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Giants: Interest expressed for Raiders to play 2019 season at AT&T Park

By Ryan Moran, KTVU
Published  December 21, 2018 5:46pm PST
News
KTVU FOX 2

(KTVU) - The Oakland Raiders, who are not slated to move to Nevada until the 2020 season, could remain in the Bay Area for one more year and play on the other side of the bridge at AT&T Park.

KTVU reached out to the Giants, who confirmed the possibility on Friday, but noted there’s many steps before the departing Raiders play in San Francisco. 

“There has been initial interest expressed in exploring the opportunity of the Raiders playing at AT&T Park, [but] many details would need to be figured out,” a team spokesperson said.  

Outside the ballpark on Friday, Giants fans expressed concerns about bringing in the silver and black, specifically addressing potential damage to the Giants' pristine field. Another fan was worried about the health impact football players face when they play on the baseball infield.

"The logistics of the players, playing on the raw dirt...I just don't think it's good for them," said Nancy Walter, who was picking up a pair of seats from the old Candlestick Park.

Earlier this month, the city of Oakland filed a federal lawsuit against the Raiders and the NFL for violating federal antitrust laws. Raiders owner Mark Davis withdrew a rent offer that would have kept the Raiders at the Coliseum for 2019. 

The Raiders will play in Nevada in 2020, so it comes down to ripping the band-off or delaying the inevitable sting. “The Giants want to do what’s best for Bay Area fans and would be open to the concept just as we hosted Cal Football in 2011 when Memorial Stadium in Berkeley was being renovated,” the spokesperson said.  

But one of the outstanding questions involves the other Bay Area football team, the 49ers, who currently hold NFL rights for San Francisco and it's unclear how that would impact a potential deal between the Raiders and the Giants. For their part, the 49ers released a statement Friday.

"If the league or the Raiders want to have exploratory conversations about playing in SF next year, we are open to having those conversations."