Athletics

Following a couple lengthy days of hearings, the Nevada Senate adjourned Thursday without voting on a financing bill for the $1.5 billion stadium that the Oakland Athletics want to build on the Las Vegas Strip, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The special legislative session will now seep into next week as deliberations continue over whether to contribute $380 million in public funding to the project with both the Senate and Assembly adjourned until Monday.

The bill, which can be amended by lawmakers will need to pass both the Senate and the Assembly before getting ratified by Governor Joe Lombardo, who has been supportive of it.

As part of the hearings on Wednesday and Thursday, state representatives questioned tourism experts, officials and a representative from a firm partnering with the Athletics about the benefits of approving the bill.

They said the stadium would help expand Las Vegas' budding sports scene and help boost the city's economy. However, there is also a growing number of economists and lawmakers warning that the deal would bring minimal benefits for the hefty public price tag.

Back in May, the franchise came to an agreement with Bally's and Gaming & Leisure Properties to build their 30,000-seat stadium on the 35-acre Tropicana hotel site along the Las Vegas Strip.

According to the report, the bill would not directly raise local taxes as the public funding would consist of $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds. The backers of the stadium have said that the amount of revenue the stadium would bring in would pay off those bonds and interest.

Clark County also plans to contribute $25 million in credit to help with infrastructure costs.

The Oakland Athletics encountered a setback in their plans to relocate to Las Vegas and use public funds to help build a new stadium.

The Nevada Independent's Tabitha Mueller, Sean Golonka and Jacob Solis reported Monday that the bill outlining how the stadium would be funded failed to get on the regular legislative session for Nevada's Legislature.

The report noted Gov. Joe Lombardo could call a special legislative session for lawmakers to discuss the proposal. However, Mueller followed up Tuesday to report Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager doesn't believe the A's would be included in the special session:

The A's initially announced in April that they signed a binding agreement with Red Rock Resorts to purchase 49 acres where the new stadium would sit. The team changed plans in May, revealing it struck a deal with Bally's Corporation to build a 30,000-seat venue where the Tropicana presently sits.

The stadium bill, SB509, was introduced to the Nevada Legislature on May 26. Under the terms of the proposal, a 30,000-seat retractable roof stadium would be built at a total cost of $1.5 billion.

The Nevada Independent detailed the public funding portion of the cost:

Under SB509, brought on behalf of Lombardo's office, the public financing would be capped at $380 million, including up to $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and a $25 million credit from Clark County aimed at addressing infrastructure costs. Clark County would issue bonds to make up the remaining public funds, estimated to be $120 million.

There are numerous examples pointing to how publicly funding sports stadiums is often a bad deal for municipalities.

In the case of the Athletics' proposal, critics zeroed in on what they contend are overly optimistic estimates for the impact a new stadium would have and what kind of revenue it could generate.

Jeremy Aguero, a consultant working with the team, told the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin a new A's stadium would create 5,400 jobs in "team and stadium operations." Shaikin noted the Athletics employ roughly 200 full-time employees.

Aguero also projected 30 percent of fans attending games would be tourists, and 16 percent "would not have to come to Las Vegas if not for the opportunity to see a major league game." Considering how many other entertainment options Vegas offers, some have questioned how much the presence of an MLB team would actually boost tourism to the city.

The A's are currently averaging an MLB-worst 8,675 fans, and this year's team could be one of the worst in baseball history. Scorching the earth in Oakland to accelerate an exit could have a domino effect on the Athletics' drawing power in a new city.

For now, the door isn't totally closed on a relocation to Las Vegas. But the A's might have to go back to the drawing board.

The Oakland Athletics reportedly hit a bit of a snag in their hopes of building a $1.5 billion stadium in Las Vegas.

According to Norm Clarke of The Sporting Tribune, a veteran legislative insider said he'd "give it a 50-50" chance that the A's bid for their proposed 30,000-seat ballpark with a retractable roof on Las Vegas Boulevard gets passage on the final day of the city legislature's regular session.

"It doesn't seem to be a priority," the insider said.

Clarke noted that a special session "seemed to be a growing likelihood" as opposition grows. The A's are seeking a $380 million subsidy for their proposed stadium.

