Oakland poised to lose third team as A’s plan move to Vegas
With the team possibly moving to Las Vegas, fans may be wearing hats with new logos.
May 22, 2023
After 55 years in the Oakland Coliseum, the Athletics may soon be known as the Las Vegas Athletics.
Announced on April 19, the A’s sent out a statement that they’ve agreed to buy a plot of land near the Las Vegas Strip with the intent to build a brand new ballpark. The A’s plan to start building the stadium next year, with the hope of beginning to play there by 2027.
Although there were plans to initially build a waterfront ballpark in Oakland last year, the deal never went through. Oakland is now looking for other possibilities for that piece of land.
In a statement by Oakland’s mayor, Sheng Thao, she said, “Given these realities, we are ceasing negotiations and moving forward on alternatives for the redevelopment of Howard Terminal.”
The Oakland Coliseum has seen a large decline of fans in recent years, and the A’s current payroll, $58 million, is the lowest in the league. The A’s started off the 2023 season with a 6-24 record, the worst in the MLB.
Some fans feel the move to Vegas and a new stadium will hopefully help rejuvenate the A’s winning ways. Being the last remaining professional sports team in Oakland following the departure of the Raiders and the Warriors, Oakland sports fans may feel sad or angry.
Lifetime A’s fan Nathan Loeffler Malatesta ’23 said, “Although it’s disappointing to see the A’s leave Oakland, I think the team can benefit a lot from moving to Vegas.”
Although the A’s may be departing the Bay Area, there are still other professional franchises worth supporting.
Mason Lui ’23, a lifelong Giants fan said, “I think most Bay Area sports fans will miss the A’s, but we still have teams like the Giants, Warriors, and 49ers.”
The next step for the process of relocating to Las Vegas is beginning construction of the new A’s ballpark. If everything goes as planned, the A’s will be the second MLB team to relocate cities in more than 50 years.
