Oakland Athletics’ Race Against Time Continues – Is the Las Vegas Move at Risk of Missing the Scheduled Timeline?

Who said moving cities was easy? Yes, the anger of the losing city fans is there but things can get complicated in the new city too. The Oakland Athletics might be getting a taste of that right now. Even though John Fisher wants his team to complete their shift to Las Vegas by 2028, multiple hiccups are making things difficult for the A’s. 

One of the biggest issues for Fisher was always the construction of a brand-new stadium in Vegas. The Nevada Legislature may have approved a $380 million public financing for the stadium. But to acquire it Fisher needs to have a plan to raise the remaining $1.1 billion to build their stadium. If that isn’t enough the A’s have another issue in their hands. They need to get two documents passed before the clock ticks to the deadline.

Per The Washington Post, many experts believe that if the Oakland Athletics want to start their 2028 season in Las Vegas, they’ll need to ideally break the ground for their stadium by March or April 2025. However, as of now, that is looking like a distant possibility due to a variety of factors. The first of those issues are these two documents – the Non-relocation agreement (introduced last week) and the Development agreement. 

The Non-relocation agreement extends for a term of 30 years but it isn’t the one that worries them. The issue lies in the Development agreement. It’s because that entire $380 million public financing depends on this but as of now John Fisher hasn’t made any strides in this direction. Even though, he has hired the Galatioto Sports Partners to find investors, that $1.1 billion amount is looking like a huge mountain for him.

And that has sent mixed signals to all the concerned parties. Though many have put their faith in Fisher, some are visibly frustrated by his lack of transparency.

Can John Fisher find a way to fund the Oakland Athletics’ move to Vegas?

While the Oakland fans are furious, Fisher’s lack of openness might be detrimental in other ways too. Still, Steve Hill, the president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority supported the Athletics owner. “I think John’s looking at options,” Hill said, “I don’t think it’s necessarily out of need…Think it’s to make sure that the funding is the most efficient for the A’s.”

But then, Brendan Bussman – Managing partner of B Global had different views on the situation. “This is where the A’s need to put forward, ‘Here’s our plan and this is what we need to stick to’,” Bussman said. Later he added that if Fisher doesn’t get transparent soon, the criticism around him not being able to finance the stadium will continue. 

However, while all of this is happening one can’t help but wonder whether the stadium will be ready in time. The Oakland Athletics will play in a minor league ballpark from 2025 and take a huge financial hit. Even a slight delay could increase that pain even more and that’s something that the Athletics won’t want.