Oakland may soon be without its football team as the Raiders organization has applied for a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the name “Las Vegas Raiders,” according to Forbes.
Adding fuel to the speculation that owner Mark Davis is committed to relocating the team that was once in Los Angeles, the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee also released a report that features renderings of a proposed Raiders stadium (above) in Sin City.
The stadium is estimated to cost $1.4 billion and the effort is led by billionaire Sheldon Adelson, the CEO and chairman of Sands.
If the Raiders move across to the desert, it would make them the first NFL in the Nevada city — but far from the first to apply for the trademark. Five other applications for Las Vegas Raiders have been made, the first in January by a man in San Diego, according to USA Today.
The latest filing covers everything from logo usage on uniforms to fan jerseys, underwear and baby clothes, and they were made by Thomas A. Magnani, a San Francisco-based attorney on Aug. 20.
Magnani listed the Raiders’ headquarters in Alameda, California, on the applications.
However, just because the Raiders have applied for the trademarks doesn’t necessarily mean the team is 100 percent committed to moving. The San Diego Chargers applied to trademark “Los Angeles Chargers” in January, but that team’s future is still being negotiated.
The Raiders had initially considered returning to L.A., but were beaten in that bid by the Rams, who will trek from St. Louis to begin playing USC’s Coliseum until a new stadium is built in Inglewood.
Vegas might actually have three pro sports teams in the near future. The NHL awarded an expansion franchise to Las Vegas, which will begin playing in the 2017-18 season.