The Raiders still don’t have a home for the 2019 season. The Silver and Black are trying to find one after their lease with Oakland Coliseum expired last year.
The team had long hoped to play there until formally relocating to Las Vegas in 2020, when a new stadium is scheduled to be ready for Raiders football. The city of Oakland’s lawsuit filed against the Raiders at the NFL alleging antitrust violations and breach of contract has complicated matters.
Once the odds-on favorite to host the Raiders in 2019, now the Oakland Coliseum joins a host of other options the Silver and Black are exploring.
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They don’t have a deal to play anywhere just yet, though NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday league hopes to have an answer on that soon.
“The Raiders have been having a variety of discussions with officials looking at their options, making sure that they evaluate that,” Goodell said in his annual pre-Super Bowl press conference. “It’s unfortunate that litigation was filed prior to their final season in Oakland, but that’s the reality. That was filed by the city (of Oakland).
“I’m hopeful that they’ll get a resolution soon. As far as timing, we need to make a schedule for the 2019 season, and the sooner the better for us in that regard.”
While the Raiders have explored playing outside the Bay Area market, they’d rather avoid practicing in Alameda and playing home game a plane ride away.
NFL
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and Oracle Park in San Francisco have been mentioned as options, though returning to Oakland Coliseum has not been eliminated as a possibility.
Goodell was asked about San Diego, which lost the Chargers to Los Angeles and still has a viable NFL stadium lying fallow, as an option.
“The hope of (Raiders owner Mark Davis) is to continue to be in the Bay Area,” Goodell said, "with his Raiders fans.”
It would be for just one more year, before the Raiders leave for Las Vegas.