Reno Aces Set Earliest Opening Day in Club History for March 2026

The Reno Aces open their 2026 season at Greater Nevada Field on Friday, March 27 against the Tacoma Rainiers in what stands as the earliest home Opening Day in the franchise's 17-year history. The three-game series, which wraps up Sunday, March 29, doubles as a formal civic celebration tied to the biggest long-term commitment the club has ever secured.

The Reno City Council unanimously approved a new agreement between the Aces' ownership group and the City of Reno at the end of January, a deal that keeps the team in downtown Reno through 2049. Under the agreement, ownership of Greater Nevada Field may transfer to the Aces' ownership group in exchange for a 20-year non-relocation commitment and a $40 million private capital investment. To mark the milestone, the city will designate March 27 as "Aces Day" in celebration of the agreement.

The Aces will welcome Vice Mayor Miguel Martinez and fellow city council members to Greater Nevada Field for the 2:05 p.m. first pitch. Martinez will throw out a ceremonial first pitch, but he will not be doing it alone.

Joining Vice Mayor Martinez in throwing a ceremonial first pitch is Brett Butler, the first and longest-tenured manager in Reno Aces history, who led the team from its inaugural 2009 season through 2013. He won 366 games over five seasons, including the 2012 Pacific Coast League championship, and is the only Aces manager to have his number retired by the organization. He will also sign autographs on the concourse when gates open.

Butler's presence gives Opening Day a layer of historical weight that few franchise ceremonies can match. No other manager in club history built what he built from scratch, and the 2012 PCL title remains the organizational high-water mark. Having him on the mound at the same stadium where his number hangs in retirement, on the same afternoon the city officially proclaims an "Aces Day" keyed to a generational commitment, makes the timing hard to dismiss as coincidence.

As part of the pregame festivities, the Reno Aces Foundation will recognize the Tahoe Titans, a local baseball team whose bus was intentionally struck during a fundraiser outside a Safeway in Truckee. The team will be presented with a check to help fund its trip to Cooperstown for a dream tournament, and players will also take part in the Aces' Baseball Buddies program, joining the team on the field for the first game of the season.

As is Opening Day tradition in Reno, there will be pregame and in-game fireworks, as well as a flyover during the national anthem courtesy of NAS Fallon.

The three-game set with the Tacoma Rainiers, which is the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, runs Friday at 2:05 p.m., Saturday at 4:05 p.m., and closes Sunday at 1:05 p.m. with a designated Family Sunday and Dog Day. It is the first time the Aces will start the season at home since the 2023 campaign.

2049 will mark 40 years of the Reno Aces in downtown Reno, a timeline that gives the franchise's Opening Weekend celebration genuine permanence beyond the bunting and fireworks.