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Athletics Owner Plans Formula One Partnership for Las Vegas Ballpark

The Oakland Athletics’ future in Las Vegas drew fresh momentum as team owner John Fisher attended the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix and highlighted the growing alignment between the…

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 23: (L-R) Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas), U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), President Marc Badain of the Athletics, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, principal owner John Fisher of the Athletics, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill and Clark County (Nev.) Commission Chairman Jim Gibson participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the USD 1.75 billion, 33,000-seat domed stadium for MLB's Athletics on June 23, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The ballpark is being built on nine acres of the 35-acre former site of the Tropicana Las Vegas, which was imploded in October 2024. The A's expect to have the ballpark ready for Opening Day in 2028. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Oakland Athletics' future in Las Vegas drew fresh momentum as team owner John Fisher attended the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix and highlighted the growing alignment between the A's and the city's major sports and entertainment forces. The franchise is slated to debut in 2028 at a new 33,000-seat ballpark on the Strip, part of a broader vision to integrate baseball into one of the world's busiest tourism corridors.

"Being a fan of F1 and Vegas, just the notion of F1 on the Vegas Strip was just such an exciting thing to think about," Fisher told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Each one has been really fun to watch."

Fisher confirmed the ballpark project remains on schedule and near budget. More than 1,000 concrete rebar pilings have been completed, with crews now building out the lower concourse deck and initial roof supports, which construction teams have nicknamed the "armadillo." Mortenson-McCarthy, the joint-venture contractor, has over 300 workers on-site daily and expects that number to reach roughly 1,800 at peak construction.

"For sure," Fisher said. "Seeing what the other teams have done and thinking about our ability to partner with F1 and all the important organizations throughout Las Vegas is something that has us very excited."

Fisher emphasized plans to collaborate with many of the Strip's major resort operators and developers, including Bally's, Circa, Wynn, Caesars, Fontainebleau, Station Casinos, and MGM Grand. He also noted strong community backing for local sports teams, citing the sustained enthusiasm for franchises such as the Las Vegas Aces.

"Vegas always seeks to do something that's never been done before," Fisher said. "While we're not going to put ourselves in that category, I just walked the site today; our sales center is going to be opening Dec. 2, and it's just going to be incredible to look at it."

Looking toward 2028, Fisher described a ballpark anchored by a 36,000-square-foot glass curtain wall in the outfield and framed by some of the Strip's most recognizable landmarks, positioning the A's as a new centerpiece in the city's sports and entertainment landscape.