The Oakland Raiders formally became the Las Vegas Raiders in a "special event in front of Allegiant Stadium" yesterday featuring team Owner Mark Davis and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak. The crowd outside the venue "erupted in applause." Sisolak presented Davis with a "proclamation naming Jan. 22, 2020 the day the Raiders moved to Las Vegas." Davis led the crowd in a chant of "Raiders! Raiders! Raiders!" (RENO GAZETTE JOURNAL, 1/23). Davis confirmed that fans "can expect to see a plethora of Las Vegas-branded Raiders merchandise in April." Davis: "We are going to release it at the draft" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/23).
The Raiders were "laying the groundwork for the change last week, removing the name 'Oakland' from their Alameda facility as well as their Twitter handle." They added "Las Vegas" to their Twitter yesterday (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 1/23). While it is "still very, very early, it looks as if the Raiders' time in Las Vegas is off to a smooth start" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/23). The team also is "planting roots in Southern Nevada" by pledging $500,000 toward "eliminating meal debt," with the funds to be allocated through the Nevada Community Foundation (LVSPORTSBIZ.com, 1/22).
