For the first time since 1994, the Las Vegas Raiders will temporarily reside in Southern California. The team is set to spend 18 days at a training camp in Costa Mesa, Orange County. Despite their significant popularity in the area, NFL policy reportedly prevents Las Vegas from promoting its presence there.
This means no billboards, advertisements, or promotions will notify the public that the Raiders are back in town. While Las Vegas media can cover the Raiders’ training camp, Los Angeles and Southern California media are not invited. Practices will also be closed to the general public, though some VIPs, selected season-ticket holders, sponsors, and invited guests will have access to the Jack Hammett Sports Complex, located about 40 miles south of SoFi Stadium.
“That’s where we’re having camp,” said Raiders owner Mark Davis. “But the Chargers and Rams have the ability to block us from promoting. It’s fine.
“It would be nice if all the fans could be there, but whatever. Like I said, the Chargers and Rams have that ability.”
Why can’t Los Angeles fans know about the Raiders?
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis during warmups against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports Since permanently relocating from St. Louis and San Diego, respectively, the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers share territorial marketing rights to the area, allowing them to block the Raiders from promoting their training camp in Orange County.
According to league policy, “Every club has an exclusive home territory extending 75 miles in all directions from the exterior corporate borders of the city for which it holds a franchise. If another club holds its preseason training camp within that exclusive territory, it cannot be marketed locally.”
The move is reportedly the idea of head coach Antonio Pierce, who grew up 30 miles away near Compton. He believes team bonding is a significant benefit of the move.
“It’s about team bonding,” Pierce said. “When I played, we never stayed at our facility. I was used to traveling and going away, being bunkered up, 90 or 85 players at a time, or whatever it was. Team bonding, getting together, and getting to know one another away from all the distractions. It’s all about ball. Just ball.”
Davis agrees that practicing in Orange County is a smart move for the team.
“The best part of not doing it in Las Vegas is the bonding,” Davis said. “When camp is here [in Henderson], the vets, the ones with homes here, go home and see family. When you’re away at camp, you’re together. That kind of bonding.”
The Raiders’ trip is a one-year deal, so the Rams and Chargers won’t have to complain for long. However, it includes the team paying $165,000 in rent to the city of Costa Mesa and other contributions such as $600,000 in improvements to the fields at the complex, 100 tickets for local students to attend an NFL game in Southern California, a donation of outdoor weight training equipment to Costa Mesa High School, and a new mobile recreation van for programs in underserved areas.