The Raiders aren’t scheduled to move into their new stadium in Las Vegas until the 2020 season, but a lawsuit set to by filed by the city of Oakland could leave the team without a place to play next year.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland City Council has authorized an anti-trust lawsuit against the Raiders and the NFL regarding the team’s impending relocation to Las Vegas. It is expected to be officially filed in the next few days.
In response to the impending lawsuit, the Raiders have told Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Authority Executive Director Scott McKibben that they won’t sign any lease extension to continue playing games at the Coliseum if the lawsuit is filed. The team is currently on a year-to-year lease with the Coliseum Authority.
“They told me we might as well take the contract and rip it up,” McKibben said.
Oakland is contracting three law firms to handle the lawsuit, which Oakland councilman Noel Gallo believes could result in up to $500 million in damages for the city.
If the Raiders don’t re-up their lease in Oakland, it would force them to look elsewhere for a temporary home until their new stadium in Las Vegas is completed.