PHOENIX -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters at the conclusion of the league owners meetings Wednesday that speed is not driving the process in the inevitable return of professional football to Los Angeles, but rather finding the right fit that will work in the nation's second-largest market long-term.
"Right now our focus is on the process, making sure we're evaluating the opportunities in their existing markets and making sure we understand that," Goodell said. "And also making sure that we understand what it takes to be successful in Los Angeles long-term."
Goodell said that owners discussed the possibility of moving up the time frame during which teams can apply for relocation -- currently set for Jan. 1 to Feb. 15 next year -- to sometime in 2015 in order to give teams relocating to Los Angeles a better chance at transitioning for the 2016 NFL season.
"We have some discussions within our committee of whether that time frame -- if there was a relocation -- whether that's the appropriate time frame to do so," Goodell said. "There's a lot to do when you relocate a franchise. And if a decision is made earlier, would that give the teams a better opportunity to properly transition to a new marketplace, which is the goal if there a relocation.
"So that's been discussed. I know we certainly have not come to any conclusion on that. We haven't ruled it out, though."
Before the group convenes again at the May owners meetings in San Francisco, Goodell says he expects all three teams considering relocating to Los Angeles -- the St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders -- to meet with the ownership's Los Angeles relocation committee in late April, reporting back to the full membership in May.
"There will be a lot of dialogue," Goodell said. "There's a tremendous amount of focus on the stadium alternatives, looking at those stadium alternatives, marketing studies in all of the markets -- including the current markets. So there's a great deal of work being done, and I would expect that will continue at a very disciplined pace."
Eric Grubman, the league's point man on relocation, addressed the assembled owners on what's happening in Los Angeles, St. Louis, Oakland and San Diego on Monday. As it stands, the league has two Los Angeles proposals on the table.
The Chargers and Raiders proposed in February building a $1.7 billion NFL stadium in Carson. Last week, a signature-gathering effort in Carson financed by the two teams resulted in 14,836 signatures gathered -- about twice as many that were needed to qualify the initiative for public vote or consideration by the city council.
Now, the signatures go to election officials for verification, where they have 30 business days to certify the signatures. The process likely will be completed sooner than that. Once the signatures are verified, the initiative will be presented to the city council. The council can either adopt the initiative or call an election to present the initiative to voters.
The Chargers and Raiders believe they can have a fully entitled site ready to build in Carson by the end of May.
Meanwhile in San Diego, a mayor-appointed citizens' stadium advisory group recently selected the Mission Valley site where Qualcomm Stadium sits as the location for a new stadium. The group now is working on a finance plan for a new stadium, with a projected price tag between $700 million and $1.5 billion.
The group is committed to have its recommendation to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer by a May 20 deadline.
Goodell said he spoke to Faulconer a few weeks ago, and had a good conversation on his city's stadium effort.
"He's put a very aggressive time frame forward to try and get a solution," Goodell said. "I think that's a positive step. And I encourage him to continue down that path."
The Oakland city council voted unanimously to add Alameda County to the joint agreement the city signed with the New City Development. The development's goal is to finance two new stadiums at the proposed Coliseum City complex in Oakland. It would house new stadiums for both the Raiders and Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics.
The proposal is in the early stages, but the agreement between the city and county is a solid step toward keeping the Raiders happy in Oakland.
The St. Louis stadium proposal is probably the furthest along of the three current markets, having been announced in January less than a week after Rams owner Stan Kroenke revealed his plans for the Inglewood project.
In the time since, the St. Louis stadium task force led by local businessmen Dave Peacock and Bob Blitz has steadily gone about checking off the appropriate boxes. That includes adding consultants to help with the project and striking agreements with railroad and utility companies to help clear the land when the time might come.
Goodell said Wednesday he's been pleased with the progress made so far in St. Louis.
"Dave Peacock has done a terrific job of formulating a plan," Goodell said. "They have a great site. They have a site that I think is important for St. Louis redevelopment. It makes a perfect stadium site, as the governor told me. And I think they're working towards making it become a reality. ... The efforts that have been going on there have been very positive."
While Goodell didn't commit to the expedited timeline for teams to file for relocation, he did say it's been discussed, which means that St. Louis also needs to get its financials in order sooner than later.
As it stands, that appears to be the most important hurdle left to clear. The Missouri Senate recently passed a measure intended to stop Governor Jay Nixon from extending or issuing bonds for a new stadium without the approval of the legislature or public. That bill still must pass through the full chamber for full consideration.
Beyond the public funding, the St. Louis proposal also requires Kroenke or any team owner to contribute up to $250 million on top of $200 million in the form of the NFL's G4 loan.
