The 49ers will not waive their territorial rights to allow the Raiders to play one season in San Francisco, a league source told NBC Sports Bay Area.
But the 49ers are still willing to work with the Raiders on a one-season arrangement to share Levi’s Stadium, the source said. The Raiders need a home stadium for one season before their 2020 move to Las Vegas.
The bylaws of the NFL state that the 49ers cannot play in Oakland and the Raiders are not permitted to play in San Francisco. The only way the Raiders could play in San Francisco would be if the 49ers waived their territorial rights.
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But the Raiders are hitting roadblocks at every turn. The mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, does not want the Raiders in her city due to the added congestion in that area, along with the Giants, Warriors and on-going construction.
“As far as I’m concerned, the Oakland Raiders should play in Oakland,” Breed said in an interview Tuesday on KTVU.
The 49ers, according to sources, have an offer to the Raiders to play at Levi’s Stadium for one season. The stadium in Santa Clara was originally designed with two teams in mind, but Raiders owner Mark Davis was never interested in merely being a tenant in the 49ers’ building.
So, to recap, the 49ers do not want the Raiders in San Francisco. And San Francisco does not want the Raiders in San Francisco.
San Francisco 49ers
And the 49ers and the city have plenty of support from 49ers fans, too.
The 49ers’ fan base has spoken in an unscientific poll, leaving no doubt the Raiders are not welcome in San Francisco while the San Francisco 49ers are playing games a 43-mile drive south in Santa Clara.
In a poll posted on Twitter on Monday and Tuesday, 77 percent of respondents -- assumed to be almost entirely comprised of 49ers fans – expressed a desire for the 49ers to not waive their territorial rights to allow the Raiders to play in San Francisco.
The Raiders are a team without a home until their stadium in Las Vegas is ready for the 2020 season, but there appears to be little sympathy for them in the Bay Area. The Raiders have vowed not to play at the Oakland Coliseum due to Oakland’s lawsuit filed against the Raiders alleging antitrust violations and breach of contract.
The Raiders and Giants engaged in serious talks aimed at the Raiders moving into the ballpark for one season. However, they failed to gain the necessary approval from the 49ers and San Francisco city officials before the plan went public.
Here are some of the reactions from the 11,916 who participated in the Twitter poll:
.@JedYork has been doing a great job rebuilding his image back up in the minds of fans. Allowing the effing Raiders to play a season WITHIN SF, when the 49ers play 45 min away, would be beyond unforgivable. @tcf98
I find it funny the giants ... blocked the A's for sooooo long about the San Jose territory rights yet will allow the raiders to play in their stadium when the 9ers owns the SF territory... #Hypocrisy @JoseOle916
Serves the Raiders right for snubbing the 49ers in the Mack trade. @KarimzadehSam
Sure, for draft pick compensation. @mlnga
Nope nope a thousand times nope. They knew what they were getting themselves into when they announced they were moving to Vegas in two seasons. They can suffer the consequences of their actions. @Patrickgray92
They offered to share Levi stadium with them so they could stay in the Bay Area. They made their bed. @docblum
Not unless they are going to get another super bowl out of it in the next 5 years. @ItsRyanJohnJay
They quit on the bay area, why would we bail them out of their mess? @montylad
I voted “yes” only because we need the good karma for 2019! @IsaiahWebster