The NFL hasn’t seen a relocation of a team in 17 years since the Houston Oilers moved to Nashville in 1998. But today three teams are in a fight to move to one of the nation’s biggest markets, Los Angeles. The Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers are all looking to fill this cities football void.
Each of the teams has ties to the city, as each has called this city home for at least one full season. Though it may seem like a simple task, relocating can be a time consuming legal battle. This is because for a city to introduce a new sports team, funding and citizen approval are both required.
The team with the easiest path for this relocation deal is the Oakland Raiders. Their current stadium lease is expired, meaning they could move without any fees attached. This is a step in the right direction for the famed Raiders, as relocation costs can frequently climb into the billions. One of the main arguments against this move is the city of Oakland’s desire to keep their franchise, as they are willing to offer the team a new stadium deal to keep them local. Turning down a new stadium in your home city is very hard to do, and it will upset many fans who have loved the team for decades. Just because the Raiders have the easiest path, doesn’t mean the Rams and Chargers are counted out. This deal is still in its early stages of development and in the NFL anything can happen.
The amazing thing about this relocation deal is that the city that has been deprived of football for twenty years could potentially have two teams move in by 2016. A new report suggests the possibility of two teams moving in and sharing a stadium in a way similar to that of the Jets and Giants at the Meadowlands. This would be a dream come true for Los Angeles and still extremely lucrative for each of the franchises that would make the move. Plunging into the second biggest market in the country (behind New York), may be just what it takes to turn these franchises around.
–Michael Hersey
