A’s Hold Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Vegas Ballpark

Against all odds, the A’s have broken ground on their new Las Vegas, Nevada, ballpark, with an opening scheduled for the 2028 season.

Shovels in the Ground

Many questioned whether or not Athletics’ owner John Fisher had the financial wherewithal to deliver a sparkling new ballpark for his nomadic MLB franchise. However, June 23rd’s groundbreaking ceremony suggests all systems are go and the A’s will be playing in Las Vegas for the 2028 season.

“These things take so long to actually make happen,” owner John Fisher said. “I think today was a great celebration of all the people it takes just to bring (us) just to this spot.”

In the meantime, the A’s are playing at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, home of San Francisco’s Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. The two teams are sharing the space for the next three seasons before the new park is ready for Las Vegas’ newest franchise.

“Then the next celebration is going to be Opening Day, when we can celebrate the thousands of workers who are putting all of their time and effort and everything behind actually building the stadium itself,” Fisher added.

Major League Baseball’s commissioner, Rob Manfred, was in attendance to bear witness to the event and stated, “I’ll tell you one thing, absolutely, for certain, I will be here, Opening Day 2028, to celebrate with John Fisher, his entire team, and I hope the entire state of Nevada.”

New Era Dawning

The stadium will be among the smallest compared to MLB standards; however, it is expected to occupy 900,000 square feet with a seating capacity of 30,000 fans. There will be additional standing room available, along with luxury boxes.

“All of us at Major League Baseball, all the owners, are excited to be adding Major League Baseball to the entertainment alternatives available here in Southern Nevada,” Manfred said. “The Athletics have a long and proud history … I think about today as the beginning of new chapter in that great history.”

Funding the $1.75B Ballpark

Money has been an issue in the eyes of many MLB experts, with $380 million in public funding, while the rest of the money will be derived from Fisher’s group for the $1.75 billion structure located on the Las Vegas Strip, the site of the old Tropicana Hotel. However, Fisher has been steadfast in his resolve to see the project through to its conclusion and beyond.

A’s president, Marc Badain, said, “I have no doubt this is done in 2028. You know the workforce here; they’re all here and ready to get going.

“It’s nice to see the validation a day like today brings and what the next three years will mean for the community and for the construction project and the jobs and everything else that you’re going to see as this building comes out of the ground starting as early as tonight,” added Badain.

“I think that the demographics, the success that other sports have had, and the amount of tourism here—those three legs of the stool make this an ideal market for us,” Manfred said. “I have no doubt that this team is going to be really successful in Vegas.”