Oakland Roots soccer team announces its 2025 home games to be played at the Coliseum
The Oakland Roots soccer team announced an agreement to play its home games for the 2025 season at the Oakland Coliseum while an interim stadium is built on the Coliseum complex grounds for the Roots and the Oakland Soul women's soccer team.
The team made the announcement Monday on its website and at a press conference at the Coliseum attended by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Roots President Lindsey Barentz, and city leaders. Bay Area News Group reported the Roots signed a $3 million lease with the city and Alameda County to play 17 home games next season at the Coliseum.
The announcement was expected after the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority approved a resolution in March authorizing a licensing agreement between the stadium and Oakland Pro Soccer, which owns both the Roots and Soul clubs.
The Roots play in the USL Championship, the 2nd division pro soccer league in the U.S. The team first began playing its home games at Laney College in Oakland in 2019. It moved its home field to Pioneer Stadium on the California State University, East Bay campus in Hayward in 2023 because of turf issues at Laney College and has also played some home games at Las Positas College in Livermore.
"We are honored to be able to play our 2025 season in such an iconic venue," said Roots President Lindsay Barenz. "We're proud to ensure pro sports stay at the Coliseum next year."
Ownership of the Coliseum complex, which includes the stadium and Oakland Arena, is in the process of being transferred to the African American Sports and Entertainment Group after the private developer purchased the facility from the Oakland Athletics and the City of Oakland.
The Athletics announced last April that the team plans to play home games at Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento while a new ballpark is built for the team in Las Vegas. That facility is scheduled to open for the 2028 Major League Baseball season.
The Roots also said that work is continuing to build an interim 10,000-seat stadium at Coliseum's Malibu Lot which would be used by the Roots and Soul teams beginning in 2026. The Malibu Lot has been used over the years as overflow parking space. Until the interim stadium is built, the Soul, which plays in the pre-professional USL W league with plans to play in the USL Super League in 2025, would continue to play its home games at Merritt College in Oakland.
"Real Town Biz! When I got the opportunity to come home and play my final seasons in the Coli it was special," said Roots co-owner Marshawn Lynch in a prepared statement. "I won OAL titles there with Oakland Tech. What that building means to Oakland and the culture is everything. Now we got Roots moving in and we gonna hold it down."
"I grew up going to games at the Coliseum and created some of my best memories there," said Roots co-owner Jason Kidd in a prepared statement. "There is a special soul to that place that I felt every time I came in as a visiting player. It is special to me to be a part of a Club that is going to continue the great sporting traditions of the Coliseum."
Last week, the A's announced that the final game at the Oakland Coliseum – happening Thursday, Sept. 26 against the Texas Rangers – is now sold out.
