Source: A’s won’t play in Las Vegas before 2028; temporary site targeted

Las Vegas Ballpark is no longer in the running as a temporary home for the Oakland Athletics before the MLB team relocates to Southern Nevada in 2028, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Review-Journal.

The team wants to make a grand arrival in Las Vegas at its new stadium on the Strip in 2028, the source said, and not spend up to three seasons in the Aviators’ minor-league ballpark in Summerlin.

The Athletics are focused on staying in the Oakland Coliseum, then moving to Las Vegas, the source said.

The A’s met with Bay Area officials Thursday to discuss extending their lease at their longtime home. Salt Lake City and Sacramento, California, are still in the mix as potential temporary homes if the A’s preferred option in Oakland falls through, the source said.

The A’s lease at the Coliseum ends after the 2024 MLB season. The team is paying $1.25 million to play at the aging facility this year.

An A’s spokesperson said Thursday the meeting with the city of Oakland and Alameda County was positive. The groups plan to have more talks about a lease extension.

“It is important to work collaboratively for the good of our public, and that includes the workers, the fans, and the taxpayers,” said Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland’s vice mayor and a member of the City Council.

The A’s planned Las Vegas stadium, which will be built on 9 acres on the site of the Tropicana, is expected to be ready for the 2028 MLB season.

The Tropicana will be shut down April 2 to prepare for its demolition. That process will take between nine months to a year to complete. Construction on the A’s stadium is expected to begin in April 2025.

The team is working with Tropicana owner Bally’s Corp. on updated renderings showing the planned ballpark and the new resort Bally’s intends to build next door.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters Thursday he believes the A’s Las Vegas stadium will be ready as scheduled.

“I’m confident that the deal in Las Vegas is solid and the A’s will build a stadium in Las Vegas and play there in 2028,” Manfred said. “We believe the parcel is adequate for a major league ballpark. I think the delay in renderings is due to the discussions between Bally’s and the A’s to how the ballpark and what else is going to happen there is going to be most efficiently designed to make it the best possible experience for fans.”

Manfred said the 2025 MLB schedule will be finalized in July. The league office needs to know where the A’s will play in 2025 before then.

“We need to know that exactly where they’re going to be, because it will impact travel issues, whatever, if they are not in Oakland,” Manfred said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X. The Associated Press contributed to this report.