The Athletics have revealed their interim plan as they work towards relocating to Las Vegas for the 2028 season. The team announced on Thursday that they will be playing their home games for the 2025-27 seasons at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, with an option for a fourth season included in the deal.
The decision comes after the A’s rejected a five-year extension on the lease of the Oakland Coliseum, which is set to expire at the end of this season. The team’s desire to retain local broadcasting revenue and the challenges in reaching an agreement with the City of Oakland led them to choose Sacramento over other temporary relocation options, such as Salt Lake City.
While it’s uncertain whether the team will adopt the name “Sacramento Athletics,” team officials have already engaged in discussions with the City of Sacramento following their decision.
Franchise owner John Fisher expressed understanding for the disappointment among fans regarding the move, emphasizing that the A’s will honor and celebrate their time in Oakland throughout the current season.
Sutter Health Park, which opened in 2000, boasts a seating capacity of around 14,000, significantly smaller than the average MLB stadium. However, with the A’s averaging fewer than 6,500 attendees at their home games so far this season, the move appears feasible despite the smaller venue size.
Meanwhile, construction for the A’s future Las Vegas home has yet to commence, with a pending argument in the Nevada Supreme Court from the political action committee Schools Over Stadiums scheduled for April 9 potentially affecting those plans.
Additionally, reports suggest that the A’s intend to utilize existing staff from other professional sports teams in Sacramento, such as the NBA’s Kings and the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, potentially resulting in layoffs for current A’s employees, as per ABC 7 Bay Area’s Casey Pratt.