Oakland Roots and Soul confirmed they have put an end to their plans for a temporary stadium at Malibu Lot and intend to stay at the Coliseum for a short-term basis as they shift focus toward its permanent stadium search.
Roots and Soul president Lindsay Barenz said the Coliseum will give them “stability” in the coming years.
“Oakland Roots and Soul are committed to securing a permanent home in Oakland, and this decision allows us to focus our efforts on making that vision a reality,” Barenz said, via the team’s site. “By staying at the Coliseum in the short term, we are ensuring stability for our players, fans, and community and keeping the Coliseum as a productive asset for the community. We remain dedicated to building something sustainable and deeply rooted in Oakland, and we look forward to continuing this journey alongside our supporters and partners. We also want to thank everyone at the city and county for working towards an outcome at Malibu and appreciate their support for making a soccer stadium in Oakland a reality.”
The intention to stay at the Coliseum past 2025 also allows Soul to embark on becoming a Division 1-sanctioned team in the USL Super League. They’ve already indicated their plans to play in the USL W League for 2025 before entering the Super League in August. Given the Super League season runs from August through May, it entails Roots and Soul could be at the Coliseum through 2026 or 2027.
Back in the club’s press conference in August, Roots were the only team announced since the Coliseum sale to the African American Sports and Entertainment Group was still processing.
Roots and Soul’s latest announcement intimates they have further clarity on the site’s future.
“We thank Oakland Roots and Soul for their continued collaboration throughout this process,” AASEG president Ray Bobbitt said. “As we work towards our shared objectives of a brighter future for East Oakland, we look forward to our continued cooperation and would be open to working with Oakland Roots for a longer stay at the Coliseum.”
The announcement came after the organization made an official proposal for Howard Terminal as its permanent stadium last month. It’s a sign that Roots and Soul have set its target and momentum is building.
Roots and Soul indicated they would build at HT in two phases, starting with a temporary 15,000-seat home before embarking on a prospective 25,000-capacity stadium along Oakland’s waterfront. With another temporary stadium possibly in the plans, it wouldn’t make sense for another costly interim build
“Our proposal is actually a two-stage proposal. Our Phase One proposal would be a modular stadium, very similar to the Malibu site, but a bigger 15,000-capacity stadium, which we think is the right size for us right now as a team. But as we grow, the renderings for Phase Two are a 25,000-capacity stadium. That’s the goal,” Tan said last month.
Oakland Roots and Soul have been posturing toward extending at the Coliseum since October when Barenz first publically said they were “very interested” in staying put.
“We are very interested if the opportunity becomes available to extend our ability to play at the Coliseum,” Barenz said at a Q&A webinar with investors. “A key to us getting to financial sustainability is getting to a larger stadium. The move to the Coliseum is the first step in the direction of getting financial sustainability… The Coliseum’s amenities change the profile of how much we can raise on the ticketing side by six times.”
The organization is currently leasing the Coliseum for $3 million per season, as made public in August. With Malibu Lot, the total cost estimation was never made public but would’ve cost an exorbitant amount well past what they will pay for an extended stay at the Coliseum. Roots and Soul is also in the process of finding a new partner to ease the burden of purchasing the land at their training facility in Alameda for $24 million, making a temporary build at Malibu too prohibitive.
“We’re having a lot of conversations that I’m really, really encouraged about,” Tan previously said about the training facility.
At Howard Terminal, Barenz last said they would principally pay for the site through private resources.
“We plan to principally pay for the stadium, through private sources of equity. There are some infrastructural things that may be eligible for public funding at the site, but largely it would be privately,” Barenz said.
Without the costs involved in Malibu Lot and a future at the Coliseum solidified, the organization can turn attention to its long-term goals.
We’ll provide more information on the Soul’s future and Howard Terminal as the news becomes available.