SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL: A’S BALLPARK RISING TO THE CHALLENGE IN THE DESERT
Over the past few years, a question I have asked a panel or sources was, “Does the A’s ballpark in Las Vegas ever get built?” The question emanated from doubts the project would ever come out of the ground — for various reasons — and even well-connected baseball reporters speculated it wouldn’t happen. Well, I’m here to say it will be built and could be one of the most stunning and talked-about new venues in sports.
I toured the job site and the A’s preview center last week in Las Vegas and came away very impressed by the vision of team owner John Fisher, President Marc Badain and everyone associated with taking such a different approach. It won’t be easy; they have their work cut out for them on the business side, and they have a lot of inventory to sell in an incredibly competitive marketplace.
But here is what stood out about MLB’s newest ballpark since Globe Life Field opened in 2020. First, the location at South Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue, right on the Strip, calls for something unique, and the A’s are building a dramatic addition to the Vegas skyline that will have a distinct personality. It’s designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and HNTB and being built by a joint venture of Mortenson and McCarthy. The first thing you notice is the intimacy, with a capacity of 33,000, and 30,000 seats. Some of that is a reflection of the land — building on just 9 acres — and some of it is the design, as they wanted fans close to the action.
The team estimates that 60% of fans will access the building through a center field entrance that offers a full, magnificent view of the ballpark and its friendly layout. The entire venue gives off an open, airy, well-lit vibe, with an incredible arched roof, and yes, it will be climate controlled to counter the Vegas heat. The building will have about 20% premium seating, so roughly 6,000 seats are tied to a suite, suite product or club, higher than the industry norm of roughly 15%. Each club has a defined offering with premium finishes, fitting for Vegas’ high-rolling consumer, and every team will see the novel Dugout Suites — the closest thing to floor seats in basketball and a product that others will replicate because of the access and premium setting. The A’s sacrificed seating, but there are numerous areas on different levels where fans can roam, from terrace bars to social, community spaces. The team is even contemplating a space where visiting fans can convene.
To help tell the story of the ballpark, the A’s worked with Advent to develop the A’s Ballpark Experience Center, about 15 minutes from the Strip. The killer app is The Cube, a curtained-off room of LED screens — think of a VR experience without the goggles. It puts a potential ticket buyer in every imaginable experience: on the roads and highways accessing the ballpark; flight times from nearby cities; the journey from parking garages, entrances, into the clubs and eventually their seat, offering full views of the ballpark. It was a stunning sensation, and teams will copy The Cube because it is an incredibly effective sales tool, benefiting sellers and buyers.
Las Vegas didn’t know the A’s brand or history, so the team needed to spend on the preview center to tell its story. The storylines around leaving the Bay Area weren’t positive, so the organization needed to do something special, and this preview center showcases the team and its unique ballpark.
With construction on time and on budget for a February 2028 opening, Badain is focused on monetizing the ballpark and building out a commercial staff. Remember, the team doesn’t have a deep database of prospects or fan information in Las Vegas. Badain’s work in building Allegiant Stadium for the Raiders will come in handy, as he can help drive relationships and hopefully ticket and suite sales.
Fisher now lives in the market and that’s a positive, because he and his leadership team will have to be active and make sure the community understands the ownership’s vision, what they want to bring to the region and what the baseball experience is going to be about.
All of this sounds easy, but it’s not, and there is a lot to sell commercially. They are starting from scratch and trying to remove the scars of their exit from Oakland. But I do have the answer to my question: Yes, the A’s ballpark will be built in Las Vegas, the team will play there starting in 2028 and the fan experience will be unlike any other in sports. In an age when we stress innovation and originality, the A’s are offering both at a ballpark that will have long-term implications and influence on future facilities.