Raiders probably bound for Las Vegas

NFL expected to sign off Monday on team’s move

phoenix» Barring an unforeseen obstacle, the Oakland Raiders seem certain to receive NFL approval Monday to relocate to Las Vegas.

Several team owners have said they don’t envision a scenario in which Raiders owner Mark Davis doesn’t get the required 24 votes to move his team.

One team owner, speaking anonymously because he isn’t authorized to speak for the NFL, told The Associated Press: “Not only have no hurdles been made clear to us, there isn’t any opposition to it.”

Added another team owner, also speaking anonymously for the same reason: “It’s going to happen — and the sooner we do it, the better it is for the league and for the Raiders.”

Yes, the NFL is about to have a third franchise move in just over a year. The Rams played last season in Los Angeles after bolting from St. Louis. This year, the Chargers moved from San Diego to Los Angeles, although they will play in a suburban MLS stadium until the $2.6 billion facility they will share with the Rams is ready in 2019. The Rams are playing in the L.A. Coliseum until then.

Now the Raiders are set to become the second pro franchise in Las Vegas, following the NHL’s expansion Golden Knights, who begin play in the fall in an arena already built. The Raiders could spend the next two or even three seasons in the Bay Area before their stadium — whose estimated cost recently dropped from $1.9 billion to $1.7 billion — is ready.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and a group trying to keep the Raiders in Oakland, made a last-ditch presentation to the NFL last week. But that letter was “filled with uncertainty,” according to league commissioner Roger Goodell.

The Raiders’ move became more certain this month when Bank of America stepped up with a $650 million loan to Davis. That replaced the same amount the Raiders lost when the NFL balked at having casino owner Sheldon Adelson involved and he was dropped from the team’s plans.

Leaving the Bay Area isn’t something new with the Raiders, who played in Los Angeles from 1982-94 before heading back to Oakland. Davis was passed over last year in an attempt to move to a stadium in the L.A. area that would have been jointly financed with the Chargers. Instead, the owners approved the Rams’ relocation and gave the Chargers an option to join them, which they exercised this past winter.

There are many other issues the NFL will discuss at meetings this week. Among those:

• Shortening regular-season overtimes from 15 minutes to 10.

• Allowing referees to use tablets to review plays rather than “go under the hood,” with final decisions being made by Dean Blandino and his officiating staff in New York, with consultation with the referee.

• Prohibiting “leapers” who try to block field-goal and extra-point attempts.

• Amending the coaches’ challenge system, either by allowing a third challenge if a team is successful on one of its first two tries; now, it must be successful on both challenges to get a third.

• Eliminating the summer roster cut to 75 players, leading to just one cut day at the end of the preseason.