Oakland A’s Relocation: Leaving for Sacramento and Vegas

The Oakland A’s will no longer be based in Oakland starting in the 2025 season. The Athletics had called Oakland their home for 56 years, having their tenure in the Golden State between 1968 to 2024. At the end of the 2024 season, the team announced that they had declined a five-year extension of their lease at the Oakland Coliseum. They will be playing in Sacramento from 2025 until the end of the 2027 season. The A’s make this move, expecting to relocate to Las Vegas, along with the old Oakland Raiders (NFL), who relocated in 2019.

Why Sacramento?

Their owner, John Fisher spoke on the issue, claiming that they wanted to stay in the region until their stadium is ready in Nevada. With Sacramento being only a few hours north of Oakland, they are able to maintain local broadcasting deals, which saves capital, and their fans may still enjoy their team with the same packages on television. They had options of Salt Lake City or other out-of-state areas, but they decided on the state’s capital.

Why… Vegas?

There were several reasons for the organization to relocate. First and foremost: difficulties with their current stadium. The Oakland Coliseum is 59 years old. That’s old. Especially for a professional sports organization that wants to stay relevant and modern. Efforts to build a new stadium have been unsuccessful. Between budget constraints and inability to find land for a new arena, the Athletics haven’t found a solution in the Bay area.

Next: market potential. Viva Las Vegas! The center of money in North America. With significant financial aid from the city to build a new stadium, in addition to the market incentives of being in the core of cash flow, the idea is hard to pass on for the team.

Will it work?

Only time will tell to see how successful the A’s will be in their new home. They’ve had a historically low payroll (the first major case of the Moneyball approach) and a lack of success with the post-season. Will they find success in Las Vegas? Will their fanbase follow, and grow in this new environment? I, along with many other fans of the sport are eager to see.