For nearly eight decades, Cashman Field has been woven into the fabric of Las Vegas sports, hosting generations of fans across baseball, soccer and other major sporting and entertainment events. Now, the downtown stadium is preparing to host its final professional sporting event.
Cashman Field’s history dates to May 1948, when the original venue opened as Elks Stadium. It was later renamed for James “Big Jim” Cashman, a prominent Las Vegas entrepreneur and sports booster who played a major role in the city’s early development.
The original venue quickly became a hub for Las Vegas sports and entertainment. It hosted the Las Vegas Wranglers, one of the city’s first professional sports teams, along with the famed Helldorado Days rodeo, concerts, wrestling matches and a heavyweight boxing championship fight in 1955.
After the original stadium fell out of use in the 1970s, a new 9,334-seat stadium complex was constructed on the same site. The current Cashman Field opened in April 1983 and soon established itself as a centerpiece of professional baseball in Las Vegas.
For the next 35 years, Cashman Field served as a home for Triple-A baseball. The Las Vegas Stars played there from 1983 through 2000 before the franchise was rebranded as the Las Vegas 51s, who remained at the stadium through the 2018 season.
Cashman Field also carved out a place in Major League Baseball history.
Beginning in 1993, the stadium hosted MLB spring training exhibition games. That year, a matchup between the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs drew 15,025 fans, setting Cashman Field’s all-time baseball attendance record.
Three years later, the stadium hosted an even more significant MLB moment. Construction delays at the Oakland Coliseum forced the Oakland Athletics to open their 1996 regular season at Cashman Field.
The A’s played their first six games of the season in Las Vegas, making Cashman Field the first minor league ballpark to host a Major League Baseball season opener.
Professional Triple-A baseball ultimately left Cashman Field after the 2018 season, when the 51s moved to the newly constructed Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin for the 2019 season.
The departure of baseball left the stadium facing an uncertain future. Built in 1983, Cashman Field had become increasingly outdated and expensive to maintain. The facility lacked modern player amenities, while Las Vegas’ extreme summer heat presented additional challenges for players and teams.
After baseball left, the Las Vegas Lights FC sought to give the stadium a new purpose. The club planned a major renovation that would transform Cashman Field into a soccer-specific stadium. However, financial disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately halted those plans.
The stadium remained the Lights’ home, with the club continuing to play downtown after beginning its inaugural season at Cashman Field in 2018.
Meanwhile, the city moved toward a different future for the property. Las Vegas sought to sell the site while addressing significant financial losses stemming in part from a yearslong, multimillion-dollar legal dispute.
As part of the redevelopment process, the Las Vegas City Council voted to change the property’s zoning from civic and public use to high-density residential use, paving the way for development beyond its decadeslong role as a sports and entertainment destination.
Now, the Lights are preparing to close the book on Cashman Field’s professional sports history. The club has announced that its final game at the historic downtown venue will be played Oct. 17, 2026.
The final match will mark the end of nearly eight decades of sporting history at the site and close the chapter on one of Las Vegas’ most recognizable sports venues.
Photo Credit: Cashman field is pictured during a spring exhibition baseball game between the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs Sunday, March 16, 2014, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)