The Oakland Coliseum may no longer be home of the Oakland Roots as the lease between the Coliseum and the Roots looks to be over after 2026 (photo by the Oakland Roots)

Oakland about to lose another Sports team?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–In the 1970s, the City of Oakland had the moniker City of Champions;  remember a big banner in front of Oakland City Hall  that read “Oakland City of Champions, however, things have changed since then.

The Oakland Roots are facing a serious financial dispute of $1.4 million in overdue rent plus game-day expenses owed to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority. The team says it has paid upcoming fees in advance so they can keep playing. Team President Lindsay Barenz confirmed that the fees for the upcoming Saturday (August 1st) home match against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have been paid in advance, ensuring the game will go on.

Unfortunately, these days the City of Oakland is well-known in sports because it cannot keep its professional sports teams in town. The Warriors left for San Francisco in 2019; they were followed by the Raiders in 2020, who packed and moved to Las Vegas, and then the Athletics in 2024, now temporarily playing in Sacramento with a final stop and new home in Las Vegas in 2028. This is unprecedented for an American city in recent history.

The Oakland Alameda-County Coliseum is a huge sports facility that seats 50,000 to 60,000 depending on what sport is played. The average home attendance for the Oakland Roots Soccer Club this 2026 USL Championship season is between 5,000 to 6,000 spectators.

Recently, Marketing Guru Andy Dolich, who was in charge of the Marketing for the Oakland A’s, said that the Roots need to play in a smaller venue, and I totally agree with Andy. This is what he said: “They should be playing in a smaller venue. They should find the right venue in which they know, early on, that they’ll sell out”

Is Oakland about to lose this Fútbol/Soccer team the same year that the FIFA World Cup took place in the United States, which was a great success financially and culturally? I hope not, but time will tell.

On the Oakland positive: The Oakland Ballers Baseball team of the Pioneer League started play in 2024, and they play their home games in Raimondi Park, Oakland. Our friend Lewis Rubman has been covering the B’s for this site since they first started play.

Bears moving? The Chicago Bears of the NFL have officially announced they have plans to build a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, which is located in Northwest Indiana, just across the state line from Chicago. The Chicago Bears have played at Soldier Field in Chicago for 55 years. The move is expected to happen, but they have not yet determined the site for the new stadium and what year they will have their first kickoff in Indiana.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.