Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis, who previously has said he isn't opposed to relocating the franchise, denied he's courting Los Angeles, which is seeking an NFL team.
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"Oakland is my preference, though," Davis told The Oakland Tribune on Friday. "I see us as an urban team, being in a city. I want it to work here. I'd like to stay here.
"But we have to find a way to (generate more revenue). We need people buying season tickets. We're in a deficit-spending situation, and we need to start getting our revenue up."
The Raiders moved to Los Angeles from Oakland in 1982, then returned to the Bay Area for the 1995 season.
Another Bay Area team, the San Francisco 49ers, broke ground Thursday on its new $1.2 billion stadium in Santa Clara, a suburb of San Jose. Davis said he wouldn't "close the door" on the possibility of the Raiders sharing the stadium with the 49ers, but he admitted there was little chance of that.
"We have to do something," Davis said. "We're opening the season on a Monday night, national TV, and we'll be playing on dirt (because of the Oakland Athletics' baseball diamond)."
Oakland civic officials recently met with Davis to present a proposal on the Coliseum complex site that would contain three separate facilities, allowing space for the A's and the NBA's Golden State Warriors. The designs for the proposed Coliseum City entertainment center were based on Anschutz Entertainment Group's L.A. Live entertainment district.
Davis said he was "impressed" by the meeting.
AEG is pursuing the O.co Coliseum management contract and has offered $3.5 million in "capital investment," as well as a $1 million signing bonus for "revenue-enhancing projects." The group promised to generate $2.5 million by the end of the five-year contract by bringing in 25 events.
AEG, which wants to build Farmers Field for an NFL team in downtown Los Angeles, also agreed to add a clause to its contract that it wouldn't talk to the Raiders about moving.
