For the first time since 1994, the Las Vegas Raiders will call Southern California home, but only for a short time. The Raiders are heading to Costa Mesa in nearby Orange County for 18 days of training camp. Although they maintain massive popularity in the region, due to NFL policy, Las Vegas cannot promote its presence there, according to reports.
That means no billboards, advertising, or promotions will let the public know that the Raiders are back in town. Sure, Las Vegas media can cover the Raiders' training camp, but there are no invites for Los Angeles or Southern California media. Practices will also not be open to fans, though some VIPs, select season-ticket holders, sponsors, and invited guests will be allowed into the Jack Hammett Sports Complex, about 40 miles south of SoFi Stadium.
“That's where we're having camp,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said. “But the Chargers and Rams have the ability to block us from [promoting.] It's fine.
“It would be nice if all the fans could be there, but whatever. Like I said, the Chargers and Rams have that ability.”
Why can't Los Angeles fans know about the Raiders?
Since permanently relocating from St. Louis and San Diego, respectively, the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers share territorial marketing rights to the area, which gives them the right to block the Raiders from promoting their training camp in Orange County.
“Every club has an exclusive home territory extending 75 miles in all directions from the exterior corporate borders of the city for which it holds a franchise,” per league policy. “If another club holds its preseason training camp within that exclusive territory, it cannot be marketed locally.”
The move is reportedly the idea of head coach Antonio Pierce. Pierce grew up 30 miles away near Compton. He believes team bonding is a huge benefit of the move.
“It's about team bonding,” Pierce said. “When I played … we never stayed at our facility. I was used to traveling and going away and kind of [being] bunkered up, 90 or 85 players at a time, or whatever it was. And team bonding, getting together and getting to know one another to get away from all the distractions. It's all about ball. Just ball.”
Davis agrees that it is a smart move for the team to practice in Orange County.
“The best part of not doing it in Las Vegas is the bonding,” Davis said. ” … When camp is here [in Henderson], the vets, the ones that have homes here, they go home and see family. When you're away at camp, you're together. That kind of bonding.”
The Raiders' trip is a one-year deal, so the Rams and Chargers don't have to complain for long. But it does include the team paying $165,000 in rent to the city of Costa Mesa and other contributions that include $600,000 in improvements to the fields at the complex, 100 tickets for local students to attend an NFL game in Southern California, a donation of outdoor weight training equipment to Costa Mesa High School, and a new mobile recreation van for programs in underserved areas.
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