San Antonio football fans who were drooling for seeing the Oakland Raiders playing the Alamodome may be getting their wish after all.
The team this week announced a move to Las Vegas, but it will likely be years before their $2 billion stadium will be completed. This year, they will still be playing in Oakland, but for the two years after that, it's up in the air, and Alamodome Director Michael Sawaya says, they would love to have them.
"We have a good dialogue with them and maintain a good relationship. If it's something they want to pursue, we're open to that," he tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI.
Sawaya says, when the city first met with the Raiders in 2014 to pitch a permanent move to the dome, they also negotiated a backup plan, where San Antonio could be a temporary home. Most of the fine points, he says, have already been negotiated.
He thinks, despite being passed over for Las Vegas, fans here would welcome the team, simply because it's pro football in our backyard.
"They loved it when the Saints played, when the Oilers played, when the Cowboys camp played. The fan base here loves pro football, so I think it's something we would be interested in," he explains.
As far as logistics, he says it would be easy, thanks to UTSA football, which plays their games in the Alamodome on Saturdays.
The way the field turf works, the logos in the end zones could simply be swapped out for the Raiders on Sunday.
The real question is: will the fans show up? Mike Taylor, host of The Mike Taylor Show on the Ticket 760, doubts it.
"If the league forces fans to pay regular prices than it'll hurt attendance. They may sell out a game or two but after that, no. Cowboys fans aren't going to miss a Cowboy game on TV to pay high prices to see the Raiders."