clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NFL committee on L.A. recommends Carson project to be shared between Raiders and Chargers

It 'looks' like the Raiders and Chargers will be sharing a stadium in L.A. Though, this could change depending on the owners' votes.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Update: After earlier reports seemed to be leaning toward the Raiders and Chargers joining together to relocate to Los Angeles, it is the Rams who will be moving to Los Angeles in 2016 with the Inglewood site plan in place; the Chargers may potentially be joining them. The Oakland Raiders have rescinded their application to relocate their franchise to L.A. at this time. The Chargers have a one-year time frame to make a decision on joining the Rams in L.A., after which, the option reverts to the Raiders.

--

The NFL has been poised for a move to Los Angeles for quite some time now, and it looks like we know which franchises will be heading to the City of Angels.

According to ESPN, the NFL's six-owner Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities has recommended the joint bid between the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers to build a $1.7 billion stadium in Carson, California. All 32 NFL owners are being represented or appearing in person at meetings in Houston currently, and the expectation has been that a move by one or more franchises moving to L.A. could be finalized by the end of the day.

NFL owners have heard presentations in support of the Carson project for the Raiders and Chargers and one for the St. Louis Rams in Inglewood. The Carson presentation is being headed up by Disney Chairman Robert Iger, who would oversee the development of the stadium if owners approve the plan.

Any NFL franchise moving cities must be approved by 24 of the league's 32 owners. The committee's recommendation does not guarantee approval of the project by the full ownership, but it looks like there will be enough support to make this move happen. The meetings are set to run through Wednesday, though there is hope a vote could be taken by the end of Tuesday.

As for how we got here, SB Nation's Ryan Van Bibber has done a great timeline on how these franchises have been trying to move to L.A. In short, Rams owner and billionaire real estate developer Stan Kroenke had discussed with Chargers owner Dean Spanos about a potential cohabitation at the Inglewood site in 2013.

However, Kroenke went solo with plans to relocate and proposed to build a $1.86 billion stadium in Inglewood, California. Spanos countered by partnering with  Raiders owner Mark Davis and announced a plan for a joint stadium in Carson in Feb. 2015. That's been the plan with most momentum ever since.

But in recent days, momentum began rising for a plan that involved he Rams and Chargers sharing a stadium in Kroenke's proposed Inglewood stadium, which would leave the Raiders remaining in Oakland. It looks like that plan is getting pushed aside, leaving the Rams potentially as the team that ends up not moving.

The NFL's been trying to get a team in Los Angeles since 1994, when the Raiders and Rams both left. We now may be seeing the Raiders back in L.A. in addition to the Chargers making a short move from San Diego.

It's not unprecedented for NFL teams, let alone hated rivals, to share a stadium. The New York Jets and New York Giants both share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Then again, those two play in opposite conferences, whereas the Raiders and Chargers are not only in the AFC, but face each other twice per season as AFC West rivals. It is likely that if the Raiders and Chargers join together in a new L.A. stadium, one may swap divisions with another team on the west coast.

We'll have more on the story as more details are made available.