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The Oakland Athletics are officially no more. They played their final game at the Oakland Coliseum in September and will move to Sacramento in 2025. California's capital will be a temporary home while they wait for their move to Las Vegas. On Monday, the Athletics officially announced their brand change, with guidelines on their city name, or lack thereof. Evan Drellich of The Athletic obtained the document.
The guidelines officially go into effect on Monday and include the official dropping of the Oakland moniker. Notably, there is no intention of using Sacramento in their official name. Their name for the time being will be “Athletics” with “A's” being an approved nickname. The official logo will be the “A's”, not the Oakland seal they had used for years.
Nothing in the release about what the team will be called when they move to Vegas. The Raiders use Las Vegas and the Golden Knights drop the Las, so either is in play for the baseball team. For now, the Athletics will be a one-name team while playing at a AAA stadium.
The release also officially denotes Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento as their home. The AAA Sacramento River Cats home will be renovated and ready for opening day in 2025.
What is the future of the Athletics?
In the aftermath of the emotional scene at the Oakland Coliseum, owner John Fisher announced he was selling a portion of the team. The New York Post reported that the heir to the Gap fortune was looking to sell 25% of the franchise for $500 million. The $2 billion valuation is well above their actual value, so it can be assumed this deal hinges on the Vegas stadium.
A new owner with cash they are willing to spend is exactly what the Athletics need. Fisher has been the benefactor of well-constructed teams by Billy Beane but never put up the money to keep them together. That led to fans not showing up and eventually to the team moving.
The situation in Sacramento should be temporary, but there is no shovel in the ground in Vegas yet. The Tropicana Hotel was knocked down the make room for the building which is the only progress made so far. While the Athletics are still likely moving to Vegas, ask a hockey fan about the Arizona Coyotes and you may become skeptical.
The Coyotes played in an NCAA arena for two seasons until the Players' Association complained and the league forced the sale. That is not going to happen to the Athletics any time soon, but they must move to Vegas to save the future of the franchise.
