• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Las Vegas Doubles Down on Sports With $1.75B Ballpark and NBA Arena

Las Vegas is already a fast-growing sports town. That status is taking additional steps forward as a new ballpark and arena there each move closer to reality.  

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The pro sports ambitions of Las Vegas, already one of the fastest-growing markets in the industry, took two major steps forward this week with key administrative approvals of both the planned $1.75 billion ballpark for the A’s and a new, NBA-ready arena.

The Las Vegas Stadium Authority, as expected, approved three key agreements related to the A’s stadium along the famed Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, including a 30-year lease, non-agreement pacts, and a separate development covenant. The moves closely followed certifications from both A’s owner John Fisher and two major financial institutions that nearly $1.4 billion in private funding for the facility will not be a problem, even with increased construction costs, and the ballpark remains on track for a scheduled 2028 opening.

“Today’s a real milestone,” said stadium authority chair Steve Hill. “I think we should recognize and celebrate that.”

Those moves arrived a day after the Clark County (Nev.) Zoning Commission unanimously approved several key components for a project known as LVXP that would include an 18,000-seat, NBA-ready arena, along with a casino and high-rise development with more than 2,300 hotel rooms and about 260 condominiums. The NBA continues to take a methodical approach to potential expansion, but once that happens, as expected, Las Vegas is likely at or near the top of the list of candidates

LVXP is located at the north end of the Strip, and it is poised to be one of as many as three potential locations for an NBA team in Las Vegas. Oak View Group has also long sought to develop a somewhat similar resort-arena project. Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, meanwhile, has called building a new arena for an NBA team a “waste of time,” and instead wants to advance a $300 million plan to upgrade T-Mobile Arena, the hockey team’s existing home, for regular basketball use. That venue is already the site of the semifinals and final of the Emirates NBA Cup.

Bigger Test

Regardless of the final arena location, the forthcoming presence of MLB, and likely the NBA, in Las Vegas presents a new and much larger test of the market’s sports capacity, despite its continued population growth in recent years to about three million across the metro area.

The team’s existing major pro teams—the NHL’s Golden Knights, NFL’s Raiders, and WNBA’s Aces—each have advantages that likely won’t apply to the baseball and men’s basketball franchises, at least not initially. 

The Golden Knights were successful from their inception, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their first year and winning the title in their sixth while featuring an in-game fan experience unlike anything else in the league. The Raiders enjoy heavy attendance from visiting, out-of-town fans, driven in no small part by a schedule concentrated on weekends in a major tourist locale. The Aces have also been a massive hit since relocating from San Antonio in 2018, winning two titles, reaching a third WNBA Finals, and acting as a key business driver across that league. 

The A’s, meanwhile, are a long-struggling team, on and off the field, and could still be upon arriving in Las Vegas in three years. The star-driven nature of the NBA also will likely preclude an expansion franchise from being an immediate postseason force.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

WNBA Proposes 30-Day Extension on CBA Negotiations

The CBA expires Oct. 31; a deal is not expected by then.

World Series Games 1–2 TV Ratings Are Up With U.S., Canada Combined

U.S. viewership is expectedly down, but it is boosted significantly by Canada.
Napheesa Collier

WNBA, Players Remain Far Apart With CBA Deadline Days Away 

A union lawyer says a deal will not be reached by Friday.

Shohei Ohtani’s Historic World Series Game 3 Sets Up High-Stakes Game 4

Ohtani will start Game 4 on the mound after another epic performance Monday.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.

$100M Browns Stadium Settlement Still Faces Cleveland City Hurdles

Cleveland’s city council must still approve the pact with the Browns.
October 21, 2025

Jazz to Get New Training Facility on Same Campus As Mammoth

The company is developing a sports campus in Sandy, Utah.
Joey Bosa
October 22, 2025

Joey Bosa’s L.A. Home for Sale for $3.7 Million

The Bills defensive end purchased the home last July.
Sponsored

Why Alexis Ohanian Is Betting Big on Women’s Sports

Alexis Ohanian reflects on his evolution from Reddit cofounder to one of today’s most dynamic sports investors.
October 16, 2025

Steelers’ Shared Stadium With Pitt Comes Under Fire for Bad Turf

The conditions at Acrisure Stadium have been subpar this season.
October 15, 2025

Bears Hit Another Speed Bump for New $5B Stadium in Suburbs

A new state bill would impose several conditions on the NFL team.
October 13, 2025

Browns, Cleveland Reach $100M Deal to Clear Team’s Move to Suburbs

The surprise truce includes financial payments and the dismissal of lawsuits.
Nov 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of a Cleveland Browns helmet on a time out against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome.
October 7, 2025

Cleveland Takes New Shot at Blocking Browns’ $2.4B Stadium

A new lawsuit challenges a permit for the NFL team’s planned stadium.