Venue News & Notes: Raiders and 49ers Need to Share

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers should look into sharing a new stadium. Both teams currently play in out-of-date stadiums. In June, voters in Santa Clara signed off on a plan to build a 68,500-seat stadium in the city for the 49ers. The Raiders have no current plans to leave the Coliseum. Speaking at halftime of the Raiders game against San Diego, Goodell says he would encourage the two teams to look into sharing a stadium like the New York Jets and Giants…

…The governing body of British athletics this week threw its support behind West Ham’s bid to take over London’s Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. The Premier League club has submitted a joint bid with the local government in Newham, east London, and pledged to retain a running track in the 537 million-pound ($853 million) stadium. A rival bid has been submitted by another London club, Tottenham, together with American sports and entertainment giant AEG. But their plans rule out keeping the athletics track.

London Olympic officials promised to keep athletics as part of the long-term future of the stadium when they were bidding for the games…

…West St. Paul’s aging ice arena could be replaced by a $12.9 million sports complex if some developers and hockey enthusiasts have their way. While hundreds of kids are expected to hit the ice this weekend for tryouts for the city’s youth program, city officials are whacking around ideas about what to do with the nearly 40-year-old ice rink that needs more than a million dollars worth of repairs and renovations. City Council members recently heard the results of a feasibility study, and the most discussed option was a recommendation to build a $12.9 million sports arena near S. Robert Street and Wentworth Avenue, where the city’s maintenance facility used to be. It would include a new ice rink and an 80,000 square-foot FieldTurf dome for sports such as soccer and baseball.

…Developers of a new NFL stadium on a hilly strip of land east of Los Angeles are sketching out plans for a second high-profile use for the venue: World Cup soccer. Architects for Majestic Realty Co. said Monday they were tweaking the design of the stadium to incorporate field measurements and bleacher configurations based on guidelines from World Cup organizer FIFA, which wants a width of 68 meters (75 yards). The news came amid possible competition from sports and entertainment powerhouse AEG, which is deciding whether to build a stadium in downtown Los Angeles to lure an NFL franchise.