The Athletics are betting big on Las Vegas, but their preferred name may not be in the cards.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has again denied the team’s request to trademark the “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics” trademarks ahead of their planned move in 2028, according to multiple reports.
In a recently released filing, the USPTO argued that the term “athletics” is too general, can be easily confused with other uses, and lacks “acquired distinctiveness” to warrant trademark protection.
“ATHLETICS means activities such as sports, exercises and games that require physical skill and endurance… therefore, the prior registration does not support the applicant’s claim of acquired distinctiveness and the claim is not accepted,” the document reads: according to The Athletic.
Despite the fact that the franchise name dates back to 1901, when the team was based in Philadelphia, the USPTO went on to say that prior registrations “do not support Applicant’s claim of acquired distinctiveness because they are not the same marks.”
The Athletics left Oakland Coliseum after the 2024 season and Oakland was promptly dropped from the team name as the club prepared for an eventual move to Las Vegas in 2028.
Although ground has been broken on the team’s planned $1.75 billion stadium, the A’s played their games this past season at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento — home of the Triple-A River Cats, an affiliate of the Giants.
The move was heavily criticized, including from the team’s own players. Luis Severino — who signed a $67 million deal last offseason — destroyed the experience of playing in a minor league park.
“Every time I pitch, and every time other guys pitch, it feels like spring training,” Severino said. “It’s the same mentality we have, to go out there and do our best. But it hasn’t been great for us.”
Despite frustrations and a disappointing 2025 season, the organization has made several long-term deals heading into the Vegas era.
In addition to Severino, the A’s extended All-Star slugger Brent Rooker to $60 million and later signed budding star Lawrence Butler to a $66.5 million extension.
This offseason, they signed Tyler Soderstrom for a franchise-record $86 million and traded for former Mets All-Star Jeff McNeil.
The core of the team includes 2025 American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz.
It is expected that the organization will reapply for the trademark in the future, and could have a better case if and when the organization officially moves.
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