Las Vegas A’s: What we know about Sin City plans as Oakland tenure ends
The Athletics played their final home game at the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday. Now, all eyes are on the future of the Major League Baseball franchise that is over three years away from its “Welcome to Las Vegas” moment.
The A’s still have a road series with Seattle left before their affiliation with Oakland is over with the end of the 2024 MLB season.
Here’s what’s known about the A’s Las Vegas plans as the team is set to vacate the Bay Area.
What will the team name be in Las Vegas?
The team plans to bring the Athletics, and A’s, names with them to Sin City. So they will be known as the Las Vegas Athletics.
Where will the A’s Las Vegas ballpark be built?
Plans call for the A’s stadium to be constructed on 9 acres of the 35-acre site that was once home to the Tropicana Las Vegas. The Tropicana is set to be imploded on Oct. 9 to make way for the ballpark and other development.
When will construction begin on the ballpark?
After the Tropicana is brought down and the land is cleared, the A’s plan to begin building their Southern Nevada home in the second quarter of 2025. The new facility is expected to be completed in 2028, in time for the A’s to begin playing ball on the Strip that year.
What is the stadium’s capacity?
The A’s Las Vegas ballpark will feature six levels and fit 33,000 fans, with 30,000 fixed seats and 3,000 in standing room only spaces.
Where will the A’s play between now and 2028?
Before they get to Southern Nevada, the A’s will play the 2025-2027 seasons at Sutter Health Park, a Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento, as they build their new $1.5 billion Las Vegas Strip ballpark. In order to bring the stadium up to MLB standards, the A’s are upgrading the facility, adding a new clubhouse, new video boards, new hospitality spaces and club seating.
During their Sacramento stop, the team with be known simply as the Athletics and will not take on Sacramento as their city designation, since their time in California’s capital is temporary.
How will the A’s pay for their Las Vegas ballpark?
The A’s plan to pay for their $1.5 billion stadium by up to $850 million in equity from team owner John Fisher’s family, $350 million in public money — made available via Senate Bill 1 in Nevada — and $300 million in debt financing to be taken on by the team.
The A’s are also seeking local investors in the stadium project, which could offset some of the equity contribution from the Fisher family. In exchange for investing capital in the ballpark’s construction, prospective investors would be given minority stakes in the team.
Las Vegas gets sweltering hot in the summer. Will the new ballpark be climate-controlled?
Of course. The A’s are looking to provide a high-quality game and event experience within their Las Vegas ballpark. To that, the stadium will feature a fixed roof, with a giant 36,000-square-foot glass curtain-wall facing toward the Strip. That wall and other cutouts in the roof, where natural light will be let into the stadium, will give attendees an outdoor feel in an indoor stadium.
Will the stadium have natural or artificial turf?
With the ballpark having a fixed roof, the A’s plan to use artificial turf in Las Vegas, since caring for natural grass without direct sunlight would pose a challenge. Unlike the Raiders and Allegiant Stadium, the A’s don’t have the acreage to feature a field tray that rolls in and out of the stadium like the Raiders do with their natural turf field.
What happens to the A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators?
The A’s and the Aviators will co-exist in Southern Nevada come 2028. Plans are for the Aviators to continue playing at Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin. Team brass have noted the advantages of having its Triple-A team being in the same city, including the ability to call players up and have them available the same day.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.