The Las Vegas Raiders Stadium were born Wednesday and the Oakland Raiders are history.
Raiders owner Mark Davis, joined by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak as well as some current Raiders players and alumni, made the change of the team name official in a ceremony at partially-built Allegiant Field.
“The Raiders were born in Oakland Stadium and played 13 seasons in L.A. Both cities will always be part of our DNA,” Davis said in an event that was live-streamed on the club’s website. “But today we begin a new chapter in our storied history. For today, Jan. 22, 2020, we are now the Las Vegas Raiders. And today, Las Vegas officially becomes our Nation’s capitol.”
The Raiders were laying the groundwork for the change last week, removing the name “Oakland” from their Alameda facility as well as their Twitter handle. “Las Vegas” was added on Twitter Wednesday.
The club will soon sell licensed gear with “Las Vegas” on it and will be identified as the Las Vegas Raiders in future events such as the NFL draft (which takes place in Las Vegas) and the NFL scouting combine.
Current players who attended the event were quarterback Derek Carr, offensive tackle Trent Brown, tight end Darren Waller, safety Johnathan Abram, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, linebacker Marquel Lee, long-snapper Trent Sieg and punter A.J. Cole.
Raiders alumni on stage included Steve Wisniewski, Marcel Reece, Napoleon McCallum and Jim Plunkett.
Davis, noting the Raiders’ contributions to the community, announced a $500,000 donation from the club to the Nevada Department of Agriculture Meal Service Program which gives children breakfast and lunch at schools.
While there have been reports of being behind schedule and potential issues completing the roof in the event of too much rain, Gov. Sisolak said, “It’s going to come in ahead of time, I know that.”
The Raiders negotiated a two-year lease extension before the 2019 season with an option for a second year.
Davis, in addressing the construction workers on site, closed with the following remark:
“Nothing’s less important in life than the score at halftime,” Davis said. “We’ve got to finish this stadium safe and in the Raider way, and I know you guys are going to get that done. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts and here we are baby, the Raiders, Las Vegas.”
With their new practice stadium in Henderson, Nevada, still under construction, the Raiders will continue their offseason at their Alameda facility. The conditioning program and voluntary and mandatory minicamps will be held there as well as being the team headquarters for the draft.
If all goes according to plan, the Raiders leave Alameda for training camp in Napa in late July and when camp breaks, leave for Las Vegas for good.
The Raiders played their last game in Oakland on Dec. 15, losing 20-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and their final game as the “Oakland” Raiders on the road on Dec. 30 against the Denver Broncos, losing 16-15.
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