San Francisco 49ers: What the Raiders’ Move to Las Vegas Means for Bay Area Football
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers will be the only NFL team in Northern California once the Oakland Raiders complete their move to Las Vegas in two years or so. While slim at first, the move will have significant impact for Bay Area football fans.
In case you missed it, the Oakland Raiders will be moving to Las Vegas after news broke NFL owners approved the relocation by a vote of 31-1 on Monday.
It’s a sad day for Bay Area Raiders fans, as they now have watched their team depart Oakland twice — the first time in 1982 when the team relocated to Los Angeles under late owner Al Davis.
While not having an immediate impact on the San Francisco 49ers, the ramifications are going to be widespread for Bay Area football. Especially with the Niners remaining the lone Northern California team in the NFL.
San Francisco 49ers
According to StationIndex.com, the Bay Area boasts the sixth largest media market in the country. In comparison, Las Vegas is 42nd. So fans of the silver and black will have that to chew on in what promises to be a slew of challenges and problems in coming years.
Nevertheless, the impact in the Bay Area will be felt. Even if it takes some time.
A Generational Change
Fans growing up rooting for the Raiders probably won’t just shift allegiances to San Francisco. No, current Raiders fans will remain loyal, even if it means Northern California fans will have to travel to see games in Las Vegas.
But for the casual football fan in the area, Levi’s Stadium remains the only option for someone craving NFL action. At least in two years or so.
Surely, the 49ers’ York family — the team’s current owners — benefit from the move. The Niners can now lay claim to the market. They’ll benefit, both financially and in terms of rooting interest.
Yet that rooting interest will take time. For example, my cousins — living in the Sacramento area — are die-hard Raiders fans. They won’t shift their loyalty, and that’s fine. It’s good to stick with teams, even if they break your heart.
The same can’t be said of their children though. Sure, parents’ influences can cast a shadow on the rooting interests of younger generations.
But in a few years, those young football fans will be exposed to more 49ers football. And, chances are, they’ll wind up being fans of the red and gold.
Not the silver and black.
A Regional Rivalry Destroyed
It’s been a while since both the 49ers and Raiders were good at the same time. Now, the Niners are in the tank while Oakland is a top NFL franchise and possible Super Bowl contender this season.
Still, these two fanbases claimed their respective teams with passion. It’s hard to say that same passion will last much longer, at least in terms of a rivalry, beyond the next decade or so.
And that’s sad. 49ers-Raiders games sure were interesting, as long as there wasn’t any violence.
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Sure, there will be some holdovers remembering those games in which these two teams squared off in Northern California and how crowds favoring either franchise would litter Oakland Coliseum or Candlestick Park.
But that’s going away now too.
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So it’s going to be a gradual culture change in Northern California over the next few years and decades. And unless the Raiders change their minds again and return to Oakland, it’s likely Levi’s Stadium will remain the only place to catch NFL action for quite a long, long time.