LAS VEGAS — The Oakland Athletics were given approval from Major League Baseball and the players’ association to receive revenue sharing money this year even if a binding agreement to construct a ballpark in Las Vegas was not in place by the Monday deadline specified in the sport’s collective bargaining agreement, according to a Las Vegas official.
Steve Hill, CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said Tuesday that having a framework of an agreement in place was enough to satisfy the league and the union. He said there are multiple steps that still need to be taken before the A’s move to Las Vegas is finalized.
“Major League Baseball and the players’ association have already agreed that there is a commitment and the structure in place for the A’s to move to Las Vegas and have agreed to that they met the requirements that needed to be in place by yesterday in order to continue with revenue sharing,” Hill said.
The Nevada Legislature approved $380 million in public financing last June for a $1.5 billion stadium on the Las Vegas Strip that is expected to be completed for the 2028 season. MLB owners unanimously approved the move in November.
MLB and the players’ association declined to publicly comment. Their labor contract states “if by Jan. 15, 2024, the Athletics have not entered into a binding agreement in Oakland or another city to construct a new Major League Baseball facility to host Athletics championship season games, the Athletics shall be fully disqualified from receiving revenue sharing beginning with the 2024 revenue sharing year.”