Report: Oakland Coliseum director wants Raiders out by 2019 season
After NFL owners approved the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas on Monday, Mark Davis stressed that he wants the team to remain a part of the Bay Area community. But a Coliseum executive pointed to Oakland showing the team the door sooner rather than later.
Scott McKibben, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority’s executive director, told USA Today Sports that the Raiders most likely won’t be welcomed back in 2019. With the Las Vegas stadium not expected to open before 2020, that could leave the Raiders’ home field in question.
“I would say to you with the highest level of confidence, my opinion and recommendation and that of my board members – I don’t believe there is any appetite for a third season (in Oakland),” McKibben told USA Today Sports on Tuesday.
While awaiting the opening of their $1.9 billion Vegas stadium, the Raiders have lease options to play at the Coliseum in 2017 and ’18, and Davis said earlier this week he’d like the team to stay in Oakland for those seasons “if the fans would like us to stay there.”
“We’d love to be there for that and possibly talk to them about extending it for maybe 2019 as well,” Davis said, “and try to bring a championship back to Oakland.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Report: Oakland Coliseum director wants Raiders out by 2019 season."