The Oakland Athletics have officially announced that they will be playing in Sacramento from 2025-2027. They are forced to make the move since their new stadium in Las Vegas will not be completed until 2028.

The A’s organization first announced the move in 2023 after struggling to find a new stadium available in the Bay Area, though their lease at the Oakland Coliseum extends through 2024. 

The team will play at Sutter Health Park, which is currently the home of the Sacramento River Cats; the San Francisco Giants’ triple-A affiliate team. Sutter Health Park has been the home of the River Cats since its construction in 2000.

Prior to the River Cats being the Giants’ triple-A affiliated team, the River Cats were the A’s triple-A affiliates for nearly two decades, so the move into Sutter Health Park is not unfamiliar. 

Loyal A’s fans are enraged by the move and the decision to do so by the team’s ownership. This has affected the organization’s game attendance and since the team’s move has been confirmed, their attendance is likely to decline even more.

In 2022, the A’s had an average of 9,500 fans in attendance at each game, with a slight increase in 2023 with about 10,000.  The average attendance for an MLB game in 2023 was just under 30,000. 

The Athletics have deep roots in the city of Oakland, 2024 will be the team’s 57th season in the city. The A’s have fans from multiple generations and all are sad to see the team leave, as now both of Oakland’s professional sports teams will have moved to Las Vegas; first the Oakland Raiders and now the A’s.

Professional sports in Oakland will soon be a pastime.