The Oakland Raiders are officially moving to Las Vegas. NFL owners approved the move today, in a 31-1 vote, the only franchise that voted against the relocation was the Miami Dolphins. Only 24 votes were needed.
Raiders owner Mark Davis plans to stay in Oakland for the next two seasons, as their 65,000-seat $1.9 billion domed stadium in Las Vegas (to be shared with UNLV) is not expected to open until 2020.
If that timeline holds, the Raiders will need to find a place to play in the 2019 season.
It will be interesting to see how the "Black Hole" reacts in the upcoming seasons, knowing that the team they're screaming their heads off for is leaving for greener ($$) pastures.
Davis said in a statement, per ESPN,
"The Raiders were born in Oakland and Oakland will always be part of our DNA. We know that some fans will be disappointed and even angry, but we hope that they do not direct that frustration to the players, coaches and staff. We plan to play at the Coliseum in 2017 and 2018, and hope to stay there as the Oakland Raiders until the new stadium opens. We would love nothing more than to bring a championship back to the Bay Area."
The Raiders will still be called the "Oakland Raiders" until they actually depart for Vegas.