THE Oakland Raiders might not be the last professional sports franchise to up sticks and head to Nevada.
The MLB‘s Oakland A’s are reportedly pursuing two sites on the Las Vegas Strip.
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One option would be the Festival Grounds for which there have previously been discussions between the A’s and the site’s owner, casino owner Phil Ruffin, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
However, these talks have reportedly stalled of late, they remain ongoing regarding a second location.
The Tropicana has occupied a prime spot on the strip since 1957.
According to the report, “The A’s and Bally’s Corporation have been in negotiations for more than a year regarding the building of a $1 billion domed ballpark there.”
If the A’s were to pack up and move to the city that never sleeps, they’d be one of just three MLB teams with a domed stadium – a style that has largely gone out of fashion in the league.
Not only would it be situated in the heart of Vegas, but it would also be less than a 30-minute walk from Allegiant Stadium, the T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand Garden Arena, and the Michelob Ultra Arena.
And while specific details surrounding their proposed domed stadium are unknown, Total Pro Sports has reported that it would seat around 30,000.
The A’s could still opt to stay in Oakland, with a $12billion multi-purpose site, including a $1billion stadium, having been proposed at the city’s port.
Also known as the Howard Terminal development, this is a site the A’s have been looking at since at least 2017 when the organization made public that they were looking into it alongside one at Laney College and their current home, the RingCentral Coliseum (more commonly known as the Oakland Coliseum).
However, per SFGate, a $183million federal grant requested for this site was recently denied leaving the viability of that project up in the air.
Whether the A’s remain in Oakland or head for Vegas, the clock is ticking for a final decision to be made.
In December, league commissioner Rob Manfred said: “We’re past any reasonable timeline for the situation in Oakland to be resolved.”
Manfred warned that a deal needs to be in place by January 15, 2024, which is when their current “exemption from being a paying team in the league’s revenue-sharing program” is set to expire, per AP.
He said: “If Oakland wants to keep the A’s, they need to figure out a way to get a deal in front of the A’s that’s acceptable to (owner) John Fisher.”
In the meantime, the A’s will continue to call the Coliseum home, as they have since 1968.
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