The Oakland Athletics are leaving California for a new home in Nevada
In short: After decades of searching for a permanent stadium in the Bay Area, the Athletics are officially relocating. From a history of multiple cities to a billion-dollar desert project, the franchise's journey to Las Vegas marks the end of an era for Oakland baseball.
The Oakland Athletics, a franchise with a history of playing in Philadelphia and Kansas City before settling in Oakland in 1968, are preparing for their third intercity move. The relocation follows years of failed attempts to replace the aging Oakland Coliseum with a modern facility in the Bay Area. The team's lease in Oakland expired at the end of the 2024 season, leading to temporary stints playing in West Sacramento during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
The move to the Las Vegas metropolitan area is supported by a significant funding package. In June 2023, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signed SB1, a bill providing $380 million for stadium funding. The proposed plan involves constructing a $1.5 billion, 3-decade-old-style retractable stadium with 30,000 seats. The site selected is the area of the Wild Wild West Gambling Hall & Hotel, following the collapse of previous negotiations for the Howard Terminal in Oakland and the Festival Grounds in Las Vegas.
While the move has received unanimous approval from MLB owners, it remains a point of intense friction. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has criticized the ownership, suggesting the negotiations were a tactic to extract better deals. The financing for the new stadium relies on a public-private partnership, including $500 million in public funding from a special tax district. This follows the precedent of the Oakland Raiders, who moved to Las Vegas in 2020, making the Athletics the second major franchise to make the same transition.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Oakland Athletics relocation to Las Vegas
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