Under the proposal, the Las Vegas Raiders would hold pre-season training camp at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa.
The silver-and-black franchise, which has hopped from Oakland to Los Angeles and back to Oakland before landing in Las Vegas, would hold at least part of its pre-season training camp at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa under a proposal scheduled for consideration at that Orange County community’s Tuesday city council meeting.
“Costa Mesa is proud to be one of only two cities in the country to host an NFL team”s summer training camp in a publicly owned facility,” Costa Mesa City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison said. “Jack Hammett is a treasure and we are excited to potentially have a new NFL team training here.”
The team still maintains a strong fan base in Southern California, where the Raiders played at the LA Memorial Coliseum for 12 seasons, starting in 1982. The team moved back to Oakland before heading to Las Vegas in 2020.
Under the one-year agreement being considered, the team would use the fields at the sports complex starting in mid-July through Aug. 11. The proposed agreement would include improvements to fields at the sports complex, a junior training camp and other contributions.
The Raiders currently hold pre-season training camp at the team’s Henderson, Nevada practice facility. A move to Costa Mesa would mean five NFL teams with training camps in the area, along with the Cowboys and Saints, and the hometown Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.
The Jack Hammett Sports Complex, named after a well-known figure in the city’s government and civic affairs, was used by the University of Alabama when the Crimson Tide prepared for the 2010 college national championship game at the Rose Bowl. Florida State practiced at the sprawling facility ahead of the 2014 national championship game.
The Chargers and Costa Mesa had an agreement for the team to hold training camps at the center through 2026, but the team notified the city in 2022 that 2023 would likely be its last at the complex with a move to a new training facility in El Segundo in the works.
“I’m pleased to welcome the Las Vegas Raiders and their loyal fans, ‘Raider Nation’ to the great city of Costa Mesa for training camp this summer,” Mayor John Stephens said. “The Raiders and Costa Mesa share a commitment to excellence, and our partnership will greatly benefit the community. Many thanks to Newport-Mesa School District, especially Costa Mesa High School, for collaborating with us in this endeavor. To quote Al Davis, ‘Just win, baby!'”
