The Oakland A's have followed in the footsteps of the Raiders and joined the Las Vegas exodus. The Major League Baseball team announced its relocation to Las Vegas in November 2023, marking another major blow to the Bay Area's sports landscape.
For decades, the A's have called Oakland home, playing at the iconic Oakland Coliseum. However, the aging stadium and a lack of progress on a new ballpark in Oakland ultimately led the team to explore other options. Las Vegas, with its booming economy and vibrant entertainment scene, offered a tempting alternative. The A's move to Las Vegas is expected to be completed by 2028, when a new 30,000-seat ballpark is scheduled to be built on the Las Vegas Strip. The new stadium will be privately funded and will be located near Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, and T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Lack of progress on a new ballpark in Oakland may have been the biggest contributing factor to the decision. The A's and the city of Oakland had been negotiating for a new ballpark for several years, but they were unable to reach an agreement. There are obviously financial advantages to being in Vegas too. The A's believe that they will be able to generate more revenue in Las Vegas than they did in Oakland. It is so easy right now to fly into town for one night, check in to your suite at the Mandalay Bay, then walk over the street to the stadium 15 minutes before a Raiders game, grabbing a few 'contactless' beers from the concessions fridge on the way in by just swiping your credit card (yes, you can drink anything you want in the stadiums in Vegas).
That all said, the A's departure is also a blow to the City of Oakland. The team was a source of pride for many Oakland residents and a symbol of the city's resilience. The loss of the A's leaves a void in the city's sports culture that will be difficult to replace. It is hard to believe the team has moved and it kind of brings new meaning to the term "Moneyball".
