If NFL owners vote to approve San Francisco as a one-season home for the Raiders against the league’s bylaws and the 49ers’ objections, it could set a bad precedent, according to NFL sources with knowledge of the matter.
While the 49ers do not have final say on whether the Raiders can play in the San Francisco Giants’ stadium, the 49ers’ preference -- and unwillingness to waive their territorial rights -- is likely to carry significant weight, a source told NBC Sports Bay Area on Wednesday.
If NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wanted the Raiders to play in San Francisco for one season while the Raiders’ stadium in Las Vegas is completed, he could take it to a vote of the league’s owners to override the 49ers' desire to block the move. Goodell would not have a vote in the matter.
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Due to a special provision in the bylaws, the typical two-thirds vote of NFL owners does not apply, a source said.. A unanimous vote of the 30 other owners would be required against the 49ers – or in support of the Raiders – in order to clear the path for the Raiders to play at Oracle Park, formerly known as AT&T Park, for the 2019 regular season.
The seven teams scheduled to play regular-season road games against the Raiders might be reluctant to approve a move to a venue in which both teams would be situated on the same sideline, one source said. The football configuration at Oracle Park consists of a shared sideline.
A potential deal between the Giants and the Raiders is not dead, a source familiar with discussions told Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.
But if NFL owners approved the Raiders’ move into San Francisco, it could set a precedent for future moves of franchises into markets already claimed by other NFL teams, sources said. Complicating matters for the approval of the Raiders’ preferred move to San Francisco is the presence of two other viable NFL stadiums in the Bay Area.
San Francisco 49ers
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The 49ers and Raiders have previously discussed sharing Levi’s Stadium for one season, according to sources. The 49ers remain open to the possibility of the Raiders playing one season in Santa Clara. Also, the Oakland Coliseum remains an option, though Raiders owner Mark Davis has vowed not to return to Oakland due to the city’s lawsuit against the Raiders, alleging antitrust violations and breach of contract.
San Francisco mayor London Breed spoke out Tuesday against the possibility of the Raiders playing one season at the Giants’ ballpark. The mayor expressed concerns about the additional congestion the Raiders would bring to the area, which is already impacted by the Giants, the Warriors arena, set to open next season, and ongoing construction.