It seems like everyone is moving from CA to NV these days, including maybe the Oakland A’s!
By the time you read this, it may be official: Las Vegas may become the home to yet another professional sports franchise, as the Oakland A’s are seriously pondering a move from the Bay Area to Nevada.
To be fair, this is all just speculation right now, but it’s hard not to smell the smoke and the fire. A’s officials just returned from a fact-finding mission, including President David Kaval, as they contemplate the move.
It would be a long time coming since the beleaguered underdog franchise is woefully due for a new stadium. However, the CA legislature is highly reticent to pass the use of public funds for a new stadium, and even best-case scenario it would take 5-7 years to build.
If I was a betting man (and ‘Vegas is the right place to do that!), I’d say we can expect the Las Vegas A’s to take the field in 2022, 2023, or so. That may sound out of place at first (but I promise it will grow on you!), but Las Vegas has actually been trying to attract an MLB team since the Montreal Expos were being uprooting back in the day.
Now, the Southern Nevada corridor is reportedly the top option for a sparking new ballpark.
It follows the trend of a record number of Californians leaving the Golden State, selling their homes, packing up, and heading southeast to the Las Vegas area. If you’re planning to make the move from Cali to ‘Vegas, too, you won’t miss a thing when it comes to the sports scene – or even your familiar and favorite NorCal franchise!
Of course, the NFL’s Raiders just made the move from California to Las Vegas, and it’s been a super successful transition, reinvigorating the fanbase across two states and renewing interest. And if the Raider’s Allegiant Stadium is any indication, an A’s ballpark would be state-of-the-art and the envy of most other clubs in the MLB.
(It’s also worth mentioning that players LOVE working and living in Las Vegas, not only because of the energy and entertainment value but the super low tax base. That makes a huge difference when you’re earning millions of dollars!)
So, if you’re from Oakland, Los Angeles, NorCal, or just a Raiders fan, you’ll find familiar pigskin on Sundays when you move to Las Vegas, and maybe hear “Play Ball!” soon. And it could possibly be even MORE fun for super fans to plan quick flights to Las Vegas for that big Sunday Raiders game or a big series for the A’s.
However, the pro sports scene in Las Vegas doesn’t start and end with the Raiders, or even the A’s eventually. In fact, the first pro sports franchise was actually the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League, who play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. A Golden Knights game always features plenty of fast-paced skating, slapshot’ing, and sometimes rumbling with other NHL heavyweights like the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks.
The team has been playing in Las Vegas since 2017 in the renowned T-Mobile Arena in the nice community of Paradise, Nevada. And they’re no middling expansion team, as in their short existence, the Golden Knights have won two division championships and a conference championship already!
And whether the Raiders win the Superbowl before the Golden Knights take home a Stanley Cup, Las Vegas residents are the true winners with an abundance of high-profile pro sports.
However, the sporting scene where they’re paid to play doesn’t stop there. The Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA provide plenty of top-level hoops for the whole family to enjoy, right in the center of Las Vegas.
Minor league ball is well represented with the Las Vegas Aviators of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and the United Soccer League’s (USL) Vegas Lights FC.
I almost forgot to mention that if you’re a fan of fisticuffs or the sweet science, Las Vegas hosts more UFC, mixed marital arts, and boxing cards than any other venue or city in the world! And if you think UFC fight nights in Las Vegas are electric while watching them on pay-per-view, you have to witness how vibrant the Strip is!
Add in NASCAR at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the incredible entertaining National Finals Rodeo, as well as Division I sports at UNLV (University of Las Vegas Nevada), and Las Vegas is turning into a sports town like no other!
Let’s hope that the A’s are the next team to join the party, so get ready to buy your Las Vegas A’s gear and reserve your season tickets!