Several years ago, pro sports wouldn’t dream of relocating major league teams in Las Vegas. Minor leagues, sure. But the big boys? The Show? No way.
Then the NHL’s Golden Knights chose Las Vegas in 2018. Fire and brimstone did not descend on Las Vegas. No one turned to salt. Indeed, the team reached the Stanley Cup finals in its inaugural year and is the favorite to win the Cup this year. The NFL’s Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas last year.
The latest talk involves yet another Oakland team, the A’s, who may leave the Bay area if a new stadium is not forthcoming. On May 11, MLB gave the A’s permission to explore options, and one of those options in Las Vegas. Other potential landing sites include Portland, Vancouver, Nashville, Charlotte and Montreal.
The Raiders moved because of the conditions at the Oakland Coliseum. The same issue affects the A’s. MLB agrees the A’s need a new stadium to compete.
“MLB is concerned with the rate of progress on the A’s new ballpark effort with local officials and other stakeholders in Oakland,” MLB said in a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The A’s have worked very hard to advance a new ballpark in downtown Oakland for the last four years, investing significant resources while facing multiple roadblocks.”
Raiders’ owner, Mark Davis, isn’t surprised. “It’s what we went through.
Henderson, Nevada, will likely make a pitch, similar to one pitched to the Diamondbacks in 2018. The team remained in Arizona.
“We could resurrect that,” Mayor Debra March said. “I would be interested in having a conversation, certainly.”
Oakland wants to work this out as well. The team picked out a waterfront site with a price tag of $1 billion that could be ready in 2027. The Coliseum, its lease up in 2024, has been the A’s field since 1968 and suffers from lighting and flood issues. The team is willing to privately finance the stadium but is asking the city to provide almost $500 million in infrastructure improvements.
