A joint meeting of the NFL’s finance and stadium committees has been called for Jan. 11 in New York, a possible sign the Chargers won’t announce this week whether they plan to leave San Diego.
The meeting of the two key committees was just recently scheduled. Team owners on those committees will hear updates on the progress in San Diego, Oakland and Los Angeles, as well as other stadium situations.
Chargers Chairman Dean Spanos has until Jan. 15 to announce whether he is moving the team from its home for 56 years to Los Angeles.
While many around the league and those close to Spanos say he is prepared to move, the Chargers have appealed to the league for help to remain in San Diego.
Even as the league and several owners continue to discuss possible solutions in San Diego, one NFL source said there is no guarantee the Chargers won’t announce their decision before the Jan. 11 meeting.
That source also said, however, it is possible the Chargers could be given time beyond the Jan. 15 deadline. Owners assigned that date as a deadline when they voted last January to allow the Rams to move from St. Louis. Owners at that time gave the Oakland Raiders the option to move to Los Angeles if the Chargers did not exercise their option by Jan. 15, 2017. However, the Raiders are now actively trying to move to Las Vegas and are expected to file a relocation request at the conclusion of their season (which could be as early as Saturday evening).
Chargers’ fate up to NFL, other owners
San Diego officials recently extended an offer for money they are willing to put to a public vote. Including $100 million San Diego State has committed to fund raise toward a stadium, the total contribution from the city, county and SDSU would be $375 million. (The city is offering $200 million, same as it was in 2015, while the county is proposing a $75 million contribution, half its 2015 pledge.)
With $300 million from the NFL and the Chargers’ previous pledge of $350 million, there remains a gap of $100 million to $175 million between what appears available and what the Chargers say a stadium will cost.
