Get ready for some football, Los Angeles.
The Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams all have applied to relocate to Los Angeles, the NFL said Monday night.
It's not a total surprise that the Raiders and Chargers would set their sights on LA. (The Chargers have tried nine times in 14 years for a new stadium in San Diego.) Sources told the San Diego Union Tribune that the two teams are scheming to share a new facility in Carson -- which would mean LA could go from zero to two (two!) football teams for the 2016 season. The Rams reportedly pitched a stadium in Inglewood.
Read the full NFL statement:
Three teams – the Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, and San Diego Chargers – each submitted applications to our office today to relocate their franchises to the Los Angeles area beginning with the 2016 season. Each team submitted the appropriate documentation in support of its application as required by the NFL Policy and Procedures for Proposed Franchise Relocations.
The applications will be reviewed this week by league staff and three league committees that will meet in New York on Wednesday and Thursday -- the Los Angeles Opportunities, Stadium, and Finance committees. The applications will be presented for consideration at next week’s league meeting in Houston on Tuesday and Wednesday. The relocation of a franchise requires the affirmative vote of three-quarters of the NFL clubs (24 of 32).
The Chargers issued a charming statement:
We have tried for more than 14 years, through nine separate proposals and seven different mayors, to create a world-class stadium experience for fans in San Diego. Despite these efforts, there is still no certain, actionable solution to the stadium problem. We are sad to have reached this point.
The city of San Diego, however, isn't taking the breakup lightly. "The more San Diego has done the less engaged the Chargers have become," Mayor Kevin Faulconer said. "San Diegans deserve better."
Next, NFL owners will meet in Houston on Jan. 12 and Jan. 13 to vote on which team gets the winning LA ticket.
Then, all that needs to happen is to get some new owners. Oh, and build that stadium.