Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club Provide Update on Gameday Venue Future and Pathways

Oakland Roots SC will not return to the Oakland Coliseum as its home venue for the 2027 season

Oakland Roots today announced that the 2026 season will be the Club’s final season playing at the Oakland Coliseum. The Club is hard at work securing a venue for 2027 and beyond and looks forward to celebrating its final season at the historic Oakland venue.

Oakland Roots’ return to Oakland and the Coliseum in 2025 was a triumphant one, as more than 26,000 fans packed the stadium for the home opener. As we continue our second season at the Oakland Coliseum, we have come to recognize that the venue will not be a viable option beyond the conclusion of the 2026 season.

As our Club has grown, so has our understanding of what is needed to fully deliver on our vision. Limitations around event control, matchday flexibility, the fan experience, and operating costs have made it clear that the Coliseum cannot serve as our long-term home. For years, our staff has taken on the significant operational challenge of transforming borrowed venues into matchday experiences worthy of our supporters and our city.

“The Oakland Coliseum is a landmark of Oakland and the East Bay, and it has been an honor to be part of its legacy,” said Oakland Roots and Soul SC President Lindsay Barenz. “We have long stated that controlling our own venue is paramount to the long-term success of the Club and soccer here in Oakland. While we have loved our time at the Coliseum over these two seasons, it is not a viable ongoing option for us as the relationship is currently structured.” 

The work toward a permanent stadium for Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club remains a top priority and an ongoing effort for the Club. In nearly every season and offseason throughout the Club’s history, staff behind the scenes have worked tirelessly to secure venues, identify alternative locations, and develop plans with partners, the community, and supporters. These efforts continue to evolve as the Club operates without a permanent home.

The importance of a stable, permanent home—both in the near term and for decades to come—that the Club controls cannot be overstated. Multiple efforts are currently underway to make this vision a reality, and we want to provide an update to the community.

New short term options the Club is exploring include a pop up venue in the Coliseum parking lot and transforming its recently acquired training facility into a temporary matchday venue. In partnership with Redco, the Club gained control of the facility last year, giving Oakland Roots and Soul a permanent home for day-to-day operations, training, and culture building. 

“It has been great having the Oakland Roots at the Coliseum these past two seasons. They have been a wonderful tenant at the Coliseum, bringing joy to so many and celebrating the community in so many ways,” said Alameda County Board of Supervisors President and Oakland Coliseum JPA Board Member David Haubert. “I wish them the best as they continue their quest for a stable home. I look forward to supporting them in those efforts.”

Since entering into a long term lease at the facility, the Club oversees all venue operations and logistics, creating the potential for an interim gameday venue fully controlled by the Club. This process will involve engagement with the local community as we explore the feasibility of hosting our home matches in the short term at the property located at 1220 Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda, California.

The Club is also exploring a pop up venue in the Coliseum parking lot with the intention of the Club having more control over operations, providing a more intimate experience, plus greater ability to dictate pricing and services for our fans.  

For the long term, the Club continues to pursue its interest in building a permanent home at the Howard Terminal site, first announced more than a year ago. Plans and meetings are now underway to secure an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with the Port of Oakland for the Howard Terminal site, as part of the effort to build a world-class soccer stadium on the waterfront.

We also continue our ongoing dialogue with the African American Sports and Entertainment Group to explore the long-term potential of building a permanent soccer stadium at the Coliseum site.

Right now, we are focused on identifying an interim venue solution for the 2027 season and beyond that provides the Club with a single, guaranteed location to host all matches until a permanent stadium is built, eliminating the need to move games or renegotiate stadium leases each season.

Our short-term focus remains on the 2026 season at the Oakland Coliseum, which will be our final season in the iconic venue and likely the end of permanent sports at the stadium. We remain committed to delivering an incredible matchday experience for our fans and hope everyone will turn out to support the team this season at Oakland’s iconic sporting home.

As we continue building toward the long-term future of Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club, we do so with deep gratitude for the unwavering support and passion this community has shown us every step of the way. Our goal has always been to build for Oakland — first and always — and we are excited to share one final, special season together at the Oakland Coliseum.

With only seven regular season home matches remaining at the Coliseum, we want to give every fan a chance to be part of this final chapter. Whether you have been with us from the beginning or are coming out for the first time, this is the moment to pack the stands and celebrate Oakland’s iconic sporting home together.

Fans can secure access to every remaining regular season match through the Coliseum Countdown Pack, the best way to experience the final run at the Coliseum. The pack includes a ticket to each remaining Oakland Roots home match, an exclusive Oakland Roots Coliseum Stadium Model, Coliseum dirt, on-field viewing for both our Drone Show on July 25 and the final Fireworks Show at the Coliseum on October 10, priority access to choosing your seats in 2027, and all the remaining benefits of Oakland Roots Membership.

For fans looking to be part of the celebration for a single match, a limited number of $10 Unity section tickets will also be available for remaining Coliseum home games.

Seven regular season matches remain. Let’s pack the stands and send off the Coliseum the Oakland way.