The Oakland Athletics, a team that has called Oakland home for the past 57 seasons, will be playing in Sacramento for the next three years before making their move to Las Vegas. Despite this temporary relocation, the team has decided to keep their original name and will still be known as “The Athletics” without any reference to Sacramento.
This decision was made clear when the Major League Baseball schedule was released, and the team was simply abbreviated to ATH. It was uncertain at that time whether they would adopt the name Sacramento A’s, but it has been confirmed that they will stick to their original name.
In recent years, we have seen sports teams dropping geographic locations from their names, such as the Washington Football Team and Utah Hockey Club. The Athletics’ decision to maintain their original name reflects a trend in the sports world.
The team will be playing their home games at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, which is currently the home of their rival San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats. This temporary move is part of a larger trend in Oakland sports, as the Warriors, Raiders, and now the A’s have all left the city since 2020.
The move to Las Vegas has not been without its challenges. The team initially planned to begin playing in Vegas in 2027, but faced opposition from the city’s mayor. However, the team has signed an agreement to purchase 49 acres for a new ballpark, which will cost approximately $1.5 billion. The stadium will be located on the site of the former Tropicana and will be accompanied by a new hotel/casino built by Bally’s.
Overall, the Oakland Athletics’ decision to maintain their original name despite playing in Sacramento reflects a larger trend in the sports world of teams moving away from using city names in their branding. As they prepare for their eventual move to Las Vegas, the team is focused on building a new state-of-the-art stadium that will be a centerpiece of the city’s sports scene.