Owners, not public, must pay for new stadiums, Dolphins' owner says

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, the lone dissenting vote on the Raiders' relocation to Las Vegas, said fans should never foot the bill for stadium construction.

Ross, who put down $500 million in private funds for a massive remodel in Miami last offseason, voted against the move as a form of protest, believing Raiders owner Mark Davis did not exhaust his private-funding options before turning to Las Vegas for $750 million.

"I believe when you own a team you're a steward for the city," Ross said. "It's like owning a utility company. And I just don't think everything was done to try and stay in Oakland. "You can only make a deal when the owner wants to make a deal. Who are you going to negotiate with? How is it going to happen? There's got to be a driving force."

The NFL approved relocation of a third NFL franchise since January 2016, when the Rams were approved for the franchise's fourth move - from St. Louis to Los Angeles. At the end of the 2016 regular season, the San Diego Chargers ended their staredown with that city over stadium financing plans and bolted for L.A., where they'll share a stadium with the Rams.

Ross felt there were better plans available to the Raiders if they wanted to be in the Bay Area.

"I was more interested really in the fans in Oakland, and what a team means to the city," Ross said. "That's my primary concern. I think that's who you take into consideration first. You have to exhaust everything to try and stay in a city."