Since 1960, Oakland, California has been home to a club from at least one of the ‘Big Four’ North American sports leagues. That run will tragically come to an abrupt end by 2027.

The first major loss for “The Town” came in 1976 when the NHL’s California Golden Seals moved to Cleveland and, a few years later, folded.

After a convoluted legal procedure, Raiders owner Al Davis forcibly moved his club to Los Angeles in only five years. However, the team’s 1995 return to Oakland followed a disastrous transfer to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.Less than five years after their reappearance, the Raiders vanished once again. They relocated to Las Vegas in January 2020, making them the first NFL club in “Sin City.” The Golden State Warriors had moved across the water to the Chase Center in San Francisco’s Mission water district a few months before.

The Oakland Athletics, who had been in Oakland nonstop since 1968, were the club that had revealed only weeks before that they had purchased property in Las Vegas on the southern end of the strip with the intention of constructing a stadium there as well. The goal is to move in by 2027.

A quick and terrible end to one of the biggest sports towns in America. The A’s, Warriors, and Raiders together won ten championships, which included two Super Bowls in Oakland, four NBA Championships, and four World Series triumphs.

However, the three teams have left, leaving a void in their wake, as the city has resisted building new stadiums over the years, crime has increased, and athletic success has decreased.

It’s unfortunate news for a city that has struggled since the year 2000 with a high rate of violent crime. 

Based on year-over-year comparisons, the FBI claims that the Oakland Police Department’s records show that there were more than 600 complaints of violent crimes between 2000 and 2020.

Oakland had hardships in the middle of the 2000s during the housing crisis and once again in 2012 and 2013, when there were less than 8,000 violent crimes recorded in a two-year period.

In 2020, there were around 5,600 complaints of crimes, down from 2013 levels, although the number of killings has increased. Oakland’s murder rate reached a half-century low in the late 2010s, but a 50% jump in 2021 saw the city exceed over 100 killings for the first time in ten years, according to KQED.

Oakland continues to live up to its image as a difficult city; it is now classified as the most hazardous location in California and the 12th most dangerous city nationwide.

Furthermore, a lot of people are opting to move elsewhere due to the housing crisis in the Bay Area, which has driven up rates. 

Even though all three teams attempted to rebuild their stadiums in Oakland at the time these issues arose, it is undeniably a concern that would deter owners from making long-term investments. 

Yet, the clubs’ decision to disband and move on may have been mostly influenced by Oakland’s lack of stadium investment.