NFL owners approve Raiders' move to Las Vegas

iStock/Thinkstock(LAS VEGAS) — It’s official. The Oakland Raiders are relocating to Las Vegas.

On Monday, National Football League team owners voted 31 to 1 to approve the franchise’s move, starting with the 2019 season.

“The Raiders were born in Oakland and Oakland will always be part of our DNA,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement. “We know that some fans will be disappointed and even angry, but we hope that they do not direct that frustration to the players, coaches and staff. We plan to play at the Coliseum in 2017 and 2018, and hope to stay there as the Oakland Raiders until the new stadium opens. We would love nothing more than to bring a championship back to the Bay Area.”

There is still some work to be done before the Raiders can relocate, however. Although Las Vegas and the franchise have financing for a new stadium, there is no stadium site yet and no lease agreement.

The move in 2018 will mark the Raiders’ third relocation since the team was founded in 1960. The franchise is also the third NFL team to move in over a year, following the Chargers and Rams in Los Angeles.

Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.