Oakland Raiders one step closer to moving to Las Vegas

Owner Mark Davis released a statement after funding for an Oakland Raiders stadium in Las Vegas was approved on Friday.

The Oakland Raiders are one step away from relocating to Las Vegas after the Nevada Assembly approved funding for a new stadium on Friday.

As expected, Raiders owner Mark Davis was thrilled and released the following statement via the team’s official website.

"“I would like to thank Governor Sandoval, the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee, and the members of the Nevada Legislature on this historic day. All parties have worked extremely hard to develop and approve this tremendous stadium project that will serve as a proud new home for the entire Raider Nation.”"

Davis began the relocation process back in April by promising to move the team to Las Vegas if a $750 million publicly funded stadium was approved. Two days after the Nevada Senate approved the funding with a 16-5 vote, the state Assembly made the funding official today by a vote of 28-13. Governor Brian Sandoval will sign the bill into law with Davis on Monday.

Public funds are expected to come from raising the hotel tax for people staying on the Las Vegas Strip. The stadium project will cost around $1.9 billion.

Oakland’s only step left in the relocation process is to get the approval of NFL owners. Davis needs the approval of 24 of the league’s 32 owners to move the team to Las Vegas.

The next NFL owners’ meeting will take place on October 18 and 19, with the relocation vote likely taking place during the early stages of the offseason or during the playoffs. Given what we saw with the Los Angeles Rams move from St. Louis a year ago, approval from the owners seems likely.

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That comes as brutal news to Oakland, where the Raiders played from 1960-1982 and 1995 to the present. Al Davis briefly relocated the franchise to Los Angeles for 13 seasons.