It’s now about as official as it can be. The Oakland Raiders want to relocate to Las Vegas and are now asking for the support of the National Football League.
According to Clark County Commissioner Chair Steve Sisolak, the Raiders have officially filed paperwork with the league to relocate to Las Vegas.
It is official! The @RAIDERS have filed their paperwork to relocate to #LasVegas.
— Steve Sisolak (@SteveSisolak) January 19, 2017
This isn’t necessarily a big surprise. It had been reported earlier this month that the Raiders would file said paperwork at some point soon. Though, it pretty much does put this potential right back on the NFL’s radar after the Chargers relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles earlier in the month (more on that here).
There’s little reason to believe the NFL won’t support the Raiders’ plans here. Owners from the league’s 32 teams met earlier this month to discuss the possibility. The Nevada State Legislature approved public financing for the venue late last year. And now ,it appears that casino mogul Sheldon Adelson is full steam ahead with the process in the desert metropolis itself.
Even if relocation is approved, the Raiders won’t be calling Vegas home until the 2020 season. What happens between now and then remains unclear. But it’s now readily apparent that the NFL will have three relocations on their hands in a five-year span.
NFL owners will now likely vote on relocation within the next several weeks.