SAN FRANCISCO _ NFL commissioner Roger Goodell Wednesday echoed the sentiments of Raiders owner Mark Davis with regard to the city of Oakland and Alameda County’s efforts to keep the team at its present site with a new stadium.



“We don’t have a deadline, but this is not a new issue we’re dealing with here,” Goodell said at a press conference following the conclusion of the spring owners meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. “The Raiders have been working on a stadium for years, it’s been debated, so we do need to have a proposal from people on how they’re going to be able to keep the Raiders in Oakland and do it on a basis that’s not only good for the community but good for the team long-term.”

By contrast, Goodell said there has been “significant” progress with the Inglewood and Carson sites in Southern California, and “tremendous” progress in St. Louis, which is attempting to keep the Rams in town with a new stadium.

Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay left the meetings with the belief that the league will be back in Los Angeles sooner rather than later.

“I think one thing for certain is there is going to be an NFL team in Los Angeles in the next couple of years, so that’s exciting,” Irsay said. The question isn’t `if’ but `how many.’ There are two real strong proposals in Carson and Inglewood. We’ll have to get more details before we make a decision.”

Goodell declined to say a team relocating to Los Angeles was inevitable, but conceded, “There certainly is momentum.”

Asked if the lack of a proposal from Oakland is a source of frustration, Goodell said, “I don’t know if it’s a point of frustration, but it’s certainly a point of information.”