San Francisco mayor doesn't want Raiders at Oracle Park next season

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The Raiders are in discussions with the San Francisco Giants about playing their 2019 NFL season at Oracle Park. The Silver and Black no longer have a lease to play at Oakland Coliseum, and took an extension proposal off the table after the city sued them and the NFL over what it claimed are antitrust violations and breach of contract.

That action has left the Raiders exploring all options for where to play in 2019, their final year before moving to Las Vegas. Playing next season at Oracle Park is a preferred option the team is exploring with the Giants.

The mayor of San Francisco, for one, doesn’t want that to happen.

London Breed discussed the matter during a Tuesday appearance on KTVU, and said she prefers the Raiders remain in Oakland next season.

“As far as I’m concerned, the Oakland Raiders should play in Oakland,” Breed said. “In San Francisco, we have a number of challenges that we need to address with the Warriors coming to the new Chase arena, the 1,400 housing units set to break ground in that area, our transportation system and our ferry landing, we have a number of things we have been working to prepare for, and we don’t need another layer to add to what we already have in terms of an area that’s really congested, filled with construction and will host a number of games for basketball and baseball over the coming months.”

Breed also said she expressed her opinions to the Giants, who own and operate Oracle Park.

Opposition from public officials is one hindrance, but there’s a bigger one also unresolved. The 49ers have territorial rights to the city of San Francisco. The team, which plays at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, and the NFL must approve the Raiders playing there. That has not happened to this point, and getting approval could prove a difficult proposition.

The Raiders also are evaluating less attractive Bay Area options, including Levi’s Stadium. Owner Mark Davis is said to dislike that venue, which was built to accommodate two NFL teams. It would seem the 49ers would prefer the Raiders play a season there, where extra revenue could be generated for the team and the city of Santa Clara.

[RELATED: Raiders playing at Oracle being explored by league]

The Raiders also have not eliminated the prospect of returning to the Coliseum, where they have played for most of their history.

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