WNBA Las Vegas Aces, Las Vegas Aviators Combine On Free Jersey Promotion At Friday’s Aviators Game; Friday From Denver: A’s 6 Rockies 3
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Do hard-core Las Vegas Aces fans attend Las Vegas Aviators minor league baseball games in suburban Summerlin?
One way to find out is for the WBA Aces and the Pacific Coast League Aviators to cross-promote their brands for an Aces/Aviators free jersey night at the Aviators game at Las Vegas Ballpark Friday evening.
It didn’t take long for all 2,000 free Aces/Aviators jerseys to be gobbled up after the gates opened up at 5:30 PM as some fans arrived 90 minutes before the ballpark opened to make sure they would not miss out on snagging a free jersey.
The Aces had their mascot and a new assistant coach at the ballgame, while some fans among the announced 7,360 arrived wearing their Aces logo gear. For the record, the Aviators defeated the Sacramento River Cats, 6-4, and have won five of their first seven games of the season.
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The Aviators are the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics, which plan to build a $1.75 billion domed stadium on the Strip for the 2028 season.
So, the Aviators run A’s highlights on their ballpark scoreboard, showing the big league exploits of former Aviators ballplayers.
After the A’s arrive in Las Vegas, they might actually compete with the Aviators for the local baseball fan dollar. But expect the ticket price points to be very different and both teams should co-exist with their unique fan bases. The big difference, naturally, is the Athletics stadium at the former Tropicana hotel-casino site will be a tourist draw.
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Howard Hughes, the master developer of Summerlin, no longer owns the Aviators. So, the team can conceivably change its name and do a re-brand if it would like. The Aviators logo — kind of a cross between old Johnny Carson’s Carnac the Magnificent and the Ant-Man Marvel character — was never a hit.
So, there’s informal talk and chatter among Aviators fans and even workers about the idea of changing the team’s name and logo because Howard Hughes no longer owns the team. In September, LVSportsBiz.com reported team president Don Logan told us the team will take a look at rebranding the team.
A popular name was the Las Vegas Gamblers, which was showcased by the Aviators for a one-game “What If” promotion last season. The Gamblers logo was featured on a baseball cap and the name went over well with fans during the one-off promotion.
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The A’s are playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento in 2025, 2026 and 2027 while the Athletics stadium is built in Las Vegas. Like the WNBA Aces and Aviators teaming up on Friday’s free jersey promotion, the MLB Athletics and NBA Sacramento are teaming up on a promotion, too.
There’s a $60 two-ticket deal where a fan can pay 60 bucks to watch the A’s host the Padres at 12:35 PM Wednesday and then catch the NBA Kings vs Denver Nuggets game later that day. Kings owner Vivek Ranadive also owns Sutter Health Park, where the A’s are playing for three seasons. He’s a friend of A’s owner John Fisher.
PROMO
