A’s owner Fisher to sell ownership of soccer team ahead of Sacramento-Vegas move
As the A’s prepare to relocate to Las Vegas, team owner John Fisher plans to sell his ownership in the San Jose Earthquakes, Major League Soccer announced Wednesday.
The team hired an investment bank to begin the process of selling a controlling interest in the club, according to an Earthquakes news release. Fisher has served as the team’s principal owner since 2008.
“We are proud of the role the Quakes have played in the growth of soccer throughout Silicon Valley,” Fisher said in the release. “The Bay Area is a special place, and we’re deeply grateful to the fans, players and staff who’ve been with us on this journey.”
The announcement comes amid the A’s yearslong effort to relocate to Nevada. After the team’s final season in Oakland last year, the A’s have begun a three-year residency in West Sacramento’s minor league ballpark before a permanent move to Las Vegas. The team plans to break ground later this month on a $1.75 billion domed stadium on the Las Vegas strip, slated to open in 2028.
Fisher and his family have pledged $1.1 billion toward the project, and the state of Nevada and Clark County plan to provide $380 million in public funding. U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs will loan $300 million, an A’s executive said during a public meeting in October. The price tag for the stadium was initially estimated at $1.5 billion, but rose late last year due to inflation and design changes, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
It is unclear whether Fisher’s decision was related to his business strategy for the A’s or the team’s relocation to Las Vegas. An A’s spokesperson referred questions to the Earthquakes. Representatives for the Earthquakes declined a request for an interview on further details about the ownership group’s strategy.
Fisher’s involvement with the soccer team began about 20 years after it was established, when the Earthquakes relocated to Texas to play as the Houston Dynamo. Two years after the team left California, the San Jose Earthquakes were re-established in 2007 as an expansion team. Fisher became principal owner in 2008, the year the team began playing in the Bay Area, first in Santa Clara and later in Oakland.
Forbes estimated earlier this year that the Earthquakes are valued at around $540 million. Sportico estimated that the team is worth $600 million.
Real Salt Lake and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Utah Royals FC were acquired together for around $600 million this year, the Athletic reported. In 2021, the sale of the Houston Dynamo was expected to total around $400 million, the Athletic reported.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 3:41 PM.
