OAKLAND, Calif. _ The head of the Coliseum Stadium Authority will update his board Wednesday morning about the ongoing talks to have the Raiders play the 2019 season in Oakland.
Both sides are nearing a deal, but a source familiar with negotiations said a few minor details are being worked out. It now appears the authority board will not vote on a deal until next week.
Executive Director Scott McKibben declined to comment on negotiations but plans to meet with the authority board in closed session beginning at 9 a.m. Under the proposed lease, the Raiders will pay $7.5 million, plus about $1.2 million they owe from previous parking fees to play nine home games in Oakland where they have a devoted fan base.
The agreement also includes an option to stay for the 2020 season in case the team's new $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat stadium in Las Vegas isn't ready next year. Rent for the Coliseum in 2020 would jump to $10.5 million. The team also would not receive naming rights revenue if the Coliseum finds a corporate sponsor.
The stadium authority board has prepared for weeks to call an emergency meeting to vote on the contract. A source with knowledge of the negotiations doubted the board would report decision on the lease out of closed session and said a vote at its March 15 meeting is more likely.
Before it can begin to map out the 2019 schedule, the NFL needs to know where the Raiders plan to play ahead of the NFL owners' meetings March 24-27 in Phoenix. After the authority board votes, the contract then heads to the Oakland City Council and Alameda County supervisors for approval.
The Raiders backed out of negotiations over the Coliseum in December after the Oakland City Council filed a federal lawsuit against the team, the NFL, and the league's 32 owners over the team's relocation to Las Vegas. As part of the original lease extension for the 2019 season, the Raiders made it clear the team would not play in Oakland if the city sued, but City Council is not withdrawing its suit.
Since December, Raiders executives searched for a temporary home but were unsuccessful both at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara and Oracle Park, formerly AT&T Park, in San Francisco.
