John Fisher’s name is raised quickly whenever a discussion about the worst owners in sports begins. Fans of the teams he owns are vocal, despite years of repeated disappointments.
Fisher, who owns both MLB’s Athletics and MLS’ San Jose Earthquakes, doesn’t seem to let the poor public perception faze him (though he’s rarely present at A’s games).
Among the many reasons why Fisher is so disliked, his focus over the last few years has been solely aimed at moving the A’s out of Oakland. Despite several instances where an agreement appeared close, years of attempts to get a new stadium built in Oakland ultimately failed. Fisher wanted more public funding than the city, or county, was willing to promise.
Once the possibility of public financing became an option in Las Vegas, moving became Fisher’s sole focus. In April 2023, the A’s started purchasing land in Las Vegas. Two months later, Nevada governor Joe Lombardo signed a bill earmarking $380M in public funding towards the new stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.
Construction has since begun its early stages. Initial projections estimated that the entire project would cost upwards of $1.7B, with Fisher and the team expected to cover any additional expenses.
Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen reported Tuesday that Fisher has hired a private investment bank, Moelis & Company, to facilitate the sale of his majority stake in the Earthquakes. The team confirmed the sale intentions on Wednesday.
Fisher has owned the Earthquakes since their return in 2007, paying the league a $20M expansion fee. Shortly later, a $100M soccer-only stadium was constructed in San Jose with significant discounts from the city. The NWSL’s Bay FC also plays there.
Since taking control of the club, the Earthquakes have more last-place finishes (six) than playoff appearances (five) and are annually near the bottom of the MLS in attendance. Like the Athletics, the Earthquakes frequently rank in the bottom half of the MLS in payroll spending.
Another MLS franchise, the Vancouver Whitecaps, is also reportedly available for purchase. Most recently, the controlling interest in Real Salt Lake (and the NWSL’s Utah Royals) was sold in April for a reported $600M.
While it remains to be seen how quickly a new buyer is found and what a final sale price looks like, it would be safe to assume that any profits will be immediately channeled into the Las Vegas stadium construction.
