The soon-to-be Las Vegas Raiders are expected to play in Oakland this season.
That is despite possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid parking dues, which render them eligible for eviction.
The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority reportedly has learned that, for at least the past four years, the Raiders have not fully shared their parking revenue. The board was “blindsided” by the development but indicated it won’t be used to default the franchise’s lease, allowing the club to settle its due and continue at the facility in 2017, according to Doug Sovern of KCBS News.
Based on a Coliseum Authority audit, the Raiders owe at least $25,000 per home game the past four years, or a minimum of $800,000.
The Raiders have paid the group minimal amounts during that span instead of the full total owed, per Sovern. There is only a four-year period in which the board can recover unpaid dues, and it is unclear for how long the Raiders have gone without paying the authority board the full amount it believes it is due.
According to the lease agreement, this issue could default the option the Raiders already have executed to play at the Coliseum this year.
A club spokesman did not immediately respond to request for comment.
“It’s a slap in the face,” board chair Larry Reid via KCBS. “It’s frustrating. We’ve got to make sure that we hold them accountable and that they repay back to the public the money that is owed.”
Oakland is scheduled to host the Raiders for at least two more years before the franchise physically relocates to Las Vegas.
NFL owners approved the move on March 27.