LAS VEGAS — The players might have changed. But the end result is the same. Led by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, other local Las Vegas leaders, MLB’s power elite and the Oakland Athletics’ organization, another Northern California professional sports team is on the verge of heading to Sin City.
“The A’s have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a future ballpark in Las Vegas,” the Athletics said in a statement announcing an intention to relocate to Las Vegas. “We realize this is a difficult day for our Oakland fans and community.”
It was back in November of 2017 that the NFL’s Oakland Raiders broke ground on a state-of-the-art venue west of Mandalay Bay at Russell Road and Hacienda Avenue. For most, the Raiders relocating to Vegas suggested that it was close to becoming viable as a sports city.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell joined then-Governor Brian Sandoval as well as several Raiders legends for the groundbreaking ceremony. Vegas was on the sports map:
“It was built for the Raiders. It was built for the Nation. It was built for our alumni,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said at the ceremony. “It was built for everybody, and it was built for the people of Las Vegas because they put their skin in the game as well.”
But in reality, Vegas’ presence as a legitimate sports city was initiated long before that. T-Mobile Arena in the heart of the Vegas Strip opened in April of 2016, more than a year before Allegiant Stadium broke ground. Two months later, and the NHL approved Las Vegas for an expansion team.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights would become the first major professional sports team in Southern Nevada, setting the stage for what would follow.
“We support the A’s turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said early Thursday morning.
Manfred has been an ally for those in Las Vegas who wanted to bring the MLB club to the growing desert metropolis. Like NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NFL head man Roger Goodell, he saw this as an opportunity to grow the brand. Dating back years, Manfred had been open to the idea of the A’s turning in their archaic digs in Oakland for a new venue in Vegas.
“Las Vegas is a viable alternative for a major league club, and there are other viable alternatives that I haven’t turned the A’s loose to even explore at this point,” Manfred said back in 2021.
As with anything of this magnitude, relocation takes years. Seldomly, does a professional sports team hire moving trucks to relocate overnight. Unless, of course, you are Bob Irsay and the then-Baltimore Colts. But I digress.
“Welcoming the A’s to Las Vegas would be great news for Southern Nevada as well as our entire state. The prospect of bringing new jobs, more economic development and a historic MLB franchise to Las Vegas is exciting on many levels,” Governor Joe Lombardo said in a statement.
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Oakland Athletics news proves Las Vegas is a viable sports city
Look at it through this lens. Within a 10-year span, Las Vegas will have added the NFL’s Raiders, NHL’s Golden Knights, WNBA’s Aces and MLB’s Athletics. The city recently hosted two Pro Bowls and the NFL Draft. Later this year, Las Vegas will be home to a Formula 1 Grand Prix, completely changing the landscape of the Strip as we know it.
Once February of 2024 comes calling, so will Super Bowl LVIII. The following January will see this city host the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at the same site as the Super Bowl. Back in November of last year, it was also announced that Vegas will host the Men’s College Basketball Final Four in 2028.
As for a fourth major professional sports team potentially heading to Vegas, it’s not a well-kept secret that the NBA has flirted with the idea of an expansion club. With Sin City already hosting the NBA Summer League, it has a presence that has increased a lot within the basketball world.
“It’s wonderful to play in Las Vegas,” Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said. “It’s the best fan base in the world and I would love to bring a team here at some point. That would be amazing.”
Considered the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas already has a venue in the aforementioned T-Mobile Arena to host an NBA team. Imagine the game’s biggest stars hooping it up adjacent to New York-New York and MGM Grand.
See a common theme here? Everyone now wants to get a piece of the Las Vegas pie. No, I am not talking about winning big on the slots or attending one of those adult-friendly shows. I am not talking about paying $25.00 for a cocktail, either.
Instead, it’s all about Las Vegas as a growing sports entity. None of this would be possible if the metropolis itself wasn’t moving off the narrative that it is merely a desert oasis for fun.
The current population of Las Vegas and its suburbs is 2.9 million. That’s right up there with the city of Chicago. As for Vegas specifically, its 653,000 estimated population ranks 23rd in the United States, just behind Nashville and a tick ahead of Washington D.C.
We’re still talking about a mid-tier media market. Vegas will never be compared to the likes of New York City or Los Angeles. But the population growth and the extension of habitability beyond the famed Strip lends credence to the idea that this region is becoming a boon for investers, billionaires and those looking to cash in. The Oakland Athletics’ decision to focus their efforts on relocation to Las Vegas adds another layer to this.
“Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed and we feel there’s a path here in Southern Nevada to do that,” Oakland Athletics team president Dave Kaval said in a statement Thursday morning.
The A’s project that 30% of those attending games in the soon-to-be-built 30,000-35,000 seat venue will be individuals visiting Las Vegas. The economic impact on the local community is real. The financial impact on MLB as a whole and what has been a small-market A’s team led by a cheap owner is also going to be real.
While there are hurdles to overcome when looking at the Oakland Athletics relocating to Las Vegas, Thursday morning’s news was a huge step. Major League Baseball is likely heading to Sin City. With that comes the growing belief that Vegas is now among the sports capitals of North America.
What a far cry this is from roughly three decades ago when the population of the city was what Laredo, Texas, right now.
No, Las Vegas isn’t merely an adult playground anymore.
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