A group of influential owners are reportedly vehemently opposing the relocation or the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
NFL team owners have been taking over the process to decide which team will move to Los Angeles. These NFL owners form the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities. Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has been emerging as the leader of this committee, according to Florio.
Richardson and other owners reportedly see the Chargers and Raiders organizations as more eligible teams to move under the league's relocation policy. That combined with the notion that the Rams have already made a possible plan for building a new stadium in St. Louis that could keep them there is another reason owners are apparently against their move.
St. Louis isn't the only team that would have difficulty moving to Los Angeles, as the San Diego Chargers have been trying to build a new stadium in San Diego and moving them would be seen as upsetting to their fans. In August, San Diego officials announced that a plan to keep the team in San Diego was on track and that they would need to build a $1.1 billion stadium, according to Tony Perry of the Los Angeles Times.
"Additional work needs to be done before we move forward, but we are confident in our process," said Richardson, via Pro Football Talk. "We have every reason to believe that the re-entry of the NFL into the Los Angeles market will be successful."
For now it appears the Chargers have enough votes to block the Rams, and St. Louis likely has the votes to block San Diego, according to Florio. This divide likely means that the NFL will deal with highly political discussions at the October and December meetings. The politics will likely include Richardson with other owners opposing the move of the Rams to Los Angeles. For any team to successfully relocate it will need 24 owners' approvals.