If the franchise doesn't receive enough votes for the construction of its new ballpark, it will still have the option of renewing its stadium contract in Oakland.

Battle Born Progress, the Nevada State Educators Association and the Progressive Leadership Alliances of Nevada led the opposition at a hearing last week, per Clarke.

A source told Clarke that the pushback to Oakland's proposal "is based on the idea that stadiums are bad bills for the public. Some of them called it 'Billionaire welfare,' some argue that the money should go to education, housing or other social services."

The insider added that the A's recent poor performance has played a factor in the resistance from community groups: "They also have argued that the A's have not been good community partners in Oakland and will do the same in Las Vegas. They also cited the low attendance in Oakland and the overall low performance of the team during its history."

At 12-49, the A's have the worst record in MLB and appear set to miss the playoffs for the third straight year. Oakland will be looking to end a four-game losing streak in Monday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

A bill introduced Friday to the Nevada legislature proposed $380 million in public funding toward a new stadium for the Oakland Athletics in Las Vegas.

According to Gabe Stern of the Associated Press, the proposal includes $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state, $120 million in county bonds and $25 million in credit from Clark County for a 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium.

With the Athletics unable to reach an agreement to build a new ballpark in Oakland, they announced in April that they had purchased land on the Las Vegas strip with the intention of relocating the team.

Per Stern, the Las Vegas stadium plan can pass with majority vote in the Senate and Assembly, and it could be voted on by the time they adjourn on June 5.

Additionally, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the Athletics' potential move to Vegas could be voted on from June 13 to June 15 when MLB owners meet in New York.

At 30,000 seats, the A's would have the lowest-capacity ballpark in MLB, but going to Las Vegas would represent a move into the fastest-growing market in professional sports.

After previously having no major pro sports teams, the A's would join the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and NFL's Las Vegas Raiders as franchises that have been created in or relocated to the city since 2017.

Las Vegas would technically be a downgrade from Oakland in terms of market size, but thanks to its status as a tourist destination, it is believed to be capable of supporting multiple pro sports teams.

Also, the Athletics' backs have been against the wall for some time, as they have struggled to find a solution to their stadium situation that would have kept them in Oakland.

Since moving to Oakland from Kansas City in 1968, the A's have played in the Oakland Coliseum, which has long been out of date.

Assuming the Athletics' relocation and stadium deal in Las Vegas are approved, they will leave behind an indelible legacy in Oakland, as they won four World Series championships during their time in the city.

Success has been elusive in recent years, though, as the A's missed the playoffs in both 2021 and 2022, and they are well on their way to doing it again this season with an MLB-worst 10-43 record.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday that league owners could approve the Oakland Athletics' prospective move to Las Vegas as early as their June 13-15 meetings.

"It's possible that a relocation vote could happen as early as June," Manfred said, per Steve Megargee of the Associated Press.

"It's very difficult to have a timeline for Oakland until there's actually a deal to be considered. There is a relocation process internally they need to go through, and we haven't even started that process."

The A's and the state of Nevada agreed upon a public-financing package en route to the team building a $1.5 billion partially retractable-roof stadium seating 30,000 on the Tropicana Casino site, per Tabitha Mueller and Howard Stutz of the Nevada Independent.

However, the Nevada state legislature must now approve the deal, and the same goes for the Federal Aviation Administration because of the stadium's proximity to Harry Reid International Airport.

On the league side, MLB's relocation committee has to clear the agreement by Jan. 1. The move already has the blessing of Manfred, who told Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal in April that MLB approves "the A's turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year."

Per Akers, the A's are looking for $395 million in public funding after previously looking for a half billion. A's owner John Fisher has pledged to commit more than $1 billion toward the stadium.

The A's are looking to move to Las Vegas in time for the 2027 season.

In the meantime, Oakland is floundering on the field. The team with the league's lowest payroll ($56.9 million as of April 17, per Scott Boeck of USA Today) has gone 10-41, or five games worse than the next-closest team to them in the league (the 15-36 Kansas City Royals). Understandably, Oakland is also last in attendance (8,695 fans per game).

