Oakland’s sports scene took a brutal hit over the past seven years. The Golden State Warriors bounced to San Francisco in 2019, the Raiders dipped out to Las Vegas in 2020, and the Athletics, the team that literally put Oakland on the map, relocated to West Sacramento in 2025 before heading to Vegas. It felt like a slow-motion breakup, and honestly, it stung.

But here’s where things get interesting: U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon from Oakland is pushing back with some real legislative muscle. She’s co-sponsoring the “Home Team Act”, a bill that would fundamentally change how professional sports franchises operate in America. And yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.

So what exactly does this bill do? It requires team owners to give cities a full year’s notice before relocating. During that time, local companies, individuals, government entities, or nonprofits get the right to purchase the franchise at fair market value and keep it in their community. No more surprise exits. No more getting blindsided by billionaires who decide they want to chase money elsewhere.

Here’s the clever part: the bill opens the door for community ownership models, think like the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, which is owned by fans and local shareholders. For a city like Oakland, that could’ve meant keeping the Athletics as a community asset instead of losing them to corporate interests.

The legislation also includes a solid safeguard. If a community makes an offer for the team, independent appraisers verify whether that offer reflects fair market value. If the offer is legit, the owner has to sell. If no fair price offer comes through during the year-long window, then owners can relocate. It’s actually pretty balanced, it protects communities without completely tying owners’ hands.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced the Senate version of this bill, and Simon’s championing it in the House. In her official statement, Simon didn’t hold back: “For decades, Oakland residents lovingly and passionately cheered on the Athletics, Raiders, and Warriors, win or lose. Sports are in the blood of our city and are a key part of our cultural identity, which is why I’m proud to support the Home Team Act to ensure that community-owned sports teams cannot be relocated without community input”.

Look, this bill probably won’t bring back the A’s or the Warriors. Those ships have sailed. But it sends a message that cities shouldn’t be treated as disposable markets for wealthy owners to exploit. If the Home Team Act had existed earlier, Oakland might’ve had an actual chance to keep its teams and its soul intact. That’s worth fighting for, and Simon’s clearly ready to make some noise about it.