The Rams have moved to Los Angeles and the Chargers are in Limbo, but what about the Raiders? There are a few reports stating that Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis may be willing to move the team to San Antonio, if the perfect storm comes into place.
Davis has apparently bought land in between San Antonio and Austin that could be the site of a new stadium for the Raiders. Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole says that Davis’ pitch “splits the difference” between San Antonio and Austin. So most likely, the stadium would be in San Marcos, Texas.
Officials in that region say that they would be beyond ecstatic to lure an NFL team and explore construction of a stadium in the Austin/San Antonio region. San Marcos would be a “natural play” for an NFL stadium, says Lance Aldridge, executive director of the Austin Sports Commission.
“I think it would be an exciting proposal,” Aldridge says of an NFL team and stadium in San Marcos. “We’d kill to have that.”
Adriana Cruz, who is the president of the Greater San Marcos Partnership, which is a regional economic development agency, says that an NFL stadium in San Marcos would be in conjunction with her nonprofit’s stated goal of accommodating “destination attractions.”
“Could we be home to a major stadium? Absolutely,” Cruz says.
An NFL stadium in San Marcos is “certainly something that makes a lot of sense… a lot of logistical sense, a lot of economic sense,” she says.
San Antonio Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Richard Perez says because Davis removed the team’s application to move to Los Angeles, means it is a good sign for San Antonio. He said that he planned to start talking with Oakland again today.
“I think what has happened in Houston with the NFL owners meeting has indeed set San Antonio up in probably the best place we have been so far to be able to talk to Oakland in a very serious way,” Perez said. “We’ve had a great relationship with them to date and we don’t want to rush anything. We want to be thoughtful and smart as we move forward with this.”
Along with city officials, Former Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs said in a radio interview that the city of San Antonio is ready if the Oakland Raiders want to move and that he is willing to invest in the operation too.
McCombs said in an interview ESPN San Antonio on Wednesday that he talked to Raiders owner Mark Davis on Tuesday after the owner withdrew his bid to move the Raiders to Los Angeles.
McCombs said that San Antonio has “several locations that would work” to construct a stadium and that he has at least 12 corporate sponsors lined up. These sponsors also have “serious commitments.”
“He was born and raised there, and he has a great feeling for the state of California,” McCombs said about Davis. “But it appears he is going to need to go somewhere.”
McCombs said he would think about buying a piece of the Raiders if that’s what is needed to get the team to play in San Antonio.
“We would be happy to be investors if that what he wants,” he said. “We have investors lined up if that what he wants. If he wants to keep it all to himself, that’s OK too.”
The Raiders need to have approval from the NFL to relocate to San Antonio, but McCombs said that he doesn’t think approval would be withheld because of the team’s problems with building a new stadium in Oakland.
After being rejected for a bid to play games in Los Angeles, Davis isn’t so sure where the Raiders will play next season.
“We don’t have a lease right now at the Oakland Coliseum,” he said. “America, the world is a possibility for the Raider Nation.”
Davis went to San Antonio in 2014 to meet with leaders in the area and scout the region.
McCombs said if Davis “does decide to go somewhere we want him to decide to come here.”
“What happened yesterday (Tuesday) in Houston was absolutely the greatest thing that could happen to us short of getting somebody committed to come in here, because that cleared the runway to where now he can make his decision and go anywhere he wants to,” McCombs said.
San Antonio raiders? pic.twitter.com/5rKygHQNFA
— KingTroll TraeFlocka (@TraeFlocka) January 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/EYYYYYYBIGBOY/status/687744694810480640
Everything about the "San Antonio Raiders" feels wrong as hell.
— Larry Beyince (@DragonflyJonez) January 14, 2016
But it wasn’t all bad. Some fans want to embrace the move as well:
California has to many teams now. Let's make the San Antonio Raiders happen
— Matt (@jackets46) January 13, 2016
https://twitter.com/Robmoney8/status/687799823165222912
I'd be cool with the San Antonio Raiders
— Andrew (@AndrewZKTA) January 15, 2016
