A's baseball will soon be gone from Oakland and moving to Las Vegas

The vibes were immaculate on Tuesday around the Oakland A's Coliseum with the scheduled Reverse Boycott generating headlines across the nation. Things took a dark turn for Oaklanders on Wednesday, though, as the Nevada Assembly passed an amended version of Senate Bill 1 (SB1), also known as the Las Vegas A's ballpark bill, by a vote of 25-15.

The bill underwent five days of review during a special session in the Nevada Legislature, and despite initially facing strong opposition, amendments related to community benefits and other aspects managed to sway some representatives in what turned out to be a "yes" for the A's to get relocated to Las Vegas in time for the start of the 2027 or 2028 season.

Following its approval in the assembly, SB1 received clearance in the senate as well, with the bill passing after intensive lobbying efforts by the A's owner and president, John Fisher and Dave Kaval. The bill is now awaiting the signature of Governor Joe Lombardo, who is a lock to approve it and uproot the A's from Oakland while moving them for good to Las Vegas.

Upon the governor's signature, the bill would secure up to $380 million in public funding for a $1.5 billion stadium on the Las Vegas Strip, marking a significant milestone in the A's relocation bid and landing the final blow on Oakland and the resident fans of the A's, who will be left without their franchise in the East Bay sooner rather than later.

The final step in the process would be the approval or denial of the move by MLB owners. That vote won't happen this week, as initially expected, as the meetings held in New York will be over by Thursday with no practical time to hold the process today. The final date is still unknown.

The A's franchise released an official statement expressing gratitude to the members of the Nevada State Legislature for their efforts in advancing the bill and bringing the team to Las Vegas.

Owner John Fisher, who did not comment on the matter at the MLB owners' meetings in New York, is poised to receive substantial public funds for the stadium.

The A's recently announced that their new stadium, which will be situated on the current site of the Tropicana Resort in the Las Vegas Strip, is most probably not going to be ready until 2028.

As the A's lease at Oakland's Coliseum is set to expire after the 2024 season, the team will have to negotiate with Oakland to potentially remain there for an additional three seasons or consider playing at the club's outdoor Class AAA stadium outside Las Vegas.

The A's have suggested the possibility of playing some games in Reno during this interim period, although they might face strong opposition from the players union if they try to walk that line.