The Oakland Athletics officially concluded their 57-year tenure in the Bay Area on September 26, 2024, playing their final home game at the Oakland Coliseum. The franchise, which moved to Oakland from Kansas City in 1968, is transitioning to a temporary home in West Sacramento before a planned permanent relocation to Las Vegas.
The Final Game at the Oakland Coliseum
The Athletics ended their Oakland era with a 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers. According to MLB.com, the game drew a capacity crowd of 46,889 fans, many of whom gathered to protest team ownership’s decision to relocate. The atmosphere remained charged throughout the evening, marking the end of a period that saw the team win four World Series titles while playing at the Coliseum.
Relocation Timeline and Temporary Venue
Following the conclusion of the 2024 season, the team will begin a three-year residency at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. This facility, which typically hosts the Sacramento River Cats—the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants—will serve as the home for the Athletics through the 2027 season.
Per the official Athletics announcement, the move is a bridge to the team’s long-term goal of building a new stadium in Las Vegas. The franchise plans to transition to a permanent stadium in Southern Nevada by 2028, pending the completion of construction projects currently in the planning phases.
Franchise History and Performance
Since arriving in Oakland in 1968, the Athletics have been a central fixture of Major League Baseball in Northern California. The team’s historical impact includes:
- World Series Championships: The club secured titles in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1989.
- League Pennants: The franchise captured 6 American League pennants during the Oakland era.
- Stadium Tenure: The Oakland Coliseum served as the team’s home for 57 seasons, making it one of the longest-tenured venues in professional baseball history.
Future Outlook for the Athletics
The move to Las Vegas represents the fourth city in the franchise’s history. Originally founded as the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901, the team moved to Kansas City in 1955 before settling in Oakland. The transition to Las Vegas is part of a broader trend in professional sports of teams relocating to markets with newer infrastructure and public-private stadium financing agreements. The team will officially be known as the Athletics, or simply the "A’s," without a city designation during their three-year stay in Sacramento.
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