NFL to vote on Raiders succession plan

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(2:44)Seth WickershamCloseSeth WickershamESPN Senior WriterSenior Writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine
Joined ESPN The Magazine after graduating from the University of Missouri.

Although he primarily covers the NFL, his assignments also have taken him to the Athens Olympics, the World Series, the NCAA tournament and the NHL and NBA playoffs.Follow on X and Don Van Natta Jr.CloseDon Van Natta Jr.ESPN Senior WriterHost and co-executive producer of the new ESPN series, "Backstory"
Member of three Pulitzer Prize-winning teams for national, explanatory and public service journalism
Author of three books, including New York Times best-selling "First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush"
24-year newspaper career at The New York Times and Miami Herald Follow on XMultiple AuthorsMar 19, 2026, 05:41 PM ETEmailPrintNFL owners are scheduled to vote on a Las Vegas Raiders succession plan that gives Silver Lake co-chief executive officer Egon Durban the option to purchase a majority stake in the team from longtime owner Mark Davis, according to multiple ownership and team executives with direct knowledge of the situation.Although sources close to Davis say he has no intention of selling his majority stake, the vote would mean that if and when Davis, or his heirs, did decide to sell, Durban, a limited partner, would have the option to buy the club
Owners would then have to approve Durban as the new controlling owner, per league rules.Four sources with knowledge of the situation said that owners will also vote on Davis selling roughly 7% of the team to Durban and another limited partner, Michael Meldman
That sale would put the team's valuation at nearly $10 billion, two of those sources said.Owners will vote on the transactions at the annual league meeting held in Phoenix starting March 29, according to the agenda distributed to clubs this week
The league's finance committee has already approved the option agreement with Durban, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation.Davis declined to comment Thursday afternoon
But a source close to Davis told ESPN: "Mark has no intention to sell his majority stake in the team
This sets up a smooth succession plan."An NFL spokesperson declined to comment
Spokespeople for the Raiders and for Silver Lake didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.The Davis family has been a cornerstone of professional football ownership for more than five decades, and Mark Davis' late father, Al Davis, is one of the few owners in any sport whose notoriety transcended the game
Al Davis was hired as the team's coach and general manager in 1963 and became principal owner in 1972
He won three Super Bowls and was as famous for his contributions to the game as for his lawsuits and fights with fellow owners and the league office.Mark Davis, who turns 71 in May, inherited the team when his father died in 2011.Since then, the Raiders have had two winning seasons and no playoff wins, and Davis has cycled through several head coaches and general managers
He moved the team from Oakland to Las Vegas starting in 2020 to play at Allegiant Stadium.Durban has owned 7.5% of the team since December 2024, when NFL owners approved the Raiders to sell 15% of the franchise to him and Meldman, who is the founder of Discovery Land Co.In 2024, Davis also sold 5% of the team for an undisclosed sum to legendary quarterback Tom Brady -- a move that was supposed to invigorate the franchise
Instead, the Raiders went 4-13 and 3-14 in 2024 and 2025, respectively
Brady bought into the team alongside Knighthead Capital Management co-founder Tom Wagner (5%) and Raiders Hall of Famer Richard Seymour (0.5%).Durban co-runs Silver Lake, a technology-focused private equity firm, and has a net worth of $2.5 billion, according to Forbes
Silver Lake's portfolio includes stakes in some sports-related companies, including Madison Square Garden Sports -- the parent company of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers -- and Fanatics Collectibles.