In Las Vegas, Richard Velotta noted the "proximity of the Bali Hai Golf Club to two interstate highways and world-famous Las Vegas Boulevard has now made it the leading contender as a site for a 65,000-seat domed football stadium" for the Raiders. Las Vegas Sands Senior VP/Government Relations & Community Development Andy Abboud said that the golf club "has emerged as a consensus best option by the developers, government officials and gaming industry leaders." Abboud said that reps of the Raiders also "are enthusiastic about the site because it has enough space to accommodate parking and tailgating activities for fans." One issue with the site is its "proximity to the west end" of McCarran Int'l Airport’s primary east-west runways (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 8/7).
TAKING IT TO THE BANK: NBCSPORTS.com's Zach Barnett reported San Jose State Univ. "has a new stadium naming rights agreement" with Illinois-based Citizens Equity First Credit Union. The venue "will now be known as CEFCU Stadium." The credit union will pay the school $8.7M over the next 15 seasons. The venue formerly known as Spartan Stadium has hosted SJSU's football team since '33 (NBCSPORTS.com, 8/6). The school said that this was the "only naming rights deal for a football stadium in the California State University system and one of only three in the 12-member Mountain West Conference" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/5).
SPORTING A NEW LOOK? Red Sox President Sam Kennedy said the team has talked about lacross as a "potentially new and different event" at Fenway Park. Kennedy: "Rugby as well. We’ve looked at tennis. Personally, I’d like to see more football -- good, old-fashioned American football. Fenway is a beautiful venue for football. The sightlines are great. It's easy to pull it off. Field conversion is relatively easy compared with erecting a stage, or a ski jump, or an ice rink. I’d like to see more collegiate football. More high school football. More amateur football. The month of November is a great month for us to do that" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/5).
