Irvine’s City Council has given the green light to a five-year agreement that paves the way for a new minor-league baseball franchise to call the Great Park Championship Baseball Stadium its home, with the first season targeted for 2027.
The pact was struck with Innovation Baseball Partners, a consortium that plans to field a team in the independent Pioneer Baseball League, a league that already enjoys a working relationship with Major League Baseball.
Under the terms, the city will collect an estimated $368,000 each year from facility usage and sponsorship fees, while councilmember Betty Martinez Franco pushed for a larger slice of the revenue, arguing for a 20 percent cut rather than the initially proposed 15 percent.
Innovation Baseball Partners will also have the opportunity to secure naming rights for the venue, with the municipality retaining half of the net proceeds from any such deals.
The agreement obligates the partnership to contribute at least $25,000 in community benefits, ranging from youth clinics to donated tickets, and includes provisions for the stadium to host local groups.
Potential delays in finalizing the contract have raised concerns that the team’s debut could be pushed back, a risk that both city staff and the partners acknowledge.
Long Beach Coast, one of the partner’s existing clubs, currently charges $10–$15 for bleacher seats and $30–$35 for premium seating, a pricing model that may inform ticket strategies for the new franchise.
Economic and Community Implications
Beyond the financial figures, the deal promises a boost to local youth baseball programs and adds another anchor event to Great Park’s already diverse sports calendar, which includes the Orange County Soccer Club that currently leads the USL Championship Western Conference standings.