Jul 17, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke , NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and 49ers president Paraag Marathe cut the ribbon with 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis , offensive tackle Joe Staley and head coach Jim Harbaugh as construction workers cheer and take photos at the ribbon cutting ceremony at Levi's Stadium. Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
After NFL commissioner Roger Goodell cut the ribbon to open the San Francisco 49ers’ state-of-the-art Levi’s Stadium on Thursday, he suggested the possibility of the Oakland Raiders becoming a tenant.
The Raiders are faced with the dilemma of building or finding a stadium to replace antiquated O.co Coliseum. The team is in the final year of its lease there.
“They have to make that determination, whether they’re in a new stadium in Oakland or whether they feel that it’s best to join this stadium,” Goodell said, according to the Bay Area Sports Guy. “We’re working on that, and that’s one of the decisions they’ll have to make.”
Raiders owner Mark Davis has previously stated his opposition to sharing a home with the nearby 49ers, whose new stadium is decked out with their colors and includes posters of current and former standouts.
O.Co Coliseum is the last remaining facility shared by a Major League Baseball team and an NFL franchise. Oakland’s City Council recently approved a 10-year lease with the A’s. But the Raiders have expresssed interest in the past of tearing down the stadium and building a new one.
Meanwhile, the $1.2 billion, 68,500-seat Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara was unveiled with Goodell, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, linebacker Patrick Willis and left tackle Joe Staley on hand.
The new stadium, which is 45 miles from downtown San Francisco, will host Super Bowl 50 in 2016 and features free Wi-Fi, food ordering from a smartphone app and 165 luxury suites.
“The stadium reflects the greatness of the region, the technology and the innovation,” Goodell said.
The 49ers’s first perseason game there will be Aug. 17 against the Denver Broncos. The first regular-season game is set for Sept. 14 against the Chicago Bears.
