The initial push for a large-scale events center in Las Vegas goes back to 2011, when University of Nevada – Las Vegas, or “UNLV” alumni and supporters first floated the idea. The effort gained steam with several studies in 2013 and 2014, and then reached a fever pitch with Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval’s Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee (SNTIC). It was during the SNTIC that Las Vegas Sands Founder Sheldon Adelson brought Oakland Raiders Owner Mark Davis to the meetings and introduced the concept of a Raiders / UNLV joint-use domed stadium. The SNTIC produced the Southern Nevada Tourism and Investment Act, otherwise referred to as Nevada Senate Bill One, signed into law October 17th, 2017.
Well, since then, the idea of joint-use has been tossed out of the window and replaced by “Raiders use it first, then think about fitting in UNLV Football, where it can.” That’s an apparent view which would seem to drive the Oakland Raiders current action of denying the University use of the stadium for two key home games in September; August 29th versus Cal seems set (absent stadium opening delays due to the cable-net roof issue, and other problems that exist, and new ones that could crop up). This blogger wonders of the Oakland Raiders, operating as “StadCo”, forgot to read the law that governs its relationship with UNLV, and forms the line of ownership of Las Vegas Stadium, and much more, Nevada Senate Bill One.
This dispute with UNLV has gone on since November of 2019, and since it’s now January 19th, 2020, this blogger wonders if the Raiders remembered what the SNTIA says?
Regarding UNLV and this topic of Las Vegas Stadium home game days for UNLV, Nevada Senate Bill One has much to say. Take a look:
3. A lease agreement entered into by the Stadium Authority with the Stadium Events Company described in paragraph (d) of subsection 1 must set forth the requirements and responsibilities of the Stadium Events Company with respect to the operation of the National Football League stadium project and must:
(g) Provide for the accommodation of a sufficient number of dates to host at the project the regular and postseason home games of the University football team, subject to the following conditions and restrictions:
(1) Any National Football League event has priority of use of the project and the National Football League team has priority to use the project for its home games and priority over dates, stadium assets and the playing surface;
(2) Any date for a regular or postseason home game of the University football team at the project must: (I) Not conflict with the use of the project by the National Football League team for a home game of the National Football League team;
(II) Not conflict with major events that are not National Football League events that were scheduled to be hosted at the project before the University finalized the schedule of home games for its football team for the applicable season;
(III) Be mutually agreed upon by the University and the Stadium Events Company; and
(IV) Be approved by the Stadium Authority;
(3) After the University has finalized the schedule of home games for its football team for the applicable season and the dates of those home games have been approved by the Stadium Authority, the date of a home game may not be changed to accommodate an event that is not a National Football League event without the approval of the University; and
(4) If a change to the schedule of home games for the University football team is proposed for the purpose of allowing a home game of the team to be televised, the Stadium Events Company or the National Football League team must use reasonable commercial efforts to assess the feasibility of the change and allow the change to be made if it is commercially reasonable, except that such change must not interfere with or impair the ability of the National Football League team to play a home game at the project;
Oakland Raiders President Marc Badain claimed that the September home game dates that UNLV needed were taken up by concert dates, but he did not say what performers were to be featured. If he’s in the middle of negotiations with event producers for those dates, then Badain, acting as head of StadCo, is arguably in violation of Section 29, 3 (g) of Nevada Senate Bill One, as well as (g)(IV)(3) highlighted above.
Oakland Raiders Second Class Treatment Of UNLV Could Block $30 Million Southern Nevada Water Resources Board Sponsorship
Marc Badain’s playing with fire. The Oakland Raiders second class treatment of UNLV is already sending chills down the collective spines of UNLV Alumni. Many of those same people hold powerful positions in Las Vegas, and including influencing the Southern Nevada Water Resources Board. That’s the same entity that the Raiders and Legends sought a controversial $30 million sponsorship from.
To date, according to The Nevada Independent…
A contentious $30 million, 10-year marketing deal between the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Las Vegas Raiders is still on the table after two months of delay, but several members of an advisory panel that was tasked to review the agreement have raised questions about how cost-effective it is.
The deal — a multi-year contract for digital and physical advertising and other outreach perks involving Raiders branding and team members — was discussed Wednesday during a two-hour presentation on the agency’s conservation efforts to date. Business and conservation voices on the Integrated Resource Planning Advisory Committee brought up several concerns about the contract, including its target audience and unpredictable outcomes in customer behavior.
The Raiders only have 9 of the 12 “founding partner” sponsors Badain says it needs – they’re going to find that landing any public company in Nevada as one of them will get much harder if UNLV is mistreated.
If the Raiders continue to be perceived as disrespecting UNLV, the board might come up with any reason to reject the Raiders ask. And that would be just the tip of the iceberg of new problems for the Oakland Raiders in Las Vegas.
Stay tuned.