NFL owners approve Raiders move to Las Vegas

PHOENIX — The Oakland Raiders will be on the move again after NFL owners approved a proposed relocation to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The vote was a foregone conclusion after the league and Raiders were not satisfied with Oakland's proposals for a new stadium, and Las Vegas stepped up with $750 million in public money. Bank of America also is giving Raiders owner Mark Davis a $650 million loan, further helping convince the owners to allow the third team relocation in just over a year.

The Raiders, who split two separate stints in Oakland with a thirteen-year residence in Los Angeles, plan to make the move before the 2019 season, though previous teams facing similar situations have chosen to relocate more quickly to immerse the franchise in its new community as quickly as possible.

In 1997, the Oilers moved from Houston to Tennessee despite a new stadium in Nashville not being ready for play. The franchise played two seasons as the Tennessee Oilers, one in Memphis and one in Nashville, before changing the team's nickname to "Titans" and introducing new uniforms and logos prior to the 1999 season.

The Titans new stadium in Nashville opened in 1999, the same year Tennessee qualified for the only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

Other notable franchise moves in NFL history: 

In 1983, the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, hastily packing up moving trucks and abandoning the team's headquarters when the state of Maryland threatened to seize the ownership by eminent domain. By moving all of the gear and the franchise to Indiana, owner Bob Irsay protected his investment. Despite many lawsuits, the move ultimately was good for the Colts, who won a Super Bowl in 2007.

In 1988, the Cardinals moved from St. Louis to Phoenix after 28 seasons in Missouri and played from 1988-2005 in Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University. The Phoenix Cardinals became the Arizona Cardinals prior to the 1994 season and moved to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale in 2006.

In 1995, the Rams moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis and played at Busch Stadium for a number of games during their inaugural season while the construction of a new dome was completed.

Also in 1995, the Browns announced the franchise would move to Baltimore, but the city and fans of Cleveland fought hard to maintain control of the team's logos, uniforms and history. Many sponsors pulled their support of the Browns during the second half of the 1995 season and owner Art Modell, who controlled the team since 1961, was never welcome in the city of Cleveland again.   

The NFL ultimately decided the team would move to Baltimore, leave the records and marks in Cleveland and assume a new identity as the Baltimore Ravens prior to the 1996 season. The Ravens played at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, the old home of the Colts, for two seasons before a new stadium was opened next to Camden Yards in 1998.

In 2016, the Rams returned to Los Angeles with the promise of a new stadium in Inglewood, CA, and will continue to play in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum until the new stadium is completed in time for the 2019 season.

In 2017, the Chargers announced a move to Los Angeles and before they join the Rams at the Inglewood stadium, they will play in a stadium originally designed for soccer in Carson, CA for the next two years.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Cox Media Group