SALT LAKE CITY — The group leading the charge to bring Major League Baseball to Salt Lake City confirmed that it has met with Oakland Athletics ownership about bringing the team to northern Utah. However, the focus of the franchise appears to be a stadium that has to be built.
In a statement Friday, Big League Utah said they hosted Athletics officials on Thursday, giving them a vision on how they would host the team in Salt Lake City during the franchise's transition to Las Vegas.
The A's will be moving to Las Vegas from their longtime home in Oakland after the upcoming season, but will need a temporary place to play while a new stadium is built in Nevada. A 2028 completion date for the new Las Vegas stadium has been set, but as construction has not yet begun, the timing remains fluid.
Led by the Miller family, Big League Utah said they are "excited and able to welcome the Athletics until their new stadium in Las Vegas is completed."
It appears the franchise's interest is focused on the new stadium set to open in Downtown Daybreak in 2025.
"This new ballpark will support the A's needs and has been the focus of their interest," the Big League Utah statement said.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports the A's did not even tour Smith's Ballpark during their visit.
The new ballpark will be the home of the Salt Lake Bees when it's completed. Although, if the A's temporarily move to Daybreak, the Triple-A team would reportedly stay in Smith's Ballpark.
Big League Utah's interest is much greater than being the temporary home base for a current MLB franchise. The group plans on bringing a permanent team to northern Utah and have them play in a new stadium in the Power District just west of downtown Salt Lake City.
