Could the Oakland A's temporarily become the Utah U's?
The Athletics are looking for a stadium to call home before their contract with the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season and their new ballpark in Las Vegas opens in 2028 (which they hope to do). More than 700 miles away.
A's leaders met Thursday with Steve Starks, CEO of the company that built Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City, just an 11-hour drive from A's fans in Oakland.
Smith's Ballpark is home to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, a team that plans to move to a new ballpark in nearby South Jordan in 2025.
Starks said the Athletics are interested in temporarily residing in the new ballpark, which would keep the Bees at Smith's for three more seasons.
“We hosted team officials on Thursday and demonstrated that we can accommodate their ballpark needs,” Larry H. Miller Company said in a statement. “Our organization and state are excited to welcome Athletics back to Las Vegas until the new stadium is completed.”
The new stadium is expected to hold 7,500 fans.
Crowds at the Coliseum have been rotten since Athletics club owners refused to commit to cleaning up the park and let teams with any hope of winning take the field, but last season the Athletics missed home games. It attracted an average of 10,276 fans. .
The Athletics, led by owner John Fisher, appear determined to leave Oakland and are looking for a detour on their way to Las Vegas.
The stadium tour also includes Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, home of the Triple-A River Cats.
A team president Dave Kaval told the Nevada Independent in August. Other options include returning to the Coliseum, sharing Oracle Park with the Giants and Las Vegas Ballpark, where the Triple-A Aviators play.
