In an attempt to gauge the interest of football fans in Las Vegas, the Oakland Raiders have sent out more than 10,000 surveys via email to Las Vegas residents to ask about their interest in supporting an NFL franchise such as the Raiders.
The surveys were sent out just days after the NHL announced it would start an expansion franchise in Sin City.
Each survey contained 83 questions and asked about fans’ interest in the Raiders’ potential move to Las Vegas and asked about other things such as seating preferences. The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce said that the NHL sent out a similar survey when it was interested in bringing a team to the city.
The Raiders’ survey did not address funding a new stadium, however. It was reported recently that the Raiders are interested in building a 65,000-seat domed stadium along the Strip that would cost taxpayers $700 million.
The issue of funding a new stadium appears to be the biggest thing in the way of the Raiders leaving Oakland. The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce has yet to announce its stance on the stadium issue. The Chamber is expected to announce its decision to the state legislature in July.
As for the NFL, team owners have expressed various opinions regarding a team in Las Vegas. Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft support it, while Arthur Blank wants to see more numbers before opining on the issue.
With the NHL’s recent decision to become the first major sports team in Las Vegas, it seems like the NFL would have to restrain itself to not join in on the action.