Oakland to offer Coliseum lifeline to Athletics worth $97 million amid fan boycott

Oakland Athletics fans are frustrated with what's going on with their team to open the MLB season, and they've been boycotting. As a result, the team is in need of some cash, and the city of Oakland might be giving them some in the shape of $97 million. The only catch is that it will come with an extended lease to remain in Oakland.

Per reporter Casey Pratt, they have offered a five-year, $97 million lease with an opt-out in the third year. That also means that the A's will sell their stake in the Coliseum and give Oakland one year to find owners for expansion.

This would cover the team through the 2025-2030 teams if the plan to move to Las Vegas hits a snag. The city would also get the chance to find a potential new ownership group to bring another team into the city to play in the void left by the Athletics in that scenario.

This ultimately gives the city what it needs and gives the team what it needs. The Athletics can begin moving without fear of having to play in a minor league park or having to wait for construction to end at some point, and it leaves the door open for MLB teams to play in Oakland again.

---

Athletics stage impressive Opening Day boycott

The paid attendance for the Opening Day game between the Oakland Athletics and Cleveland Guardians was 13,522, but most of those seats remained empty through the game. Fans waited outside to protest the ownership and relocation of the team.

Athletics fans have protested

Many fans missed the first game in years, but they felt it was worth it to give the message to the ownership group. They stood outside the stadium and basically had an extended tailgate with music and food while their team played on the other side of the wall.

There is a lot of frustration by the fan base over what's happened to their team. They believed that the A's were long for the city, but they are leaving just like the Raiders and Warriors before them did.