LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 28: (L-R) Oakland Raiders fans Tony Curiel, Eric Carrillo, Richard Cervera, and John Baietti, all of Nevada, wait for Raiders owner Mark Davis to arrive at a Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee meeting at UNLV with Raiders owner Mark Davis (not pictured) on April 28, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Davis told the committee he is willing to spend USD 500 million as part of a deal to move the team to Las Vegas if a proposed USD 1.3 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium is built by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp. and real estate agency Majestic Realty, possibly on a vacant 42-acre lot a few blocks east of the Las Vegas Strip recently purchased by UNLV. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
NFLBy Ben Sieck on

The momentum for the Las Vegas Raiders is building.

Earlier this week, Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman expressed optimism about the Oakland Raiders moving to the city.

“[Raiders owner] Mark Davis has assured us that Las Vegas is not getting played in a Raiders stadium deal,” Goodman also said. “I know we will have a team.”

Now, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is getting behind the potential relocation as well.

Jones did not specifically name the Raiders when talking about Las Vegas and the NFL, but it is not hard to connect the dots. The Raiders have flirted with a move to Las Vegas ever since their bid to move to Los Angeles fell short. The franchise is upset with the state of its current stadium, and wants a new one largely paid for by the Oakland taxpayers. However, the city is not willing to budge on a new stadium just yet, hence the team’s overtures to Las Vegas.

Owner Mark Davis has already pledged $500 million for a $1.4 billion stadium proposal in Las Vegas. He has also met extensively with city powerbroker Sheldon Adelson, CEO of the Las Vegas Sands casinos, as well as the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee.

The Raiders may not be able to make an immediate move for the 2016 season, but have the ability to opt out of their current stadium lease after each of the next two years.

While Jones would not specify a team he wanted to move to Nevada, he did not shy away from heaping praise on Las Vegas.

“[Las Vegas is] one of the real crown jewels of communities in the United States.”

“It has a flair for entertainment, and it has two million people, and they’re avid sports fans, the full-time residents,” Jones said. “They have a huge visiting contingent that more often than not are fans of some NFL football teams. 

Jones was a big advocate of the Rams’ move to Los Angeles, and he is definitely one of the NFL’s most powerful owners. His support may not be necessary for a team to jump to Vegas, but it certainly helps move the needle even further.

About Ben Sieck

Ben is a recent graduate of Butler University where he served as Managing Editor and Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Butler Collegian. He currently resides in Indianapolis.

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