U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Blocks Athletics From Claiming ‘Las Vegas Athletics’ As Their Name

Whether it be fans or other owners, it seems that everyone wants to prevent the Athletics from moving to Las Vegas. Now there seems to be an unlikely enemy in their corner, the U.S Patent and Trademark Office. 

After the 2024 season, the A’s announced they would not play another game in Oakland. They would play the 2025, 2026 and 2027 seasons in Sacramento (where their Triple-A team plays as well), then move to Las Vegas in 2028. 

The A’s were told by the Patent Office that the nickname “Athletics” is too generic. This has been the team’s nickname since they began playing in Philadelphia in 1901. Las Vegas will be the fourth city the franchise has played in, following Kansas City and Oakland.  

The refusal was officially issued on December 29. They have three months to request an extension, which would be counted toward the six-month period. 

The A’s will likely be able to argue that historical precedent should allow them to maintain the Athletics nickname. If not, they could be forced to choose a new nickname. Although the “Oakland Athletics” trademark remains in their name, they no longer use it because they no longer play in Oakland. They are simply using “Athletics” for now, yet another example of why the trademark rightfully belongs to them.

The A’s missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season in 2025. However, their young core, featuring players like Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson, has generated some excitement for the future. They had a record above .500 in July, August and September. 

Although the A’s legal battle for their name will be interesting to see, it shouldn’t have too much impact on the 2026 season. The A’s will play their second of three seasons at Sutter Health Field. They will have city jerseys in 2026 associated with Sacramento.