Oakland Roots’ upcoming games at Coliseum in jeopardy after latest missed payment

OAKLAND — The city’s popular soccer franchise could be in danger of not having a place to play home games halfway into its second season at the Coliseum, with another missed payment deadline marring its shaky tenure at the stadium.

Henry Gardner, the director of a body that oversees the Coliseum’s affairs, said Saturday that Oakland Roots SC had missed its deadline a day earlier to make good on a defaulted lease payment.

The team had been expected to present $1.4 million to Legends Global, the company that manages Coliseum operations, or submit a “viable payment plan” by the end of Friday afternoon, Gardner said.

“That has not occurred,” he said. “If they fail to pay, we have the option to cancel their next game.”

It appears the Roots did submit a plan by the Friday deadline to modify their payment schedule, but Legends Global did not agree it was viable. Details of the Roots’ plan were not immediately clear.

“We have reviewed the terms of your proposal and do not accept them,” wrote Nicole Strange, the general manager of Legends Global, in a letter to Roots executives obtained by this news organization.

Instead, Legends Global extended its own proposal: the Roots would pay an additional $200,000 for each remaining home game it plays at the Coliseum this season, on top of its regular obligations.

Team executives would need to submit the first of those payments by noon Wednesday.

Team officials said Saturday they were continuing to work on a resolution to the lease debt. A representative declined to elaborate, citing preparations for a game that evening.

“We are actively collaborating with JPA staff on a clear path forward to ensure all current obligations are met and any outstanding balances are fully resolved by the end of the season,” Lindsay Barenz, the Roots’ president, said in a statement forwarded by that representative.

The Roots have found a cultural footprint in Oakland since forming in 2018, with popular branded merchandise and a loyal following.

But the team has struggled to afford the expenses of playing at the Coliseum since debuting there in March 2025.

After eking out a license earlier this year to play a second season at the former A’s ballpark, Roots executives announced this month that they would seek a new home stadium next year.

Then, earlier this week, East Bay Insiders reported that the Roots had defaulted on their lease obligation.

The Roots are eyeing Howard Terminal — the waterfront land where the A’s once explored a major stadium-and-housing development — as a site to build a temporary 8,000-seat stadium.

Port of Oakland officials are expected to decide in the fall whether to enter negotiations with the franchise.

The team has also floated building its next stadium at the Alameda compound that houses the team’s own training facility, where the Raiders used to practice.

For now, though, the team’s missing payments at the Coliseum could jeopardize their ability to finish out the 2026 regular season.

“Because of the Roots’ image in the community, and the public’s support for it, we have made every reasonable step to get them to pay,” Gardner said. “Ultimately, if they don’t pay, we’ll turn the lights off — starting with next Saturday.”

Shomik Mukherjee is a reporter covering Oakland. Call or text him at 510-905-5495 or email him at [email protected].