With the Raiders shut out of Los Angeles and having no immediate options to relocate elsewhere, Oakland had the upper hand in short-term lease negotiations. And Oakland used it.
According to David DeBolt and Rebecca Parr of the Bay Area News Group, the Raiders will pay $3.5 million to play at O.co Coliseum in 2016. That’s a dramatic increase over the $925,000 the team paid in 2015.
Given that the Raiders will be exporting a home game to Mexico City, the per-game rate has increased to $388,888 -- up from $92,500 in 2015. That’s a total increase of more than four times the price paid last year.
A year ago, the Raiders negotiated a one-season lease at a time when the Raiders had a potentially viable path to Los Angeles. With that door slammed at least for now, the Raiders had no leverage, especially since they don’t want to play at the 49ers stadium (and because the 49ers don’t want them there).
Meanwhile, owner Mark Davis continues to flirt with other cities, presumably in the hopes of squeezing Oakland to cough up favorable terms on a new stadium deal. But at least one member of Oakland City Council has reached the point of ambivalence regarding the possibility of a move.
“I’m ready to kiss and say goodbye and help him pack his bags,” Noel Gallo said regarding Davis.
That won’t happen at least for the next year, and possibly for up to three years under the terms of the new lease. At some point sooner than later, however, the Raiders will have a new stadium. The only question is where it will be.