Amid A’s Sacramento stay, John Fisher and others break ground on Vegas stadium
Athletics officials, Las Vegas political figures and baseball dignitaries took the stage Monday morning inside a tent at the future site of the team’s proposed ballpark to hold a groundbreaking ceremony.
The event was a formal declaration that the 33,000-seat, $1.75-billion domed stadium at the former site of the Tropicana Hotel will be completed in time for the 2028 season. The pomp and circumstance came while a comprehensive financing plan for the project has not been made public.
In the meantime, the A’s have an agreement to play in West Sacramento through 2027, with an option for 2028, before their new ballpark opens. They are 15-27 at Sutter Health Park, entering Monday with the second-fewest home wins in Major League Baseball this season. They rank last with an average attendance of 9,722, while the stadium has a 13,800-seat capacity.
Notables at the event Monday included Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, chair of the Clark County Commission James Gibson, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
“The conversations still continue,” Lombardo said, “but I anticipate that the pile drivers behind me are going to be hitting the ground sometime this evening, and in 2028 we’re going to be throwing a pitch across that plate.”
Opening a stadium in Las Vegas would cap a yearslong effort by the A’s to build a new one, with multiple attempts in Oakland and San Jose failing since owner John Fisher bought into the club in 2005.
“Three years from now, you’ll see the fruits of all that labor, when in 2028 we have opening day out here on the Las Vegas strip,” Fisher said speaking to the crowd behind a lectern. “It’s an epic moment for our 124-year-old franchise.”
The A’s are receiving $380 million in public funding from Nevada taxpayers and have hired Galatioto Sports Partners, according to the Los Angeles Times, to raise $500 million for the project with investors getting a stake in the team.
Fisher indicated to reporters at Monday’s event that investors are interested in putting money into the team and the stadium deal. The event came days after Fisher announced he was selling the San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS.
“We’ve got a number of people who have committed so far, and we’re continuing to raise capital,” Fisher said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “But this will probably help because people all want to see: is this real? … As the structure comes up, I think people are going to be able to look at it and, you know, sort of say, ‘Wow.’”
Manfred also spoke at Monday’s event and has been a staunch supporter of Fisher moving the A’s from Oakland, where the team spent 57 seasons, to Las Vegas, the 40th-ranked media market in the country.
“I could not be more excited to be here in Las Vegas today,” Manfred said. “Las Vegas has proven itself to be a great sports town, and a great host to professional franchises. All of us at Major League Baseball, all the owners, are excited to be adding Major League Baseball to the entertainment alternatives that are available here in Southern Nevada.”
This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM.
