Chargers, Raiders, Rams All File Papers with NFL to Relocate to L.A.

The St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, and San Diego Chargers all filed papers with the NFL on Monday to relocate to Los Angeles.

The league plans to move one or two teams to the Los Angeles market, the second largest in the United States but without an NFL franchise since 1995. Owners meet next week with hopes of deciding on which of the teams move and which of the teams stay. The potential Los Angeles franchises desire an expedited decision to hasten ticket sales, decisions on practice facilities, and other requirements to run a profitable professional football team.

All three teams once called Los Angeles home. The team or teams rejected likely return to an angry, or perhaps appreciative, fan base.

“The St. Louis Rams informed the National Football League today that the Rams propose to relocate to the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area,” the Rams announced. “The relocation would be effective for the 2016 NFL League Year.”

Unlike the Rams, which received a serious proposal to build a new stadium largely at taxpayer expense, the Chargers received no such commitment from San Diego, a fact that the franchise stressed in its release.

“We have tried for more than 14 years, through nine separate proposals and seven different mayors, to create a world-class stadium experience for fans in San Diego,” the Chargers announced. “Despite these efforts, there is still no certain, actionable solution to the stadium problem. We are sad to have reached this point.”

The Raiders, like the Rams, departed Los Angeles 21 years ago. With a half-century old stadium, and a city facing financial difficulties, the Raiders appear as the likeliest to relocate.

“In accordance with the relocation policies, the Oakland Raiders submitted a relocation package to the NFL,” the team informed on its website. “The matter is now in the hands of the NFL’s owners. An owners’ meeting is scheduled to take place in Houston, Texas on January 12 and 13, 2016.”

The Houston Oilers stand as the last NFL team to relocate. They moved to Tennessee in 1997 and ultimately became the Tennessee Titans.