The passing of legendary Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis creates a void for the Raiders but also could have monstrous implications in the stadium projects enveloping Northern and Southern California. For SoCal, the Raiders remain a candidate for whichever of the two stadium projects gets completed. The AEG group has been considering a variety of teams but part of the issue is taking on a controlling ownership stake. This was something Al Davis would not agree to, but his passing opens that back up for debate.
For Northern California, the 49ers stadium project is moving along at a pretty solid pace as the team has sold numerous luxury suites and has hired a company to find a purchaser for naming rights. However, finances remain an issue depending on those naming rights and how many people will be willing to fork over personal seat license fees.
That has led to some discussion about the 49ers and Raiders sharing a stadium. Al Davis was an opponent of such an idea, but his passing likely opens the door for further discussions on the subject. If the two teams shared a stadium, while it increases the overall cost, it lowers the per team cost significantly. Additionally, it opens the door for greater league funding through the former G3 Fund.
The next six to nine months could prove incredibly fascinating with the Raiders sitting at the heart of this situation. They could conceivably "hold the keys to the kingdom" when it comes to getting stadiums built in California.