The Oakland Raiders will reportedly return to Oakland for the 2019 NFL season as the team’s months-long search for a stadium is over.
The Raiders and the Oakland Coliseum Authority have agreed to a deal for the 2019 season, according to NFL.com. The deal includes an option for the Raiders to play in the Coliseum for the 2020 season as well.
Once the Raiders’ plan is approved by the Oakland City Council, it will need NFL approval, according to NFL.com.
NFL team owners and executives meet every year in March to commemorate the beginning of the new league year. The meeting is reserved for issues that require league approval and the Raiders’ deal with Oakland is the type of issue that will be addressed. The meeting is from March 24-27 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The agreement in Oakland comes weeks after the Raiders declared an interest to play in San Francisco for 2019. The team’s plan was to play games in the San Francisco Giants’ stadium, Oracle Park.
However, the Raiders would have needed approval from the NFL and the San Francisco 49ers, who hold territorial rights to the area.
Oracle Park as an NFL venue never gained traction, which left Oakland as one of the only viable options.
The Raiders plan to move to Las Vegas for 2020, but the team now has a contingency plan for 2020 that it initially lacked for 2019. After the team’s lease at the Coliseum expired at the end of 2018, the Raiders were temporary without a home venue.
The team would revert to Oakland for that season if there are any delays in the construction of the Las Vegas stadium that would prevent the Raiders from moving in 2020 as planned.
The Raiders will have a total of nine home games in Oakland in 2019 – two preseason games and seven regular season games. The Raiders’ eighth home game has been moved to London, where the Raiders will take on former Raiders Defensive Lineman, Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears.