The Oakland A’s are still in limbo, but Las Vegas is ready to welcome them for a permanent vacation.

The team played spring training games against the Cincinnati Reds in Las Vegas over the weekend, stirring conversation that the city could one day be the A’s full-time home.

“It’s no secret that we’ve been pursuing paths in Oakland and Vegas,” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay. “But regardless of all that, we’ve been there before, and it’s our Triple-A home. I think it’s a great thing to take in for fans, a weekend of baseball in Vegas.”

While numerous details remain to be addressed before the team could sign off on a move to Sin City, leaders in Las Vegas are making their enthusiasm known — a contingent that includes Don Logan, COO of the A’s Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators.

“Las Vegas offers a dynamic that no other team has. We have 45 million visitors annually in this market, and that’s what we want — heads in beds,” Logan told ESPN. “My perspective: make the best deal you can in Vegas and start to turn this community on.”

That sentiment was echoed by former A’s great Jason Giambi.

“They want it, the people are hungry for it here,” said Giambi. “Every night is sold out at the [NHL’s Golden] Knights. Every night is sold out at the Raiders. Not only are you drawing your own fans, but you’re drawing everybody else, too.”

Paris Saint-Germain could find a new home at France’s biggest sports stadium.

Less than two months after Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said the city wouldn’t sell the team its current home, Parc des Princes, one minister said the French government will consider selling the Stade de France.

Sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said the sale is being considered, along with granting a new operating concession after the stadium’s current one expires in 2025.

The Stade de France could also be sold to other interested parties — French newspaper L’Equipe reported last week that FIFA is considering a takeover of the venue, as well. 

Bloomberg reported that a call for proposals would open Monday.

The stadium — the sixth-largest in Europe with a capacity of 80,000 — could be valued between $426.9 million and $640.4 million, according to Le Figaro. 

PSG has played at the Parc des Princes since its founding in 1970. The club, which has already spent $75.6 million on improvements, had made acquiring the stadium a prerequisite for spending $540 million on renovating and expanding the venue.

“The mayor is forcing PSG to leave its home,” a team spokesperson said in January. “PSG is now forced to find alternative options to relocate the club.”

Licensing company Authentic Brands Group is reportedly wading even further into the sports retail sector.  

The company is close to a deal with Boardriders — the parent company of Billabong, Quiksilver, and Roxy — for $1.3 billion, according to Bloomberg. The three brands are known for their surf gear, but also offer skiing and snowboarding apparel and equipment.

It’s been a difficult decade for brands that were once considered defining cultural symbols of the surf and snowboard generation.

Boardriders, previously known as Quiksilver, was acquired by Oaktree Capital Management in 2016 after filing for bankruptcy, after which the company bought Billabong.

Over the past few years, Authentic Brands Group has pushed further into the sports space. 

• It currently owns Reebok, acquired from Adidas last year for $2.5 billion.
• In 2019, it stepped out of the retail space to acquire Sports Illustrated for $110 million.

The deal could become final next week, but the report cautioned that it could still be canceled.

Barcelona is reconsidering how it will pay for major refurbishments to Camp Nou Stadium that are slated to cost $1.59 billion, according to Reuters. 

In 2021, team members voted for a 35-year plan with Goldman Sachs to pay for the entire renovation — a major undertaking given the decrepit state of Camp Nou. 

But now, the deal will be split in two parts — and Barcelona will be responsible for paying back the loan in its entirety by 2047, five years earlier than the original plan.

The plan’s specific terms are still in the negotiating stages, but the club hopes to announce the new plan by the end of the month.

Spend Money to Make Money

The stadium is the fourth-largest in the world, seating more than 99,000 fans — but its size and history don’t cancel out the fact that it’s in a state of disrepair.

The team claims that the refurbishments will not only provide a better experience for fans, but also bring in extra revenue. 

Specifically, Barca expects to earn an additional $213 million every year through naming rights and hospitality-related offerings, like VIP ticket sales.