Cardinals and Raiders could share State Farm Stadium in 2019

With the possibility of the Oakland Raiders not having a home stadium for the 2019 NFL stadium, Glendale has been reported as an option until they await their future home of Las Vegas.

The Raiders may not be able to play next season in the O.Co Coliseum, their home of 38 years, as a result of the City of Oakland having filed a lawsuit against the organization and the NFL. The city aims to recover damages resulting from the “Raiders’ illegal move to Las Vegas.”

The list of cities the Raiders are conserving for a 2019 home include San Antonio, San Diego, Portland and Seattle. Recent reports state that Levi Stadium in San Francisco is an option, but that is the last choice for Raiders’ owner Mark Davis. 

Some of the reasons for State Farm Stadium in Glendale being appealing include the natural grass, retractable roof and close proximity to their future home. 

Glendale residents aren’t so keen on the possibility.

“It might be time to move. That’s gonna be traffic every weekend, and then you think about going into the holidays with the outlets, that’s just a complete disaster,” Julissa Dufault said. 

“If I’m not going to a game, I kind of find traffic the traffic annoying,” Mike Toerpe said. “Like the (Loop) 101 gets so jammed up, and then the (Interstate) 10 gets jammed up and if that’s going to happen every single Sunday, it’s gonna suck.” 

The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority declined to comment and the Arizona Cardinals did not return inquiries related to the possibility.

In a statement, Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps said, “While we haven’t analyzed what the impact would be to the region, what we do know is that every event held in State Farm Stadium is good for the local economy. If the Cardinals decide it is in their best interest to facilitate another team playing in the stadium, Glendale will be both excited and supportive.”