John Lynch says Oakland Raiders fans can just root for nearby 49ers

The Raiders’ upcoming move from Oakland to Las Vegas means that fans in the East Bay will soon find themselves without a local team to support for the first time since 1982. San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch wants Raiders fans to remember that there’s another NFL team nearby that would welcome their fandom.

“Part of me says, I think it’s good for us,” Lynch said Monday on NFL Network. “Raider fans, we’re open for business, you know! Come and jump on our train.”

The distance between Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is just over an hour’s drive. If Raiders fans are willing to turn their backs on the team because of the relocation to Las Vegas, switching loyalties to the 49ers would be logistically easy.

But Lynch noted that it’s unlikely.

“But the Raiders are a great brand and I think it kind of transcends the location,” Lynch said. “I’m sure a lot of those people will go down to Vegas and have a good time supporting in the future.”

San Francisco’s CEO, Jed York, said the 49ers didn’t see a change in revenue the last time the Raiders left the Bay area, or when the team returned to Oakland. He expects the same this time around.

“The Raiders fans are a unique group,” York said, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “I don’t know that they’ve necessarily been loyal to L.A. or to Oakland, I think they have always been loyal to the Raiders. I think you’ll see the Raiders following them wherever they may go, and going to Las Vegas in a few years, I think you’ll see that really take place.”

The one thing that may change for the 49ers’ organization is a new focus on philanthropy in the East Bay area. The Raiders currently do a lot of charitable work in that community, and the team’s departure will be of great consequence to the people there.

York said the Niners will try to fill that void.

“We might do more in terms of philanthropic outreach and some of the things that we do in the community,” York said. “Obviously, there are underserved areas in the East Bay, and I think that’s a place where we’ll probably try to do more in the long run.”

Head coach Jack Del Rio noted on NFL Network Tuesday that relocation will be difficult for fans, but it won’t necessarily turn them away from the team.

“We have some real die-hards,” Del Rio said. “I’m sure there will be some people that are angry and won’t, or can’t get over it and that’s understandable.

“There’s a large contingency, a large group that are true Raiders fans and it really doesn’t matter to them where we’re playing.”

When the Rams moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles, the Kansas City Chiefs opened their arms to disgruntled fans. It’s a tough sell, and fans who aren’t willing to follow the team to Las Vegas could just as easily choose to root against the Raiders than embrace a different team.