Jamie Matthews is ready for the Oakland Raiders to play in Santa Clara

Santa Clara Mayor and Stadium Five vice president Jamie Matthews was at the annual Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal Economic Forecast event on January 20, 2012. The Business Journal reports that he said that the Santa Clara San Francisco 49ers stadium was "definitely designed" for two home teams, and the various reports and plans were done "to make it as easy as signing an additional lease". He said discussions with another team could start after the stadium is built. He added that "We designed it for a second team, so it's our ambition to get a second team".

The propaganda for a public subsidized and billionare tax sheltered stadium in Santa Clara doesn't talk about the Oakland Raiders in the stadium since it gets San Francisco 49ers fans mad, but that is who is being referred to as "second team". And although Matthews implies that he would be involved in getting the Raiders, the city of Santa Clara, while owners of the stadium through the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, has no involvement in the addition of a second team to the stadium. The second team would lease the stadium through the San Francisco 49ers affiliate Forty Niners Stadium, LLC and it is the sole decision of the San Francisco 49ers as to whether to rent to a second team.

Oakland Raiders coming to Santa Clara if new stadium built?

There have been no public statements by the Oakland Raiders that they would be willing to move to Santa Clara, but that possibility is being shown on city of Santa Clara documents. And in December 2009 the Oakland Raiders reached an agreement with the City of Oakland to extend their lease to 2013. This leaves open the possibility that they could move to another stadium in 2014.

Proposed Santa Clara San Francisco 49ers stadium mockup
Note the large easily changable electronic exterior displays
Will they also be showing silver and black?

The term sheet section 16 talks about the "2nd team". In the city's June 2, 2009 presentation, Page 48 has two columns, one for one team, one for two teams. But the Raiders are never named, apparently because San Francisco 49ers fans, while gung ho for a new stadium, are dead set against sharing it with the Raiders. So it is likely there will be continue to be a nameless "2nd team" until after the stadium election. And that will probably continue until after the 49ers season ticket holders pay for their Stadium Builders Licenses (aka Personal Seat Licenses) that will give them the privilege to buy season tickets in the new stadium. In another sign the Raiders are coming, the stadium is being designed with external electronic panels that can easily change the outside logos depending on which team is occupying the stadium that game. This is the same design used on the New Jersey stadium shared by the Giants and Jets.

Tim Kawakami, San Jose Mercury news sportswriter, as noted below, thinks the 49ers need the Raiders to pay for the stadium. Sorry 49ers fans, but you better get used to sharing if a new stadium gets built in Santa Clara.

In addition to nothing being said about joining the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, there is talk of a new stadium in Oakland. And the San Francisco 49ers president Jed York has said that they would be open to moving to Oakland as a Plan B.

Would the Oakland Raiders keep their same name or change it if they move to Santa Clara?

The San Francisco 49ers will still be called the San Francisco 49ers even if they move to Santa Clara, California and it is a virtual certainty the Oakland Raiders wold also retain their name after a move. The New York Giants and New York Jets both moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, and didn't change their name. Likewise, the Dallas Cowboys moved to Arlington, Texas and also didn't change their name. There don't seem to be any examples of sports teams moving from a large city to a smaller one in their metropolitan area and changing the city part of their name.

Reason #8 - The 49ers can decide to bring in the Oakland Raiders, even if the city opposes it.

Will Kennedy speaks to Santa Clara Plays Fair (id SCvoter on youtube.com)
on Reason #8 of top 10 reasons to Vote No on Santa Clara Measure J

The city has surrendered its right to control whether the Raiders will move to Santa Clara in the future. The 49ers now have sole authority over this decision.

Source: Term Sheet, Section 16.1

Going from neighbors to roommates??

01/14/2010 - Tim Kawakami says Raiders critical for 49ers to pay for a Santa Clara stadium

Kawakami

Tim Kawakami, San Jose Mercury news sports columnist says in his 1/14/10 column:

"Two years after he was hired with great York-ian fanfare, Andy Dolich disappeared from the 49ers' hierarchy this week.
The way Jed York described it: Dolich's position was eliminated. The way I hear it: Jed is enthralled by the Dallas Cowboys organization and wants to establish a Jerry Jones-style front office, with, of course, Jed in the all-powerful JJ role. It's not a terrible model to copy, and Jed should be particularly interested in Jones' new stadium."

"But wait: Wasn't Dolich supposedly hired to help guide the 49ers' Santa Clara project? Yes, he was. His departure/firing is not a good sign, I would think, for the Santa Clara effort. The more I hear about this situation, the more I'm convinced that the 49ers probably can't do this financially without a partner, and that would mean the Raiders. And Al Davis. Which is never going to happen, for as long as Al lives, and we all know that's going to be another 100 years."

Santa Clara 49ers Stadium leases

40 to 60 year Santa Clara San Francisco 49ers stadium leases

The stadium site (aka ground site) will be owned by the city of Santa Clara, who will lease it to the Santa Clara Stadium Authority under what is called the ground lease in the term sheet. The Santa Clara Stadium Authority will then lease the stadium to the Forty Niners Stadium, LLC, in what the term sheet calls the stadium lease. The Forty Niners Stadium, LLC will lease the stadium to the San Francisco Forty Niners, LTD in what is referred to as the team sublease. At their discretion, Forty Niners Stadium, LLC can also lease the stadium to the Oakland Raiders, the 2nd team sublease.

The Ground Lease, Stadium Lease and Team Sublease all have the same term: 40 years minimum, with 5 options to renew for another 4 years - bringing the maximum lease period to 60 years. Forty Niners Stadium, LLC has the option as to whether they want to exercise a lease extension or terminate the leases. The 2nd Team Sublease, while controlled by the Forty Niners Stadium, LLC, is supposed to be subject to the same terms as the Stadium Lease, but presumably that does not include the 40 year term. Section 16.2 of the term sheet even talks about a temporary 2nd team sublease of up to 3 NFL seasons while the Oakland Raiders wait for a new stadium to be built.