Minor league baseball could soon be drawing fans to the Irvine Great Park.
The City Council is set to consider on Tuesday an agreement with Innovation Baseball Partners — also behind the new Long Beach Coast as well as the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds and Oakland Ballers — to establish a team in town to play at the Great Park Championship Baseball Stadium as early as 2027.
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A report to council members said city staffers have been working with IBP for several months on the agreement that would expand the Pioneer Baseball League, an official partner of Major League Baseball, to Irvine through a multi-year facility use and sponsorship agreement for the stadium in the park.
The proposed agreement is for five years with an option for five more, and the season would be May 11 through Sept. 30.
The team’s owners would have the right to sell advertising within the stadium and to pursue sponsorship opportunities for the stadium, including naming rights — city officials would need to sign off.
The city would receive a variety of fees, including per home game, which would increase over time as more tickets are sold, and shares of revenue. The city would maintain control over parking and what is charged.
City officials expect the arrangement would net Irvine about $368,000 a year in revenue for the Great Park. The city would receive 50% of the net revenue from the name rights and each year $25,000 worth of in-kind community benefits, such as clinics and camps, free tickets to games and charitable events.
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Community groups and local teams would still have access to the 9-year-old stadium, which, along with many local tournaments, has hosted several international and national tournaments in its time, officials said.
“The addition of a professional baseball team would provide Irvine residents with convenient access to affordable, family-friendly entertainment while creating new opportunities for community engagement, youth development, and local partnerships,” staffers said in their report to the council. “Proposed community programming may include youth baseball clinics and camps, coaching education, partnerships with Irvine youth organizations, charitable events, and donated tickets.
“A local team could also strengthen community pride, attract additional visitors to Great Park, and support nearby hotels, restaurants, and businesses,” officials added.
The City Council meets at 5 p.m. on Tuesday; the Great Park Board will also discuss the agreement at 2 p.m. that afternoon.
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