Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis oversees one of the most prominent teams in American sports, but recent allegations of troubling economic issues and retaliatory firings are now leading to scrutiny and questions about his future.
Shortly after the Raiders fired interim team president Dan Ventrelle, the former long-time executive fired back against the organization. He accused the Raiders of firing him for reporting a hostile workplace conduct, alleging he was dismissed for alerting the NFL about troubling issues in Las Vegas.
The Raiders denied the allegations, focusing on the upcoming 2022 season. However, the team is once again under the microscope after multiple former team employees told the New York Times about disarray in the organization, poor financial mismanagement, NDAs and unpaid bills.
All of this comes at an already busy time for the NFL. Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder is being investigated by the NFL, Congress and the FTC for alleged sexual harassment and accusations of defrauding the NFL out of revenue.
As the league investigates Snyder and his organization, it’s also looking into another one of its prominent members. Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores accused team owner Stephen Ross of offering $100,000 to tank games in 2019.
Addressing both investigations, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated league rules would allow for the removal of an owner if his conduct was detrimental to the league’s integrity, financial interest and broke league rules.
On Saturday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote that Davis could be subject to the same outcome. The NFL once considered moving the Raiders to St. Louis temporarily, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. If the league finds evidence to suggest Davis can’t afford to run an NFL team, it could step in.
Furthermore, as Florio notes, Raiders’ co-owner Carol Davis is in her 90s and a substantial estate tax obligation will occur when she passes away. Based on accounts from numerous former Raiders employees, Mark Davis might not be able to afford those added costs.
- Las Vegas Raiders franchise value (Forbes): $3.415 billion (2021)
If the NFL finds merit to the numerous allegations made against Mark Davis and the Las Vegas Raiders, a sale might be necessary. It might also be something the family itself will eventually need. Given the looming Denver Broncos bidding war is expected to end with a winning bid approaching $5 billion, it’s fair to assume the NFL franchise in Las Vegas could be worth even more.
