The MLB’s Athletics Plan to Move to Las Vegas

by Dave Schwab - 4/25/2023

Situated in the West Division of the American League, the Oakland Athletics have bought 49 acres of land from Red Rock Resorts on Tropicana Ave. in Las Vegas. Near the Vegas Strip, the A’s acquired the land to build a brand new ballpark in Las Vegas over the next few years, and the first pitch is expected in the 2027 season.

This past Wednesday night on April 19, A’s President Dave Kaval said that the team had signed the deal to purchase the available land. He commented:

“For a while, we were on parallel paths with Oakland, but we have turned our attention to Las Vegas to get a deal here for the A’s and find a long-term home…Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed and we feel there’s a path in Southern Nevada to do that.”

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The acquired land is just west of T-Mobile Arena and Interstate 15. It was the former home of the Wild Wild West Casino that Red Rock Resorts closed the property last year.

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has approved the move because it will support economic impact for Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. MLB Commissioner Bob Manfred has also supported the move from Oakland to Las Vegas. The A’s will approach Major League Baseball for plans to move the team.

The A’s New Stadium in Las Vegas

The team’s plans for relocated the A’s to Las Vegas include a 30,000 to 35,000 seat stadium with a retractable roof. The A’s lease in the Oakland stadium expires in 2024 and the temporary facility is the Las Vegas Ballpark across from Red Rock Casino. This ballpark houses the A’s AAA team, the Las Vegas Aviators.

Over to a main venue, the total bill for the new stadium is $1.5 billion. The surrounding area could be further developed by Red Rock Resorts, who retain more than half of the total space involved in the project. The popular “In-N-Out Burger” business is not part of A’s redevelopment plan, but it shall remain open throughout the process. With both the construction on the facility and during the actual A’s games, the lines for “In-N-Out Burger” restaurant should be long.

The new stadium for the A’s is walking distance from the T-Mobile Arena, but it is not on the Las Vegas Strip. A pedestrian bridge over Interstate 15 could be installed to make the trip easier from one section to another.

The A’s will work out a plan to make a partnership for public and private funding. This public funding will consist of the state of Nevada and Clark County.

The A’s relocation plan includes passing a bill with state legislators. The bill would entail, “to create a funding mechanism, including a special taxation district covering the stadium site, which would allow for sale tax proceeds to be reinvested in the area, along with allocations of transferable tax credits estimated to be worth around $500 million.”

The A’s Move to Las Vegas Should Be Fruitful

Through the start of the 2023 season, the A’s have the worst attendance in MLB in both the American and National leagues. They are averaging 10,926 people in the stadium on the previous 11 games this season. The Las Vegas Aviators have had bigger crowds on multiple occasions over the last few years.

The NFL’s Raiders moved out of Oakland and settled in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium. An earlier report showed that 60% of the fans were not from the area. MLB has a more local fan-base that is comprised of 81 home games over half of the season. The A’s should draw most of the local fans coming out for weekday and weekend games.

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The MLB’s Athletics Plan to Move to Las Vegas

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