From A’s to possible soccer stadium, mayor candidates talk future of Sacramento sports
Significant changes are coming in the local world of Sacramento sports.
The region is temporarily getting a Major League Baseball team next spring when the A’s move from Oakland to West Sacramento to play in Sutter Health Park. The city’s professional soccer club, Republic FC, has long been working to build a state-of-the-art stadium in the Railyards, which could kick-start development and the growth of Sacramento’s downtown, and the club continues to eye an expansion bid to join MLS.
All are pertinent topics for Sacramento’s mayoral candidates ahead of the Nov. 5 general election when the city will decide between doctorate epidemiologist Flojaune Cofer and Assemblyman Kevin McCarty.
The Sacramento Bee recently reached out to the candidates to gauge where they stand on Sacramento’s sports issues such as the A’s move, Republic FC’s stadium and MLS efforts, and the future of the Railyards which could be central to the city’s sports scene.
What the candidates are saying about the A’s
The A’s in April announced they would be coming to Sacramento for three seasons starting in 2025, with an option for a fourth, while they construct their new stadium along the Las Vegas strip they are planning to open in 2028.
The situation is largely unprecedented given the team would be downsizing markets going from the 10th largest in the country, according to Nielsen, in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose to No. 20 in Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto.
The team will play in a stadium built in 2000 to house the Triple-A River Cats, which features only 10,000 fixed seats and a 14,000 capacity including the outfield lawn making it the smallest stadium in the big leagues by roughly 20,000 seats. Changes are being made throughout the stadium to accommodate Major League Baseball and improve premium areas for fans.
Though the stadium is outside Sacramento city limits, it also carries implications for the capital city’s economy.
“I’m excited about the A’s coming to Sacramento,” McCarty said. “It’s going to be a big deal for Sacramentans to see Major League Baseball steps away from our downtown. And it allows us to further shine on the national stage as far as professional sports.”
The area surrounding Sutter Health park in West Sacramento is already seeing an influx of business ahead of the 156 scheduled home games for the A’s River Cats while they share the stadium.
“I share the excitement with the baseball fans and the business community in Sacramento,” Cofer said. “The Downtown Partnership has said people prefer coming downtown for entertainment. We should try to take full advantage of having the A’s here for the next few years.
“During that time, I believe we have an opportunity similar to what Oklahoma City had when they temporarily hosted an NBA team. They used the opportunity to develop and build the capacity as a city to bring in a permanent team a few years later. As Mayor, I will work with stakeholders throughout the city to make Sacramento a great home for major league sports.”
The situation Cofer referenced occurred when the New Orleans Hornets moved to Oklahoma City for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina damaging the Hornets’ home arena. It proved to be successful for Oklahoma City as it lured the Seattle Sonics to move there and become the Thunder in 2008, after the Sonics failed to secure public funding for a new arena in Seattle. (The Hornets are now the New Orleans Pelicans.)
Neither candidate addressed the potential of working with A’s owner John Fisher, whose relationship with Oakland officials played a role in his decision to pull the A’s from Oakland and abandon multiple stadium projects in the area.
“Regardless of who the owner is, let me speak on a global perspective,” McCarty said. “I think there are appropriate public-private partnerships with governments, whether they’re state or local professional sports franchises, but they need to pencil out for the community. They need to pencil out for the taxpayers.
“I think it was widely known that I opposed the subsidy for the Kings’ arena downtown, but a couple years ago, I came out in support of the financing structure for the MLS soccer stadium in the Railyards. So depends on the details and whether or not it’s a good financial investment for the taxpayers.”
Where candidates stand on Sacramento’s new soccer stadium
Republic FC’s stadium plans, which team ownership announced in 2022, have stalled. But the initial plan always had support from incumbent Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who helped put together an earlier stadium plan for MLS expansion in 2019. But that deal fell through when investor Ron Burkle backed out, citing financial issues from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Steinberg remains optimistic a breakthrough is coming regarding the stadium plans before his term is over at the end of 2024.
“Through all the crazy ups and downs, we have never given up. And the next nine months matter,” Steinberg said at his annual State of Downtown address in March. “I hope, I believe, I’m confident that before the end of the year we will have a major investor to build a beautiful professional soccer stadium in the Railyards, expandable for MLS or any other league that sees Sacramento the way we all do.”
Both Cofer and McCarty said they would support a new stadium in the Railyards, but the details of the financing will be key.
“I am for the stadium plan and would love to see our Sacramento Republic be in MLS,” Cofer said. “However, the price tag to join the league is high — and as that price continues to go up, the more we will be asked to do as a city in paying for the stadium.”
Sacramento’s expansion fee to join MLS in 2021 was expected to be roughly $200 million, but those fees have risen substantially since. San Diego became the most recent city to earn an expansion club, paying $500 million to begin play in 2025 while expansion fees are only expected to rise.
Republic FC remains steadfast in wanting to build a new stadium regardless of the possibility of jumping to MLS. The stadium design will allow for it to expand seating and create room for a canopy to provide shade for fans, which is typical among MLS stadiums.
Steinberg, who has been opposed to public financing for stadiums, helped create a $33 million incentive package for the proposed MLS stadium under the previous deal. It was unanimously approved by Sacramento City Council and aimed to create a special financing district around the stadium where its infrastructure would be funded by its tax revenue. Steinberg said he supported a scaled-down version of that deal back when Republic FC announced its stadium plans in 2022.
“Whether it’s MLS or USL, I don’t think that’s the issue for us or the residents of Sacramento,” McCarty said. “The bigger issue is, what does this mean as far as bringing a sports and entertainment (complex) to our urban core, which is a huge, huge positive. But it’s always about the details. The devil’s in the details. We want to make sure it protects our general fund, protects our taxpayers and is a good financial investment for the city of Sacramento.”
Cofer wants to be sure local vendors benefit from the potential stadium project.
“I’m a huge Kings fan — and every time I see people paying $17 for a Heineken at a game, it hurts,” she said. “That should be a beer from Track 7 or Oak Park Brewery made here in Sacramento. If we are going to subsidize stadiums and arenas, we need to ensure our local businesses are first in line to benefit — which in turn generates more revenue and jobs for the city.“
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More than just soccer at Railyards?
An eastern lot in the Railyards has long been the expected site of Republic FC’s new stadium. But there remains enough space in the area for a second sports stadium should another team come to Sacramento.
There have been tentative plans for a mixed-use shopping district, housing, commercial space and a hospital in the area, but the area could be a logical landing spot for a Major League Baseball stadium.
“I support projects in the Railyards that could create jobs and economic activity all year around,” Cofer said. “While the prospect of hosting multiple sports teams is exciting, I am focused on how those venues could be utilized during away games and off-season. As well as basketball, the Golden 1 Center hosts world class performers and events, supporting local businesses and providing jobs to Sacramentans throughout the year.”
McCarthy said of the Railyards: “It’s the largest urban infill area west of the Mississippi that’s ready for development, so it’s always had a tremendous amount of potential. There’s room for a lot still there. A baseball stadium, housing, entertainment district. Certainly anything to bring more life to our urban core is a positive. And, I’d be open to that.”
This story was originally published October 24, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
