Not surprisingly, the city of Oakland isn’t excited about losing the Raiders. So much so, perhaps, that the Raiders might not be welcomed back for the 2019 season after their 2017 and 2018 options for the Oakland Coliseum run out.
“I would say to you with the highest level of confidence, my opinion and recommendation and that of my board members — I don’t believe there is any appetite for a third season (in Oakland),” Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority executive director Scott McKibben told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday.
We’ve argued here that the Raiders should move this season, because typically these types of divorces don’t end well (more on that here).
But the truth of the matter is that Sam Boyd Stadium, which has been mentioned as a landing spot in the interim for the Raiders, is an open-air venue. And it isn’t exactly hospitable in the late-summer months and early autumn when the NFL season begins. Additionally, it only seats 45,000 people, which is a bit slight for an NFL team.
Therefore it makes sense that San Antonio, a city Mark Davis has some interest in, could be a temporary home. This is exactly what Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News reported as a possibility on Wednesday.
FYI on #Raiders: Depending on how things turn out in Oakland in 2017, don't rule out San Antonio as a possible temp venue next couple years
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) March 28, 2017
While it’s maybe not the ideal short-term solution, given San Antonio’s relative location compared to the rest of the AFC West, this could be a viable alternative to playing out the string in Oakland.