Los Angeles Raiders? What Relocation to LA Could Look Like for the Raiders.
Oct 12, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis on the sidelines before the game San Diego Chargers at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
The persistent rumors of a return to LA for the Raiders have began to pick up steam in the past few months, with NFL insiders such as Ian Rapaport and others now positing that it is a “strong possibility.” While many Raider fans in Northern California and elsewhere may not like the idea of the Raiders leaving Oakland for Los Angeles, it may soon become reality for the second time, as stadium negotiations in Oakland have stalled and Mark Davis is clearly uninterested in moving to Santa Clara to share Levi’s Stadium with the 49ers.
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Raider fans in Los Angeles – of which I am one – are naturally excited by the prospect of not only having an NFL franchise back in Los Angeles, but having it be our beloved Raiders. The Raider Nation has a strong presence in Southern California: there are eight officially recognized Raider booster clubs located in Southern California (ten if you include the Bakersfield area), dozens of unofficial Raider clubs and fan groups, and even two Raider Image locations. On a recent unofficial survey of Facebook “likes” of NFL team pages, the Raiders were the top “liked” NFL team in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
While most LA-area Raider fans have followed Los Angeles stadium talks with some interest, most Raider fans outside of LA don’t really know exactly what relocation to LA would look like for the Raiders, and even many local fans find it difficult to make sense of all the competing stadium options. Here is a quick summary of some of the various ways relocation to LA may play out for the Raiders: