Raiders owner Mark Davis does not have the necessary approval from his fellow NFL owners to move his team to Las Vegas. But he seems confident that move is happening.
After the Nevada Assembly voted to spend $750 million to build a new football stadium in Las Vegas, the Raiders released a statement from Davis referring to Nevada as the team’s new home.
“I would like to thank Governor Sandoval, the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee, and the members of the Nevada Legislature on this historic day,” Davis said. “All parties have worked extremely hard to develop and approve this tremendous stadium project that will serve as a proud new home for the entire Raider Nation.”
NFL rules say a team can’t move without the approval of three-fourths of the other teams. Davis’s statement suggests either that he’s already been assured that his fellow owners will approve his move, or that he’s going to move whether he gets the approval of his fellow owners or not.
Davis’s father, Al Davis, went to court to win the right to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982, against the wishes of his fellow owners. Davis sounds ready to follow in his father’s footsteps and move his team where he wants, whether or not he gets the NFL’s permission.