Oakland A’s confirm move to Las Vegas

Major League Baseball club the Oakland Athletics has confirmed its move to Las Vegas.

The A’s will move to a new ballpark at the Tropicana site on the Las Vegas Strip in 2028, with the club evaluating its options for an interim location for the 2025 to 2027 seasons.

The 2024 season will be played at the Oakland Coliseum.

“I want to express my gratitude to the owners and Commissioner for their thoughtful deliberation and positive votes in favor of our relocation to Las Vegas,” said Athletics managing partner and owner John Fisher.

“Today marks a significant moment for our franchise, and it’s met with mixed emotions - sadness for this change and excitement for our future. I know this is a hard day for our fans in Oakland. We made sincere efforts to keep our team in Oakland, but unfortunately, it did not work out. I am grateful to the fans who have supported our team throughout the years and the home Oakland provided. 

“We are excited to begin this next chapter in Las Vegas,” Fisher added. “I want to thank the Las Vegas and Nevada community for welcoming us. We will continue to work hard to bring home more championships for our fans and for our new home in Vegas.”

Oakland, Kansas City and Philadelphia have all hosted the A’s over the past century, with the franchise’s newest home in Las Vegas set to be developed in partnership with Gaming and Leisure Properties.

“Today’s approval from Major League Baseball represents an important milestone in the collective effort to bring the Athletics’ franchise to Las Vegas,” GLP said in a statement Thursday. “We are excited about the opportunity to work with our partners to develop and construct an entertainment and casino resort integrated with the new A’s stadium on Gaming and Leisure Properties’ property to reinvent the site on the south end of the iconic Las Vegas Strip. 

“The arrival of the A’s as well as the new stadium and adjacent entertainment and casino resort, both of which are expected to open in 2028, represents a transformational project for Las Vegas, baseball fans, the local community and local employment, which will build on the city’s reputation for delivering unrivalled world-class entertainment options.”

Shares in Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI) were trading marginally lower at $45.48 per share in New York Friday.