December 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders fans hold “Stay in Oakland” signs during the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

With the team seeing their lease at the Oakland Coliseum expire after the 2014 season, the future of the Raiders in the Bay Area was in doubt until NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced no team would relocate to Los Angeles in the 2015 year. Since then it has been expected that the team would sign a short term lease to stay at their current stadium for the time being, a prediction that is close to becoming a reality according to the team’s owner.

Mark Davis told media members on hand at the Jack Del Rio introductory press conference that he expects to sign a one year lease at the Coliseum, mentioning that the two sides are close to a deal that would satisfy both parties in keeping the Raiders in the city while giving the franchise the freedom to find a permanent new stadium come 2016.

From CSN Bay Area:

Owner Mark Davis said on Friday that the Raiders are close to signing a one-year lease to play at O.co Coliseum in the 2015 season. “I don’t believe we’ve signed it yet, but we’ve agreed to terms on the deal,” Davis said after Jack Del Rio’s introductory press conference. “The plan is to be here next year.”

Raiders fans know that the team will not stay at the Coliseum forever, but this gives another chance for those who have filled the Black Hole for the past decades to say another proper goodbye to the famous Oakland venue with eight more home games. It also allows Mark Davis to try to get a deal in place with the City of Oakland for a new stadium to stay longterm, so the extra year will give fans of the team plenty of hope that a new stadium will finally be pushed through to avoid relocation.

On the negative side of the coin, the extra year also gives Davis a chance to further examine his options in Los Angeles and beyond as it still appears unlikely that the city will provide significant taxpayer monies to keep the team in Oakland. There is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the Raiders future home, but the one certainty appears that the team will play at the Coliseum for another (and potentially final) year in 2015. What the means for the future is up in the air, but the Black Hole will once again be filled for eight home games come September of this year.