Will Las Vegas Raiders Really Play 2020 NFL Games in El Paso?

You may have seen the headlines: El Paso is one of the city’s the Las Vegas Raiders are considering as an alternate site to play games in this upcoming season.

Of course, that would be awesome but how likely is it to happen? From what I’ve read, it’s probable but unlikely.

While El Paso’s Sun Bowl Stadium is one of 3 places mentioned in a Forbe’s article as a possible game day site should the Raider’s new Las Vegas stadium not be ready to open on time, it’s more likely the team would stay put in Vegas and use the old University of Nevada-Las Vegas stadium.

Marc Ganis, who serves as a consultant to multiple NFL teams, says Sam Boyd Stadium makes the most sense for the Raiders if they need a field for a home game or two to start the 2020 season. “It is okay if they have a couple of games that don’t look great on TV,” says Ganis. “The key is to make sure the fields and player health and safety issues are fine. -- Forbes

Like Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders' new home, our stadium may not be ready by the start of the football season either. Possible further delays of renovations currently taking place at Sun Bowl Stadium might factor into the NFL’s decision on where the Raiders would play if need be.

Money problems attributed to rising costs caused projects that were originally scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2019 football season to be pushed back to the start of this season, but with the financial impact COVID-19 has had on all kinds of revenue streams, it might not make that timeline possible either.

Then there’s the question of there even being any league play at all. Depending on how the ongoing coronavirus pandemic plays out, the 2020 season may be postponed or cancelled altogether.

A lot needs to happen for things to go our way, but like I said, it would be awesome if things did.