National Football League

Goodell: No acceptable stadium solutions in Oakland or San Diego

Published Dec. 14, 2016 6:31 p.m. ET

Andre Vergara

Oakland's stadium proposal to keep the Raiders was approved by the city and county on Tuesday, sparking hope in fans of the silver and black throughout the Bay Area.

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But on Wednesday at the NFL owners meeting in Dallas, Commissioner Roger Goodell threw cold water on the proposal, telling reporters that there are currently no acceptable stadium solutions in either Oakland or San Diego.

“These issues have been going on for an awful long time,” Goodell told reporters in a news conference. “The challenges of getting stadiums built is something that we’ve worked very hard on. We’ve made, I think, tremendous progress. We have not made great progress in Oakland and San Diego. There is not a stadium proposal on the table that we think addresses the long-term issues of the clubs and communities, so we need to continue to work at it.

“As you know, and we feel strongly, we want to keep our teams where they are. Relocations are painful and are something we want to avoid at all costs. We’re committed to continuing to work with those communities to finding those solutions and we will do that.”

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Raiders owner Mark Davis, whose bid to move back to LA was rejected by the owners last year, has stated his goal is to move the team to Las Vegas, where a $1.9 billion stadium proposal has been approved. The Chargers also are exploring relocation after San Diego voters rejected a proposal for funding a new stadium, and on Wednesday, the owners approved a lease agreement for the Chargers to share the Rams' new stadium if they choose to move to LA, which the owners approved last year. The Chargers face a Jan. 15 deadline to decide.

Oakland and Alameda County officials approved a $1.3 billion stadium proposal that calls for only $350 million in public funding and $400 million from an investment group led by former Raiders Ronnie Lott and Rodney Peete. An NFL spokesman told USA Today it's "a carbon copy" of previous failed proposals, but Goodell has said the NFL's preference is for the Raiders to remain in Oakland, and his stance on the new proposal may be a negotiating tactic and not the kiss of death for Oakland fans.

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