Oakland A’s buy land in Vegas for stadium.

The Oakland Athletics have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a new retractable roof ballpark in Las Vegas after being unable to build a new venue in the Bay Area. The team plans to build the stadium close to the Las Vegas Strip with a seating capacity of 30,000 to 35,000. The A’s will work with Nevada and Clark County on a public-private partnership to fund the stadium. They hope to break ground by next year and move to their new home by 2027.

The A’s had been searching for a new home for years to replace the outdated and run-down Oakland Coliseum, where they have played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. They had sought to build a stadium in Fremont and San Jose before shifting their attention to the Oakland waterfront. Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54.

The A’s would be only the second MLB team to change cities in more than a half-century if they leave Oakland. Since the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers for 1972, the only team to relocate was the Montreal Expos, who became the Washington Nationals in 2005.

Reaction to the Move

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said in a statement she was disappointed the A’s didn’t negotiate with the city as a “true partner.” “The city has gone above and beyond in our attempts to arrive at mutually beneficial terms to keep the A’s in Oakland,” she said. “In the last three months, we’ve made significant strides to close the deal. Yet, it is clear to me that the A’s have no intention of staying in Oakland and have simply been using this process to try to extract a better deal out of Las Vegas. I am not interested in continuing to play that game — the fans and our residents deserve better.”

A’s Struggle to Attract Fans in Oakland

The A’s lease at the Coliseum expires after the 2024 season. The team has struggled to draw fans to the Coliseum in recent years as owner John Fisher has slashed payroll and many of the team’s most recognizable stars have been traded away. Oakland had the lowest Opening Day payroll in baseball at $58 million — less than the combined salaries of Mets pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, who tied for the major-league high of $43.3 million. The A’s haven’t drawn two million fans at home since 2014 — their only year reaching the mark since 2005.

Landing in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is quickly becoming a sports mecca after years of being considered a pariah because of ties to the gambling industry. With gambling legalized in much of the country, the city now could have a baseball team to join the NHL’s Golden Knights, who began as an expansion team in 2017 and the Raiders.

“We know it’s a difficult message for our folks in Oakland,” A’s President Dave Kaval said. “Obviously we’re grateful for all the hard work that went into the waterfront. But we have been unable to achieve success or make enough progress. We’re turning our full attention to Las Vegas.”