[Embo]

Earlier in this thread, I made a post about how California Memorial Stadium has an ongoing problem with the Panoramic Hill Association, and how they made Cal veto free $1 million lighting, so I felt the Raiders would be an even bigger issue.  I wanted to make sure I was accurate on the dates, and was trying to remember what network was offering them, so I did some digging and found a link.  I was off a few years - it wasn't the early '90's, but 2000.  And the network was Fox Sports - back then, a relative newcomer to college football.  I was right on the details - it cost Fox a good amount to truck in temporary lights ($70,000 per game), so it made sense in the long run for Fox to pay for permanent lighting at all the stadiums.  And yes, Stanford Stadium v1.0 had lights paid for and installed by Fox Sports.

But here's the interesting and definitive quote, about halfway in the story.  The UC associate AD attempted to mollify the angry PHA hoard by informing them that Cal had "turned down numerous lucrative offers to rent out Memorial, including two requests by the Oakland Raiders, who offered $1 million to play there."

I would speculate that the Raiders may have requested a game when the Oakland Coliseum was in baseball infield configuration.  But Cal turned down the offer because they knew of the outcry by the neighbors.

Cal forced to decline free lighting - and the Raiders

[Embo]

Earlier in this thread, I made a post about how California Memorial Stadium has an ongoing problem with the Panoramic Hill Association, and how they made Cal veto free $1 million lighting, so I felt the Raiders would be an even bigger issue.  I wanted to make sure I was accurate on the dates, and was trying to remember what network was offering them, so I did some digging and found a link.  I was off a few years - it wasn't the early '90's, but 2000.  And the network was Fox Sports - back then, a relative newcomer to college football.  I was right on the details - it cost Fox a good amount to truck in temporary lights ($70,000 per game), so it made sense in the long run for Fox to pay for permanent lighting at all the stadiums.  And yes, Stanford Stadium v1.0 had lights paid for and installed by Fox Sports.

But here's the interesting and definitive quote, about halfway in the story.  The UC associate AD attempted to mollify the angry PHA hoard by informing them that Cal had "turned down numerous lucrative offers to rent out Memorial, including two requests by the Oakland Raiders, who offered $1 million to play there."

I would speculate that the Raiders may have requested a game when the Oakland Coliseum was in baseball infield configuration.  But Cal turned down the offer because they knew of the outcry by the neighbors.

Cal forced to decline free lighting - and the Raiders