Vol. VI, No. 1,330
—Oakland Roots SC may be headed for the exits at the Coliseum, but first the club has a $1.4 million tab to settle.
The United Soccer League club has defaulted on its lease agreement with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority, according to officials, leaving an outstanding balance of roughly $1.4 million even as the team plans to depart after this season.
Coliseum JPA Executive Director Henry Gardner confirmed the amount, adding that a Notice of Default was sent to the club on July 17.
A majority of the debt consists of unpaid game-day expenses, including staffing, security guards, parking attendants and stagehands, among other costs. A $20,000 per-game deposit for food and beverage sales is also outstanding, Gardner said.
The Roots have until the close of business Friday to either pay the outstanding $1.4 million or present the JPA with a viable repayment plan that can be evaluated before the deadline.
“If neither of those options occurs,” Gardner said, “they will be playing in the dark.”
Roots management said it intends to make good on the debt and is working with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s office on a solution.
“We are actively collaborating with JPA staff and the City 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,” Oakland Roots President Lindsay Barenz said in a statement.
The unpaid bills could have consequences for the club’s future in Oakland and elsewhere.
“This is not a good deal,” an animated Oakland Councilmember Ken Houston said after learning of the unpaid debt.
Last year, Houston, who serves on the Coliseum JPA Board of Commissioners, questioned the viability of the club’s move from a smaller venue to the cavernous Coliseum.
During an interview, Houston repeatedly said, “Show me the money!” referring to the Roots’ unpaid obligations.
“They played the hustle,” Houston said. “Pay early and start slacking.”
Gardner said the Roots’ payment record during their inaugural 2025 season at the Coliseum was flawless. In some cases, the club made payments in advance.
Attendance was strong enough that the $20,000 concession deposit was often returned to the team, Gardner added. But something changed after the start of this season, and the payments stopped.
Amid the missed payments, the Roots announced earlier this month that 2026 will be their final season at the Coliseum. Their final home match there is scheduled for Oct. 10.
Houston said his criticism of the Roots is strictly business, not personal.
He also questioned why the club failed to stay current on its financial obligations after the cities of Oakland and Alameda redirected hotel tax revenue during the FIFA World Cup to help fund improvements to the Bay Farm training grounds, which ultimately served as the Australian men’s national team’s practice facility.
The club is working with the City of Alameda to build a temporary venue at its Bay Farm training facility—the former Raiders headquarters—while continuing to pursue a long-term home at Howard Terminal near Jack London Square.
🚨EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s newsletter makes East Bay Insiders history. After 1,329 editions and nearly 2 million words, for the first time ever, the newsletter contains an item written by another.
I sent Aliya Vora, our first-ever intern, to cover Tuesday’s Fremont City Council meeting. Read her dispatch in the City News section below. It’s another A+ effort from Aliya!🚨
CITY NEWS: Oakland Councilmember’s Labor Proposal Sparks Friction Inside Oakland City Hall
Fremont Shelves Sales Tax Measure After Weak Polling
‘The Kevins’ Survive: Alameda Charter Measure Fails to Reach November Ballot
City of Alameda Bids Farewell to Departing, Influential City Attorney
ELECTION 2026: CA14: AIPAC-Funded Super PAC Spends $644,000 on TV Ad Supporting Hernandez
Who Pulled Papers to Run in November? Here’s Wednesday (Notable Short) List
🎙️EAST BAY INSIDERS PODCAST
—EPISODE 138—Is Oakland finally turning the page on one of the longest-running stadium sagas in American sports? Could this finally be the deal that rewrites Oakland’s future—or just another chapter in a very long story?
—This week, Steve Tavares and Trishala Vinnakota is joined by Dave Peters (AKA Bleacherdave), West Oakland activist and historian, for an in-depth conversation on the city’s latest Coliseum redevelopment deal and whether it succeeds where decades of proposals failed.
🎤
—Listen on Substack or download episodes at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