The Oakland Athletics and Nevada state officials have come to terms on a public financing package en route to the team's effort to build a $1.5 billion stadium in Las Vegas.

However, the final number is "significantly less" than the $500 million the team initially sought, per Tabitha Mueller and Howard Stutz of the Nevada Independent, who provided more information:

"According to sources with knowledge of the discussions, the public financing package that will be presented to lawmakers will be lower than the initial threshold of $195 million in transferable tax credits the state set last week, and see a similar reduction from the initial request of $200 million in bonds backed by Clark County."

The A's are looking to build a partially retractable-roof stadium with seating for 30,000 in time for the 2027 season. They initially requested $500 million before knocking their request down to $395 million.

Per Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, A's owner John Fisher has committed $1 billion toward the new stadium.

As far as next steps go, the Nevada legislature must now approve the deal. If it doesn't get approved before the current legislative session ends on June 5, it could get cleared through a special legislative session.

In addition, MLB's relocation committee must approve the agreement by Jan. 1. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred approves the change, saying in a statement to Akers that the league backs "the A's turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year."

The Federal Aviation Administration must also vet the plan because of the proposed site's proximity to Harry Reid International Airport, per the Nevada Independent.

Specifically, the stadium would be on the Vegas strip and take up nine acres of the Tropicana casino site, located on Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.

A proposed move to Las Vegas would end a nearly six-decade stretch in Oakland for the A's, who moved to the Bay Area from Kansas City in 1968 and enjoyed tremendous success with six American League pennants and four World Series titles—and some recent success with 11 playoff appearances since 2000.

NBC Sports California fired veteran Oakland Athletics play-by-play announcer Glen Kuiper on Monday following an internal review after he used a racial slur during the broadcast of a May 5 game.

"Following an internal review, the decision has been made for NBC Sports California to end its relationship with Glen Kuiper, effective immediately," the network said in a statement, per Jerry McDonald of the Mercury News. "We thank Glen for his dedication to Bay Area baseball over the years."

McDonald reported "the decision was based on a variety of factors, including information uncovered in the internal review."

Kuiper had not worked a game since the May 5 one between the Athletics and Kansas City Royals because he was suspended after he used the slur when describing a visit to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.

"I could not be more sorry and horrified by what I said," Kuiper said in a previous apology after it was revealed he was suspended, per McDonald. "I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies."

Bob Kendrick, who is the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, responded to the situation at the time and said, "The word is painful and has no place in our society."

This was Kuiper's 20th season working on Athletics broadcasts. He started in 2004 as an on-field correspondent who would fill-in as needed and was moved to primary play-by-play announcer in 2006.

While he never played in the major leagues, the Cincinnati Reds selected him with a 10th-round pick in the 1982 draft. He played in the minor leagues and in the New York Penn League before shifting to a career of broadcasting.

The ongoing saga of the Oakland Athletics' potential move to Las Vegas has hit another road block over the amount of money the state is willing to contribute to fund a new ballpark.

Per Tabitha Mueller and Howard Stutz of the Nevada Independent, Nevada lawmakers are currently willing to offer up to $195 million in transferable tax credits to the A's for stadium construction. The Athletics are seeking $395 million.

"The amount the state will offer depends on how much money Clark County will offer in the form of county-issued bonds paid by taxes generated on the ballpark site," Mueller and Stutz wrote. "Sources added that lawmakers are discussing between $150 million and $195 million in transferable tax credits, but nothing is set in stone until the county details are finalized."

The A's entered into a binding agreement with Bally's Corporation and Gaming and Leisure Properties on May 15 to build a new ballpark on a portion of the Tropicana Las Vegas property.

"We are excited about the potential to bring Major League Baseball to this iconic location," A's president Dave Kaval said of the agreement. "We are thrilled to work alongside Bally's and GLPI, and look forward to finalizing plans to bring the Athletics to Southern Nevada."

Per the agreement, the Athletics will receive approximately nine acres to build a stadium that seats around 30,000 fans.

In April, Kaval told Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal the new stadium is expected to cost $1.5 billion with the hope of opening for the start of the 2027 season.

Mueller and Stutz noted Nevada's 120-day legislative session ends on June 5, at which point an agreement for any public money for the stadium project would need to be approved by both the Assembly and Senate.

