The Oakland Roots soccer club will pay a six-figure sum upfront before every remaining game at Oakland Coliseum, per a new agreement with the Coliseum's board of directors. If the club fails to pay, they will lose access to their current home pitch.
The new deal provides a temporary stop-gap following news that the Oakland Roots currently owe the Coliseum $1.4 million in back rent. Citing waning attendance numbers as the primary culprit, NBC Bay Area reports that a disclosure from a Securities and Exchange Commission investor reveals the club is continuing to operate at a loss.
In contrast to the Oakland Roots' 2025 home opener, which saw 26,000 in attendance, this year the team is averaging only 5,000 fans per match. As a result, club officials agreed to pay $173,000 upfront to ensure the team's home match on Saturday, August 1, against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds could continue as planned.
To ensure the rest of the Roots' season isn't derailed, they'll need to make, per NBC, "six-figure rent and operating fee payments" upfront before each of their remaining home games. Ultimately, Saturday's game did transpire, resulting in a 0-1 loss for the Roots.
Far from hoping to remain at the Coliseum long term, as SFist previously reported, the Roots are searching for a new home following the 2026 season. Sadly, this will make them the third team in less than a decade to abandon the Oakland venue for greener pastures, following the departure of the Raiders for Las Vegas in 2020 and the acrimonious exit of the Athletics for Sacramento last year.
One silver lining comes in the form of local attendance numbers from the World Cup games played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara earlier this summer. Per FIFA, a total of 411,345 people attended one of the six matches held at Levi’s.
While it's difficult to draw direct comparisons between one of the planet's most highly-anticipated competitions and the regular season exploits of the Oakland Roots, it's evident that the club's attendance struggles aren't rooted in a local lack of interest in the sport.
The Roots' next home game is currently scheduled for Saturday, August 15, where they're set to face off against Monterey Bay FC.
Related: Oakland Coliseum Loses Its Last Team as Oakland Roots Soccer Club Announces Move
Image: HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 16: Neveal Hackshaw #15 and Johnny Rodriguez #17 of the Oakland Roots sign a flag for fans after the U.S. Open Cup third round game between the Oakland Roots and El Farolito on April 16, 2024 at Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, California. (Photo by Doug Zimmerman/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
