Oakland A’s Face Legal Challenges in Their Transition to Las Vegas
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has denied the Oakland Athletics’ application to register the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics”.
The team, which plans to move to Nevada in 2028, has three months from December 29, the date the denials were issued, to request an extension and submit a new application within six months.
The USPTO argued that the nickname “Athletics” is too generic and could cause confusion with other activities, even if associated with Las Vegas.
This nickname has been used by the club since the Philadelphia Athletics began playing in 1901. The Athletics kept the nickname when they moved to Kansas City in 1955 and to Oakland in 1968.
This situation is similar to that of the Utah NHL team, which was denied the use of the nickname “Yetis” on January 9th due to potential confusion with companies like Yeti Coolers. Utah, which moved from the Phoenix area in 2024, now uses the nickname “Mammoth”.
The Athletics moved to West Sacramento, California, last year to play the first of three planned seasons at the city’s Triple-A stadium. The team is only using the name “Athletics” while playing in the Northern California city.
A $2 billion stadium with a capacity of 33,000 spectators is being built on the Las Vegas Strip. Club officials informed the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on December 4 that the stadium is scheduled to open in time for the 2028 season.
Nevada and Clark County have approved up to $380 million in public funds for the stadium, and the Athletics have stated that they will cover the remaining expenses. Owner John Fisher has been seeking investors to assist in the financing.
In preparation for the move to Las Vegas, the Athletics have signed some notable contracts with players. The most recent was an agreement for $86 million and seven years for left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, the richest in team history. Soderstrom signed his contract on December 30 at the A’s Experience Center in Las Vegas.
The Athletics acquired second baseman Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets on December 22.
Looking back to last offseason, the Athletics also reached agreements for a five-year, $60 million contract with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and a seven-year, $65.5 million deal with outfielder Lawrence Butler. Manager Mark Kotsay signed an extension that takes him through 2028 with a club option for 2029.
