Stadium management companies "will have a chance to state their case for why they should manage" the Oakland Coliseum stadium complex instead of SMG, "which has run operations there for 13 years," according to Angela Woodall of the OAKLAND TRIBUNE. AEG and Global Spectrum already have emerged as candidates to run the "municipally owned and subsidized sports and entertainment complex, made up of the Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum." The district "will still be governed by the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority board," and during its "regular board meeting Friday, the commissioners appeared ready to start negotiating a 10-year no-bid contract extension with SMG." The "other option on Friday's agenda involved soliciting bids from other potential operators." The option "seemed remote until Authority Commissioner Desley Brooks said the coliseum operates under the same contracting rules as the city of Oakland and must issue a request for proposals." Already, SMG has offered to "sweeten the deal with a $1.5 million 'capital contribution' that can be used for whatever the Coliseum Authority sees fit," but its competitors "are likely to offer a bigger sweetener." The details "won't be known until after the next board meeting on Aug. 19," and bids "could start rolling in by September." Woodall noted AEG, Global Spectrum and other "competing firms will have to account for the unusual condition of juggling two buildings and three sports franchises" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 7/16).
