Steelers owner: Raiders might move to Las Vegas without Adelson investment

The Oakland Raiders might decline Sheldon Adelson’s stadium investment in pursuing relocation to Las Vegas, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II said Wednesday.

Adelson, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., has negotiated for months with Mark Davis, the Raiders’ majority owner and general managing partner, on a stadium lease agreement. They have yet to reach accord. But that hasn’t changed the Raiders’ desire to leave Oakland for Las Vegas.

“I think the Raiders are looking at this potentially going without Mr. Adelson,’’ Rooney, chairman of the league’s stadium committee and one of the NFL’s most influential owners, told reporters in New York after league meetings on relocation and stadium issues.

Davis told the Review-Journal, “I have nothing to say right now.”

Adelson has committed $650 million of his personal wealth to a $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium in Las Vegas. A hotel room tax increase would fund $750 million in construction costs, and the Raiders and the league would contribute $500 million.

Adelson, 83, continues to negotiate with Davis, 61, in the hopes of reaching a lease agreement, according to the league. But his ultimate goal remains to get a stadium deal, regardless of his potential involvement.

“The Adelsons remain committed to getting the stadium built and bringing the Raiders to Las Vegas,’’ Ron Reese, a Las Vegas Sands Corp. spokesman, said Wednesday.

Steve Hill, director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and chairman of the Las Vegas Stadium Authority Board of Directors, said the stadium project is not in peril if Adelson and Davis do not reach an agreement.

“It’s not an urgent situation,’’ Hill said. “I know the Raiders and the Adelson family are continuing to talk. From our standpoint, if they reach an agreement, that’s great. And if they don’t, then the Raiders would have to figure out a different way of moving forward.’’

The stadium authority board meets Thursday.

The Raiders’ previously submitted financial plan, along with discussion of a relocation fee, were the hot topics Wednesday in meetings of the league’s stadium and finance committees.

NFL Executive Vice President Eric Grubman confirmed the Raiders have yet to file for relocation. Davis said in a text message to the Review-Journal he has no plans to do so this week. Davis attended Wednesday’s meeting in New York and discussed the franchise’s financial blueprint with owners and team representatives.

“The membership had a great deal of questions about that,’’ Grubman said.

Rooney would not speculate whether the league is moving toward a position on committing a team to Las Vegas.

“I think it’s up to Mark to decide whether he’s going to make that decision or not,’’ Rooney said. “He informed us where he is today. He’s got to make a decision.

“I think he’s close to making a decision, but I’ll let him make that announcement when he’s ready.’’

Seventy-five percent of the league’s 32 owners must approve the Raiders’ plan to leave Oakland. It is not anticipated that a vote will be taken until late March at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix.

Rooney also made it clear that Adelson could not be involved in ownership because his casinos have legal sports gambling.

“I think the only discussion we’ve had on that subject, in general, is that league rules and league policies (prohibit such ownership),” he told reporters. “So that any ownership discussion would have to be in concurrence with our current policies.”

Grubman said the relocation fee was addressed but that no specific numbers were discussed. It cost St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke $550 million to move his franchise to Los Angeles last year. However, in contrast to the Rams’ move to LA, the Raiders would be moving to a smaller market.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson.

Review-Journal staff writer Richard N. Velotta contributed to this report. Jon Saraceno can be reached at jsaraceno@reviewjournal.com.