Raiders Restart 'Productive' Talks with Oakland Coliseum for 2019 Return

The Oakland Raiders and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority have reopened negotiations as the Raiders continue to seek a home for the 2019 season. 

"I will confirm that we, late last week, started sitting down and talking with the Raiders about the potential of a 2019 season deal," Scott McKibben, the executive director of the Coliseum Authority, told Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "In my view, the discussions have been meaningful and productive."

According to Gehlken, "The team's lease at the Coliseum expires Wednesday, per McKibben. He said last week that he hoped to have clarity by the lease's conclusion on whether the Raiders had interest in discussing a possible return to Oakland in 2019."

Gehlken reported that the Raiders and the Coliseum had an initial agreement of $7.5 million for rent, though that went away when the city of Oakland sued the NFL and its teams.

The Raiders have also considered playing the 2019 season at other sites in California, including Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara and Oracle Park in San Francisco, though as of yet they remain without a home stadium. 

Other cities are bidding, too. ESPN's Paul Gutierrez noted that Reno, San Diego, Glendale, and Fresno have all been linked to the Raiders. And according to the Arizona Daily Star, Birmingham and Tucson are preparing a proposal to the Raiders to split the hosting duties for the team.

Per that report, "Birmingham city council president William Parker and Tucson attorney Ali Farhang are optimistic that a combined effort will lead to more substantive talks between Raiders owner Mark Davis and the cities. Farhang reached out to Raiders officials last month to express Tucson's interest in hosting the team for one season."

It would be a fascinating situation, though splitting time between two cities in Arizona and Alabama would likely be less than ideal for the players and staff. But it's another potential option for the Raiders as they seek a home for next season before relocating to Las Vegas in 2020.