Oakland A’s, Nevada public officials announce tentative agreement for stadium deal

The Oakland A’s move to the desert has taken another major step forward Wednesday.

According to a joint statement from the team, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo’s office, Clark County, and the Nevada state treasurer, a “tentative agreement” is in place to bring Major League Baseball to Las Vegas.

“This agreement follows months of negotiations between the state, the county, and the A’s, and I believe it gives us a tremendous opportunity to continue building on the professional sports infrastructure of southern Nevada,” Gov. Lombardo said in a statement. “Las Vegas is clearly a sports town, and Major League Baseball should be a part of it.”

Earlier this year, the team announced its first binding agreement to purchase 49 acres of land in Las Vegas, where a new stadium could be built. Less than a month later, a second binding agreement was announced, this time between the A’s and Bally’s Corp. As time progressed, the two sides formally announced an agreement for a new baseball stadium along the Las Vegas Strip.

In the agreement between the team and Bally’s Corp., the Oakland A’s will have access to nine acres on the 35-acre site located at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue to build a 30,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof. The Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc. [GLPI] also agreed to fund “up to $175 million towards certain shared improvements within the future development in exchange for a commensurate rent increase.”

If all goes according to plan, the team could break ground on the new stadium in 2024 with baseball happening in Las Vegas as early as 2027.

Total construction is estimated to be around $1.5 billion. As part of the agreement, “the public-private partnership includes public financing constituting less than 25 percent of the cost.” The agreement doesn’t specify how much the public is on the hook for with the new stadium, but it’s estimated to be less than $375 million.

Oakland A’s president Dave Kaval said in the statement the team looks forward to advancing this legislation “in a responsible way.”

The official announcement from Nevada Governor @JosephMLombardo’s office about a deal to bring the A’s to Vegas.
The actual details and legislation to drop in coming days. Time is running short in Legislature, but they say bill will be “publicly debated and considered.” pic.twitter.com/AeDkSClDt9

— Brett Forrest (@brettforrest89) May 24, 2023

The team has reportedly still not filed any paperwork with the state. Wednesday’s press release states the agreement is being drafted and will be introduced “in the Nevada Legislature in the coming days to be publicly debated and considered.” The Nevada State Legislature adjourns on June 5.

If the move comes to fruition, Las Vegas would be the fourth home for the franchise. The team originates from Philadelphia where they played from 1901-1954. The Athletics then moved to Kansas City until 1968, when they relocated to Oakland. The A’s have been looking to either update or move out of the Oakland Coliseum for years.

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