Raiders, Charger and Ram File for Relocation to Los Angeles

On a day where head coaching changes usually capture the headlines, the San Diego Chargers made a different kind of move. The franchise officially filed for relocation on the first day of eligibility with the hopes of moving to the Los Angeles area in the near future. The Chargers have been in San Diego since 1961 after spending their inaugural 1960 season in Los Angeles.

Soon after the announcement of the Charger’s filing, the league announced that the Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams also filed for relocation to Los Angeles.

The league plans to hold an ownership meeting January 12th to discuss each relocation plan. Twenty four votes are needed from the NFL ownership to approve any relocation effort. The league has set a relocation fee that would cost each franchise $550 million to make the move.

The NFL has not had a team relocate since the Houston Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997. That move later prompted league expansion to add the Houston Texans just five years later.

The Chargers and Raiders have submitted joint plans that would enable both franchises to move to the Los Angeles area and play in the same stadium. That stadium would be built in Carson, California, which is located in Los Angeles Township and half an hour south from downtown Los Angeles.

The Ram’s proposal would be a solo move to Inglewood, California, located half an hour west of downtown Los Angeles. The ownership is not happy with the current plans for a new stadium in St. Louis and is fighting hard to earn the right to move back west. The Rams played in Los Angeles from 1946-1994 prior to moving to St. Louis.

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