With piles of dirt, construction vehicles, and the precise spot where home plate will be at the new Athletics ballpark as the setting, team owner John Fisher spoke to a large group on Monday morning, declaring, "We are Vegas' team."

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, along with state and local officials, former Athletics stars like Rollie Fingers and Dave Stewart, and young Little Leaguers, watched as the team celebrated starting work on their new $1.75 billion ballpark. This stadium will hold 33,000 people and is expected to be ready for the 2028 season.

Nevada and Clark County have authorized the use of up to $380 million in public money for the project.

Team president Marc Badain stated with strong conviction that the project would be finished by 2028, emphasizing that the local workforce is fully prepared and capable.

It's good to see the positive impact of today's events, and what the next three years will bring for the community, including the construction project, new jobs, and all the other changes you'll observe as this building starts to rise, possibly as soon as tonight.

Badain had a similar experience when he worked for the NFL's Raiders. He was very important in the team's move from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020, and also in getting approval for and building the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium.

While Allegiant Stadium was being built, the Raiders stayed in Oakland for three seasons, sharing their stadium with the A's. Even though the Raiders kept a strong connection to the Bay Area despite being a team on its way out, A's fans were very angry about their team leaving soon and how the whole process was handled.

The franchise found it impossible to remain in Oakland, leading to their final season being played in the old stadium last year. The A's are now playing for at least three years at a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento, California, which is about an hour away, while they wait to move to Las Vegas.

Fisher explained that as a local team, they aimed to attract the youngest fans first, believing that if they could win over the children, their parents would follow. He added that this process was quicker than one might expect, but building a winning team consistently was the real long-term challenge.

Our aim is to keep developing what we have, and creating a team is similar to any other major project. It can sometimes take longer than expected, much like constructing a stadium. Nevertheless, we believe we have the necessary elements to achieve significant success.

The stadium will be constructed on nine acres of the 35-acre property owned by Bally's, located at the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. The Tropicana's hotel towers were demolished overnight in October to make space for the new baseball park.

The A's are trying to make the most of their temporary home while also getting ready for their future. Each A's player has a patch of Sacramento's Tower Bridge on one sleeve and a Las Vegas logo on the other, because of a three-year sponsorship with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

In December, the Las Vegas Stadium Authority approved the lease, non-relocation agreement, and development plans. This action removed the last major obstacles for the Athletics to move to Las Vegas.

Artist renderings show a stadium with five overlapping layers that looks very much like Australia’s famous Sydney Opera House. A large glass window beyond the outfield gives an outdoor feeling with views of the Las Vegas Strip. Instead of a central cooling system, air conditioning will be sent through the seats.

This new MLB stadium will be the smallest in the league. For comparison, Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, can accommodate 25,000 spectators when its upper sections are closed, but it can hold almost 40,000 otherwise.

Because Hurricane Milton damaged their domed stadium, the Rays, like the A's, are playing this season at a Triple-A ballpark. The Tampa Bay team's long-term home is not clear, and it is possible that the club will soon have new owners.

Progressive Field, home to Cleveland's baseball team, currently accommodates 34,830 spectators, a reduction from its original capacity of 43,345 when the stadium first opened in 1994.

The Athletics are poised to become Las Vegas's fourth major league professional sports franchise, following in the footsteps of the Raiders, Golden Knights, and Aces.

Manfred stated, "I believe that the population, the achievements of other sports, and the high level of tourism here make this an excellent market for us." He added, "I am very sure that this team will be quite successful in Las Vegas."