Oakland Athletics file trademark for ‘Sacramento A’s’ on same day team claimed it would NOT adopt the city’s name – ahead of three-year stint in California’s capital before the club’s controversial move to Las Vegas

As the Oakland Athletics prepare to flee the Bay Area for a three-year stint in Sacramento, the major league club has filed for a pair of new trademarks to reflect their temporary home in California’s capital.

The Athletics currently have no plans to adopt “Sacramento” as part of the team’s official name. Regardless, the team has applied for trademarks for “Sacramento A’s” and “Sacramento Athletics.”

The trademark application covers a number of possible uses for the two phrases, including merchandise, sweepstakes, entertainment services, baseball games and even sports camps and clinics.

The Athletics will leave Oakland after this season and temporarily play at a minor league park near Sacramento until their planned new stadium in Las Vegas is built.

The A’s announced Thursday the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time.

The Oakland Athletics are moving to the home of the Triple-A River Cats in Sacramento

Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé, who also owns the minor league River Cats, said the region has the potential to become a “mecca for sports.”

“We have an incredible community and a passionate fan base – the best fans in the world,” Ranadivé said. “Today’s announcement marks the next chapter of professional sports in Sacramento.”

Ranadivé joined A’s owner John Fisher and local officials to announce the news at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, where the A’s will play for the next three seasons. The stadium is located directly across from the historic yellow Tower Bridge that connects the city to downtown Sacramento.

It’s in an area where new restaurants, bars and apartment complexes have opened in recent years and about a mile from the State Capitol and the NBA arena where the Sacramento Kings play. The stadium has 10,624 permanent seats and currently seats 14,014 fans with lawn seating and standing areas.

The team will reside in California’s capital from 2025 until they move permanently to Las Vegas

Ranadivé hopes the move is a step toward the Sacramento region eventually hosting a permanent MLB team.

Fisher said West Sacramento was one of several locations, including the Oakland Coliseum, that was considered as a temporary home for the team.

“Even with the long-standing relationship and good intentions of all parties in the negotiations with Oakland, the conditions for reaching an agreement seemed unattainable,” he said in a statement, adding that he understands the move will disappoint many fans.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said in a statement that the city “offered a deal that was fair to the A’s and fiscally responsible for our city.” Thao said the city will now work to acquire A’s rights to the Coliseum site and focus on redevelopment efforts in the area.

Paul Freedman, co-founder of the Oakland Ballers, called the news of the move heartbreaking, but said he is proud that fans can still root for the newly formed minor league team.

“Today is a tough day, but you can’t be defeated if you never give up,” Freedman said in a statement. ‘Let’s build something great together.’

The A’s announced their intention to move to Las Vegas last April, and MLB owners unanimously approved the request to relocate in November.

The team is the most ephemeral team in baseball. Las Vegas will be the fifth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54, then played in Kansas City until 1967 before moving to Oakland.

Bay Area fans strongly protested the move during the team’s opening game at home

The decision angered fans in Oakland and the team’s previously low attendance dropped dramatically, with the club drawing a low 832,352 fans to the aging Coliseum last season. The A’s drew 13,522 fans on opening night this year, while a few thousand others protested Fisher in the parking lot, and failed to reach 7,000 fans in any of the next six games.

But Thursday’s news is welcome for baseball fans in Sacramento. West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero said the move will help put the city “on the map” and bring new customers to local bars and restaurants.

“We are going to turn this beautiful, intimate place into a welcoming, embracing environment,” she said. “We are so excited about this historic day because it is a West Sacramento dream to have a Major League team here.”

The stadium will likely require additional work to upgrade the clubhouses, batting and other facilities to accommodate a Major League team.

“The MLBPA has had preliminary discussions with MLB on a range of issues related to the temporary move and we expect these discussions will continue,” the players’ union said in a statement.

The team will be known simply as the Athletics, or A’s, without a city designation during its stay in Sacramento.

Yoenis Cespedes (52) walks back to the dugout during the 2012 exhibition in Sacramento

The River Cats will play in their stadium for the next three years, sharing it with the A’s.

By staying in Northern California, the A’s hope to keep a large portion of their local television rights with NBC Sports California, which is reportedly worth $67 million a year.

With the A’s leaving Oakland after this season, the Coliseum complex, which was also once home to the NFL’s Raiders, the NBA’s Warriors and the NHL’s Seals, will no longer have any major sports teams.

These teams combined to win ten championships in Oakland: four each for the A’s and Warriors and two each for the Raiders. The only cities with more combined MLB, NBA and NFL titles since the A’s arrived in Oakland in 1968 are Los Angeles, Boston and New York.