Ronnie Lott leading group trying to keep Raiders in Oakland

Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott is among a group of investors attempting to keep the Oakland Raiders from moving to Las Vegas.

Lott, leading a team of financiers that also includes former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, is hoping to get a deal done for a new stadium that would replace Oakland Coliseum and keep the Raiders in the Bay Area.

The move would have to fit the approval of owner Mark Davis, who has shown interest in moving his franchise to Vegas, where the city could be willing to help fund a new stadium project.

Oakland's mayor Libby Schaaf is cautiously optimistic about the investment group.

"I think it would be great to have them involved," Schaaf told Matthew Artz and Jerry McDonald of the San Jose Mercury News. "...but I've got to be very respectful of what I've heard very clearly from the NFL, that this needs to be a team-centric development."

Schaaf is sticking to her guns when it comes to keeping the Raiders in Oakland, refusing to use public funds to finance a new stadium. It seems the investment group would only purchase a piece of the stadium, meaning the rest of the funding would have to come from other outside investors or Davis himself.