The Oakland Raiders may be relocating to Las Vegas much earlier than expected. The Raiders were all set to begin their first season in Vegas in 2020, but a lawsuit being filed by the city of Oakland may leave the team without a home for the entirety of the 2019 season. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland's city council is working on filing an anti-trust lawsuit against both the team and the NFL that will go public in a few days.
The Raiders will become the second California-based NFL franchise to relocate in the past two seasons. The San Diego Chargers relocated to become the Los Angeles Chargers just last season.
The Raiders are currently on a year-to-year lease with the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. Scott McKibben, the facility's Executive Director, has reportedly agreed to not grant the Raiders a lease extension if this anti-trust lawsuit is filed.
From Curtis Crabtree of NBC Sports:
“They told me we might as well take the contract and rip it up,” McKibben said.
The city of Oakland will be working with three law firms to put together a case for this massive suit. The projected damages from losing their NFL team could be worth as much as $500 million. While the team deals with this conundrum and seeks out possible venues for the 2019 season, their $1.8 billion stadium will be being constructed in Paradise, Nevada. It will serve as a home for the Raiders and the UNLV football team.
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