Oakland Officials and Athletics at Odds Over Coliseum Lease Extension

The Oakland Athletics and city officials are facing a major hurdle in striking a lease extension for the team to continue playing at the Coliseum. Despite ongoing talks, the two parties remain “far apart” on the terms needed for an agreement, the A’s revealed on Tuesday.

With the A’s current lease set to expire at the end of the year, time is of the essence to secure a deal in order for the MLB to complete its 2025 season schedule. However, the $97 million extension fee proposed by Oakland, with a five-year term and an opt-out clause after three years, has not been met with approval from the A’s.

The city of Oakland has put forward several options to MLB officials, including the possibility of establishing an exclusive one-year window to form an ownership group for a potential expansion team, retaining the A’s name and colors in Oakland, or forcing the team to sell to a local ownership group.

Meanwhile, the A’s have proposed a two-year extension valued at $7 million and $10 million for the respective years. As the team plans to build a new $1.5 billion ballpark in Las Vegas, set for completion in 2028, they are in need of a temporary home for the interim years.

While discussions continue, the A’s have explored the option of playing at Triple-A ballparks in Sacramento, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah. With construction on the Las Vegas stadium scheduled to begin in April 2025, the clock is ticking for a resolution to be reached between the team and Oakland officials.

For more updates on this developing story, stay tuned and follow Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or on Twitter @mickakers.