The mayor of Las Vegas says the A’s had to work out a way to stay in Oakland.
The Oakland Athletics’ relocation to Las Vegas may have received unanimous approval from MLB owners, but that doesn’t mean the local government agrees with the plan.
In a Front Office Sports Today podcast episode that aired on Tuesday, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman stated that the A’s stadium idea at the Tropicana casino site on the Strip is illogical.
Goodman said that the city had first shown A’s ownership of a different area in Las Vegas—an open site in the old, historic section of town with 60–100 acres of land (the Tropicana site is nine acres). Goodman said that the location had seven separate entry points and was close to the intersection of all major interstate roads.
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I therefore reasoned that this didn’t make sense when they responded “no.” This is a fantastic location; the fact that the city owns it means they get a wonderful deal on it, she remarked. Still, they’re going to leave—they want to get nearer to the Strip, with all of its commotion. I then reasoned, “This does not.” Make sense. Why, therefore, is it occurring?
According to Goodman, the decision shows that the team’s ownership is still hopeful about the team’s continued existence in Oakland.
Goodman responded, “I personally think they’ve got to find out a way to stay in Oakland and make their dream come true,” when asked if she thought the team’s decision to move to Las Vegas was a smart one.
Since 1968, the A’s have played at the Oakland Coliseum; however, their lease on the facility expires after the 2024 campaign. It is anticipated that their new stadium, located on the Las Vegas Strip at the Tropicana’s location, won’t open until 2028.
They are anticipated to play home games in the interim at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, and the stadium of their Triple-A club, the Las Vegas Aviators, located in Summerlin, Nevada, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY.
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In recent years, Las Vegas has emerged as one of the nation’s most significant emerging sports destinations. With the A’s anticipated 2028 move to Sin City, the city will have welcomed three major sports franchises in less than ten years.
The city welcomed the Golden Knights of the NHL in 2017, the Raiders of the NFL in 2020, and the first-ever Formula One race was held there last year. It will host its first Super Bowl on Sunday.
