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Two years prior to their move to Nevada, the US Patent and Trademark Office rejected the A’s request to trademark the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics”.
The A’s were told that the nickname “Athletics” was too generic and could be confused with other activities, even though it is associated with Las Vegas. However, it has been the club’s nickname since the Philadelphia Athletics began play in 1901.
The club has three months from when the refusals were issued on December 29 to request an extension for a new application within a period of six months.
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(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 Governor Joe Lombardo, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO of JimNEv and Gimoni County of the JimNEv County Commission (c. groundbreaking for the $1.75 billion, 33,000-seat domed stadium for MLB’s Athletics on June 23, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
A $2 billion 33,000 capacity stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is under construction. Club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Dec. 4 that the ballpark is scheduled to open for the 2028 season.
This is hardly the first roadblock the A’s have hit since considering going to Vegas themselves. Originally hoping to play there in 2027, lawmakers failed to pass the budget proposal that included more than $1 billion to fund capital improvement projects for state public works and construction through the summer of 2023. That was shortly after the team had to abandon the original location for its stadium before finding a new one.
Two years ago, former Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman even admitted that the team’s plans for a stadium “didn’t make sense” and the team should “figure out a way to stay in Oakland.”
The A’s played their last game in Oakland in 2024 before moving to Sacramento. They currently play in the Triple-A stadium of their former crosstown rival, the San Francisco Giants.
The Oakland Athletics and their design teams on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, released renderings of the club’s planned $1.5 billion stadium in Las Vegas, showing five overlapping tiers with a similar appearance to the famous Sydney Opera House. (Negative via AP)
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They moved to West Sacramento, Calif., last year to play the first of three planned seasons in the city’s Triple-A ballpark. The team goes by the name “Athletics” exclusively while playing in Northern California.
Nevada and Clark County have approved up to $380 million in public funds for the ballpark, and the A’s have said they will cover the remaining costs. Owner John Fisher has sought investors to help fund the project.
In preparation for the move to Las Vegas, the A’s have signed some notable contracts. The most recent was an $86 million, seven-year deal for left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, the richest in team history. They also acquired second baseman Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets on December 22.
FILE – This rendering provided by the Oakland Athletics on May 26, 2023 shows a view of their proposed new ballpark at Tropicana Field in Las Vegas. Major League Baseball laid out a detailed process to approve the Oakland Athletics’ move to Las Vegas, which looks to be the second franchise move in the past half century. (Oakland Athletics via AP, file)
Going back to last offseason, the A’s also reached agreements on a $60 million, five-year contract with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and a $65.5 million, seven-year deal with outfielder Lawrence Butler. Manager Mark Kotsay signed an extension that takes him through 2028, with a club option for 2029, while Nick Kurtz is the reigning American League Rookie of the Year.
The Patent and Trademark Office denied the NHL’s Utah team the use of the nickname “Yetis” last year due to potential confusion with companies such as Yeti Coolers. Utah, who moved from the Phoenix area in 2024, now uses the nickname “Mammoth”.
