The Oakland A’s ultimate decision on their future will have ripple effects across two cities.

The team has negotiated on two sites in Las Vegas — one owned by a company with connections to MLB’s biggest local broadcaster, and the other by a billionaire looking to grow his presence in the city.

• The A’s have explored the Tropicana site owned by Bally’s, which holds naming rights to Diamond Sports Group’s 19 regional sports networks.
• They have also looked at the currently unoccupied Las Vegas Fairgrounds site.
• The Fairgrounds area is owned by billionaire Phil Ruffin, who might invest further in his neighboring Circus Circus hotel and casino if the A’s move to his site.

Both Ruffin and Houston Rockets’ owner Tilman Fertitta are seeking a greater share of the city’s casino and resort market.

The team has indicated it will stay in Oakland if it can strike a deal with the city on a $12 billion waterfront stadium and surrounding mixed-use development.

Keeping it Local

Las Vegas has become a newly hot destination for sports properties, with both Formula 1 and the Super Bowl planning moves there soon.

The city has also launched an initiative to help minority small business owners benefit from Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.

Businesses at least 51% minority-owned, have been in Las Vegas for at least three years, and that directly supply the goods and services they sell are eligible for a program that facilitates Super Bowl contracts with the hope of establishing lasting relationships.

Two of Europe’s most iconic soccer clubs are on the market for similar reasons, say analysts. 

Earlier this year, Manchester United and Liverpool were made available for takeover deals, adding to several ownership changes throughout pro sports including the $5.4 billion sale of Chelsea to a group led by Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers, and Sparks part-owner Todd Boehly.

Manchester United and Liverpool — or possibly a stake in them — are up for grabs as sports teams around the world manage mounting losses in a market facing profitability concerns, according to a CNBC report. 

The Premier League saw its clubs lose a combined $1.2 billion in the 2020-21 season. 

• The Glazer family is mulling a deal for Man United — the third-most-valuable soccer club at $4.6 billion, per Forbes — amid public outcry by fans over poor ownership.
• Liverpool — the fourth-most-valuable soccer team at $4.45 billion — was put on the market in November, and owner Fenway Sports Group could explore a partial sale.

FSG — which also owns the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins — has reportedly yet to receive a “compelling offer” for Liverpool after buying the club for $353.4 million in 2010. The Glazers, who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, reportedly want more than $7.2 billion for Man U. 

Potential Buyers

Investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar have expressed takeover interest in Liverpool and are reportedly planning to present a joint bid “in the region of $3.9 billion.” Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has shown interest in Man United, while Amazon may also be mulling a bid.

The next owner of the Washington Commanders may need some extra cash to finalize a takeover deal for the NFL franchise. 

Last month, Commanders owner Dan Snyder announced he was exploring a potential sale of the team after allegations of mismanagement and workplace misconduct. A team takeover could include an extra $1 billion to cover costs associated with a new stadium, according to CBS Sports. 

• The Commanders are the sixth-most-valuable NFL team at $5.6 billion, per Forbes.
• Snyder bought the team for $750 million in 1999.
• Earlier this year, he failed to secure public funding for a new $3 billion stadium. 

Snyder has reportedly received offers “well north” of $7 billion that would include FedEx Field, the surrounding 264 acres, and the 150-acre team headquarters in Ashburn, Virginia.

The offers represent a significant jump from the $4.65 billion that a group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton paid for the Denver Broncos in June. 

Mascot Mess

The Commanders could face legal action by five former players over the use of a new mascot. 

The team plans to unveil a hog as its new mascot, but the symbol was trademarked in July by O-Line Entertainment — a company formed by the original “Hogs” — Joe Jacoby, Mark May, John Riggins, Fred Dean, and Doc Walker. The late Joe Bugel, who once coached the offensive line in Washington, came up with the nickname.

The group plans to file a trademark infringement suit if the Commanders adopt the hog mascot.

The A’s might leave the city, but sports teams are still eyeing their Oakland Coliseum site as a potential new home. 

The Oakland Roots of the second-division USL Championship are looking at the stadium, where they would be accompanied by the Oakland Soul, a women’s soccer team launched by the Roots that will play in the second-division USL W League starting in 2023. 

• The Roots currently play in a 5,500-capacity stadium in Oakland’s Laney College. 
• They are considering a move to the Coliseum or to a closed naval base in neighboring Alameda.
• The two sites were the only ones the club identified that met its criteria for size, accessibility, potential for community impact, and designation for sports use.

The NFL’s Oakland Raiders also played at the Coliseum before leaving for Las Vegas in 2020. 

Coliseum Competition

While the A’s are planning to move to either Oakland’s Howard Terminal or to Las Vegas, the Roots are not the only team interested in their current home.

In November 2021, Oakland granted exclusive negotiating rights to the African American Sports & Entertainment Group to lease or purchase the 130-acre site, which also includes the Oakland Arena, where the Golden State Warriors played until moving to San Francisco in 2019.

The group is potentially willing to work with the Roots and Soul but has also discussed bringing a WNBA team and separate women’s soccer team to the site.