NFL in L.A.: Chargers, Raiders Propose Shared Stadium

Variety Staff / Variety /

After a 20-year drought, is the NFL finally returning to the city of Los Angeles ?

According to the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders are teaming up on a plan to build a $1.7 billion stadium in Carson that the two franchises would share in a potentially epic deal for the city.

The two California teams, both in the AFC West, will continue to pursue new stadiums in their local markets, but if they can’t sign a new deal by the end of the year, the Chargers and Raiders will move forward with the privately financed stadium.

Carson is also home to the StubHub Center, where the L.A. Galaxy play Major League Soccer games.

In a joint statement, the teams said, “We are pursuing this stadium option in Carson for one straightforward reason: If we cannot find a permanent solution in our home markets, we have no alternative but to preserve other options to guarantee the future economic viability of our franchises.”

The partnership, dubbed “Carson2gether,” will reportedly be announced Friday at a news conference near the 168-acre site.

L.A. has been without a football team for nearly two decades after the Raiders and Rams, who moved to St. Louis, left the city.

Several efforts have unsuccessfully sought to lure new teams to Los Angeles, including AEG’s once-promising offer to finance Farmer’s Field in 2012. The project, approved by the L.A. City Council, has yet to persuade an NFL team to move to downtown.

The Chargers and Raiders wouldn’t be the only sports teams to share the same venue in Southern California. The Lakers and Clippers currently host NBA games at the Staples Center in downtown L.A.

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