NFL American football team the Oakland Raiders is in talks to play its 2019 home games at Oracle Park, home of Major League Baseball team the San Francisco Giants, according to multiple reports.
The Raiders will move into a state-of-the-art new stadium in Las Vegas next year and the team is currently seeking a venue for its final regular-season campaign in California after opting to withdraw a lease proposal to continue playing at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
The team has been linked with a temporary move to the Giants’ Oracle Park in the past and it now appears that the 41,000-seat venue is the Raiders’ first choice. Other stadiums that have been linked include Levi’s Stadium, home of NFL team the San Francisco 49ers; SDCCU Stadium in San Diego and even the new home of English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur.
The Associated Press news agency, citing a person with knowledge of the negotiations, reported that the Raiders are in discussions with the Giants, although no deal has been reached so far. NBC Bay Area reported that an announcement will be made later this week.
The Raiders opted to withdraw from the lease proposal for the Coliseum after the City of Oakland filed a federal antitrust and breach of contract lawsuit against the NFL, the Raiders and each of the other 31 NFL clubs, claiming compensation for the “cartel” actions that have led to its home franchise relocating to a new stadium in Las Vegas.
The AP noted that the Raiders would need approval from the NFL to play at Oracle Park, with the 49ers holding territorial rights to San Francisco. Scheduling issues are also expected to arise with the Giants’ fixture list.
Oracle Park was formerly known as AT&T Park but underwent a rebrand last month when US technology company Oracle signed a 20-year naming-rights deal with the Giants.
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