Why Are Major Sports Teams Leaving Oakland?
One by one, major professional sports teams have begun to leave Oakland, Calif. This past November, the Oakland Athletics, a Major League Baseball team, confirmed their move to Las Vegas after 55 years in the city. Three years ago, the Raiders played their first football game in Las Vegas after moving from their founding city, and in 2019, the Golden State Warriors left the Oakland Arena, formerly known as the Oracle Arena, for the Chase Center in San Francisco. Oakland, once a city with three major professional sports teams, now has none. So why are teams leaving Oakland?
After gaining championship wins in 2015, 2017, and 2018, and a larger fanbase in turn, it made sense for the Warriors to upgrade their stadium. Staff at the time expressed that the team and its fans would benefit from moving to a nicer stadium in a wealthier city. For the Raiders and Athletics, a need for a new stadium was the driving factor in their move. The city of Oakland was reluctant to give funding to these teams, whereas Las Vegas was more than willing to fulfill their requests. The franchise revenue of these three teams was not dependent on its Oakland fanbase — rather, they needed television deals and sponsorships that could be found outside of the city.
These teams had a long history in Oakland, and their moves were not met with satisfaction from fans. Tanisha Fitzgerald, Math Department, who is a dedicated Raiders fan, recalls feeling “a little bit of betrayal” after finding out about the Raiders leaving Oakland in 2017 and even considered ending her support for the team. She remembers how the team lost various fans because of this move, especially people who had stuck with the Raiders through their previous move to Los Angeles. However, upon visiting the new stadium in Las Vegas, she felt that the move was justified. The new stadium was something the team had long deserved. Oakland is a city with a lot of special culture, and the Raiders, along with the Warriors and Athletics, have a special history and fanbase in the city. It would be amazing for Oakland to have a team to support and it's sad for the city as teams are leaving. Fitzgerald believes that Oakland “needs strategy for attaining and maintaining sport culture.”
The Athletics’ last game in Oakland this past September has concluded the presence of major sports teams in Oakland. Their new Las Vegas stadium will most likely be finished in 2028 and until then, the team has tentative plans to play in ballparks in San Francisco and Las Vegas. Oakland will continue to hold history for the Athletics, Warriors, and Raiders and fans remain disappointed with losing the “Oakland” title. However, the city’s unique culture and impact on these teams will follow them wherever they may go.
