Major League Baseball owners have scheduled a vote on relocation of the Athletics from Oakland to Las Vegas.
USA Today reported Thursday that the balloting will take place at the upcoming owners meetings, which open Nov. 14 in Arlington, Texas.
To approve the relocation, 23 of 30 owners must give their OK.
MLB relocation is rare. The Montreal Expos were the most recent team to pull up stakes, moving to Washington and rebranding as the Nationals in 2005. Prior to that, the Washington Senators moved to Arlington and became the Texas Rangers in 1972.
A’s owner John Fisher announced his plan to move to Las Vegas after being unable to come to terms with officials in Oakland to build a new ballpark. Plans are in place in Nevada for a $1.5 billion stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.
The team’s lease in Oakland runs through the 2024 season. It remains to be seen where the A’s would play until the new stadium is ready for occupancy, which isn’t believed to be before the 2028 season.
The Athletics franchise was founded in Philadelphia in 1901 and moved to Kansas City in 1955. The A’s have played in Oakland since 1968 in an outdated ballpark that is the fifth oldest in the majors.
