that Las Vegas believes "the Raider brand would do well there," though he's unsure on the NFL's stance on the move.
In a memo sent to all 32 teams, the NFL said no city is considered off limits to teams considering relocating.
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