A's, Nevada reach tentative deal on Vegas plan

The Athletics have reached a tentative agreement with Nevada state and local officials on a plan to bring the franchise from Oakland to Las Vegas, it was announced Wednesday.

"This agreement follows months of negotiations between the state, the county, and the A's, and I believe it gives us a tremendous opportunity to continue building on the professional sports infrastructure of southern Nevada," Governor Joe Lombardo said in a statement. "Las Vegas is clearly a sports town, and Major League Baseball should be a part of it."

The tentative agreement between the A's, the governor's office, state treasurer Zach Conine and Clark County officials will forward a bill that is being drafted into legislation to the Nevada Legislature in the coming days for consideration.

"We're very appreciative of the support from the State of Nevada and Clark County's leadership," A's president Dave Kaval said in a statement. "... We look forward to advancing this legislation in a responsible way."

The A's lost Tuesday to fall to 10-40 this season -- the fourth-worst start through the first 50 games of a big league season and the worst since the 1932 Boston Red Sox.

The Athletics had already reached an agreement with Bally's and Gaming & Leisure Properties earlier this month to build a potential 30,000-seat stadium on the 35-acre Tropicana hotel site along the Las Vegas Strip.

The project is expected to cost about $1.5 billion, and the A's are asking for nearly $400 million in public support from the Nevada Legislature

Kaval has said he hopes to break ground on a new ballpark next year and open the venue in time for the 2027 season. The A's have a lease at Oakland Coliseum through 2024, and they could play the 2025 and '26 seasons at Las Vegas Ballpark, home to their Triple-A affiliate Aviators.

The A's had been looking for a new home for years to replace the outdated and run-down Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. It is averaging less than 8,700 fans at home through 25 dates this season, by far the lowest among the 30 teams.

Information from ESPN's Paul Gutierrez and the Associated Press was used in this report.