The Oakland Athletics have reached a deal to purchase land in Las Vegas where the team could potentially build a stadium (nytimes.com). The Athletics have signed a binding agreement to purchase 49 acres near the Las Vegas Strip, with the intent of building a new retractable roof ballpark (apnews.com). The team’s president, Dave Kaval, announced the purchase, and Major League Baseball has indicated its support for the move (espn.com).
The Athletics have been one of the signature professional sports clubs in the Bay Area for more than half a century (nytimes.com). However, the team has struggled with finding a suitable stadium solution in Oakland (espn.com). The city of Oakland was reportedly blindsided by the news of the potential move (cbsnews.com).
If the deal goes through, the Athletics would be leaving Oakland as soon as the end of the 2024 season (wsj.com). This move would not only change the landscape of professional sports in the Bay Area, but also impact the local economy and the development of surrounding neighborhoods (theathletic.com).
While the Athletics owner may want to downplay the impact of the move, many locals are mourning the potential loss of the team and their beloved stadium (theathletic.com). Only time will tell whether the team will actually make the move to Las Vegas, but for now, it seems likely that the Athletics could be leaving Oakland in the near future (cnn.com).