There is a potential workaround where a special legislature session can be called, either by Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo or a two-thirds majority of lawmakers.

The A's were initially seeking $500 million in public funding from the state when they entered into a binding agreement with Red Rock Resorts Inc. for a new stadium at the site of Wild Wild West casino that closed in 2022.

Their public funding request was dropped to $395 million when they were given the Tropicana Las Vegas site for free by Bally's Corporation and Gaming and Leisure Properties.

The Athletics' current stadium lease in Oakland expires after the 2024 season. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters the club could share a stadium with the Triple-A team in Las Vegas for 2025 and 2026 until its new ballpark is ready.

Of course, all of those future plans are contingent on the A's actually finalizing a plan with Nevada lawmakers to build a stadium.

The Oakland Athletics have signed another binding agreement to advance their plan of relocating to Las Vegas and building a new stadium.

Bally's Corporation announced Monday it has struck a deal with the A's for the project, which would see a 30,000-seat stadium built on the site that houses the Tropicana.

Bally's president George Papanier said in a statement:

"We are honored to have been selected to partner with the Oakland Athletics on this monumental step in helping to bring Major League Baseball to the great city of Las Vegas, and to be a part of the once in a generation opportunity of having a professional baseball team located within a short walk of the Las Vegas Strip."

A major hurdle remains, though.

While it's safe to assume MLB will officially approve the A's move when the time comes, Monday's announcement acknowledged the stadium plan is still "subject to the passing of legislation for public financing and related agreements."

The Nevada Independent's Howard Stutz reported the plan in place carries a price tag of $1.5 billion with $395 million in public financing. The latter figure is down from $500 million in the original outline.

Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft was dismissive of the first projection.

"That's something that they've come up with," he said in April. "You don't always get what you want. And I think that's probably going to be the case with the $500 million."

Naft also suggested local politicians might be in a position of strength since there doesn't seem to be a workable alternative for the Athletics in Oakland.

Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager told the Nevada Independent the team could be leaving little time to get the necessary legislative approval.

"There hasn't been a concrete plan that's been presented to the legislature," he said. "And I read in the media too, and it seems like every story talks about it in a different way. So in my mind, until there's some kind of concrete ask, there's really not much to discuss."

The Athletics' preference is clear, and Monday represented another step toward achieving their aims. But playing in Sin City—at least within the vision presented—remains far from a reality.

After a lengthy process, the Oakland Athletics reportedly officially secured a location to build their baseball stadium in Las Vegas.

According to Howard Stutz of The Nevada Independent, the A's and Bally's Corp. have an agreement in place to build a $1.5 billion ballpark on a portion of the Tropicana Las Vegas site. The move reportedly would "reduce the amount of public financing sought for the project" from $500 million to $395 million.

It was reported last month that the A's were "close to finalizing" a binding agreement to build a new ballpark north of Allegiant Stadium where the Las Vegas Raiders play that would be ready for the franchise's move by 2027. However, securing the 49-acre property didn't go smoothly.

Stutz and Tabitha Mueller reported on Monday that the A's had been revisiting other potential sites that were "previously considered as a potential backup plan should the team fail to secure legislative support for a $500 million tax package." State lawmakers in Nevada indicated that the franchise was running out of time to receive legislative approval for the proposed tax package.

According to Stutz, as part of the agreement reached on Tuesday, "Bally's plans to demolish the Tropicana and allow the A's to construct a 35,000-seat retractable roof stadium on 9 acres of the 34-acre site on Tropicana Avenue near the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip."

Thanks to Bally's having a lease agreement with real estate investment trust Gaming and Leisure Properties, Stutz noted that the A's would be able to avoid paying land acquisition costs. Bally's pays an annual rent of $10.5 million to Gaming and Leisure.

As part of the new deal, the original idea to build an entertainment district around the stadium with restaurants, retail and other entertainment offerings is no longer part of the plans, per Stutz. Bally's reportedly will build a 1,500-room hotel-casino that would be separate from the stadium after construction is completed.

"This is now the deal. This is what we're working on," a source familiar with the negotiations told Stutz.