OAKLAND, Calif. -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday the league is willing to contribute funding to help build a stadium in Oakland to keep the Raiders in town.
Goodell said it is crucial that the Raiders improve their stadium situation. They currently play in outdated O.co Coliseum and have said they would like a more modern facility at the same location. There have been talks between the team and city officials, but nothing concrete has happened as of yet.
"It's our stage. It's part of where we present our game. It's the biggest part," Goodell said. "It's also really important to the fan experience. Having full stadiums is critical for us. We want to have our fans in the stadium, we want to make sure they have the best facilities, we want to make sure the teams can generate enough revenue to be successful and competitive."
The NFL already contributed $200 million to help fund a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara. Goodell said the league also would be able to fund a stadium for the Raiders if a deal was reached.
"The priority is what the community and the team work out," Goodell said. "I think it's a great benefit that there's a stadium across the bay that's going to be a state-of-the-art facility. That's terrific. So that's an option if this community and the Raiders choose that. But that's a decision they have to make."
There has speculation the Raiders could move back to Los Angeles if they don't get their stadium situation resolved in the Bay Area. Goodell said there is nothing new on moving a team to Los Angeles, and it would take a three-quarters league vote for it to happen.
"It all comes down to a stadium solution," Goodell said. "If we can find the right kind of stadium solution, we'll work on a team at that point."
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press