Las Vegas Raiders

Oakland (1960–1981)

The city of Oakland, California was awarded the eighth American Football League (AFL) franchise on January 30, 1960. Upon receiving the franchise, a meeting of local civic leaders and businessmen was called, chaired by former U.S. Senator William Fife Knowland of California, editor of the Oakland Tribune. The gathering found a number of businessmen willing to invest in the new team. A limited partnership was formed to own the team headed by managing general partner Y. Charles (Chet) Soda, a local real estate developer, and included general partners Ed McGah, Oakland City Councilman Robert Osborne, F. Wayne Valley, restaurateur Harvey Binns, 1928 Olympic gold medalist Donald Blessing, and contractor Charles Harney, the builder of San Francisco's Candlestick Park, built on a bleak parcel of land he owned; the road leading to the stadium is known as Harney Way.

A "name the team" contest was held by the Oakland Tribune, and the winner was announced April 4, 1960, as the Oakland Señors. After a few days of being the butt of local jokes (and accusations that the contest was fixed, as Soda was fairly well known within the Oakland business community for calling his acquaintances "señor"), the fledgling team (and its owners) changed the team's name nine days later to the Oakland Raiders, which had finished third in the naming contest. The original team colors were black, gold and white. The now-familiar team emblem of a pirate (or "raider") wearing a football helmet was created, reportedly a rendition of actor Randolph Scott.

1960–1966

When the University of California refused to let the Raiders play home games at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, they chose Kezar Stadium in San Francisco as their home field. The Raiders were allowed to move to Candlestick Park for the final three home games of the 1960 season after gaining the approval of San Francisco's Recreation and Park Commission, marking the first time that professional football would be played at the new stadium. The change of venue, however, failed to attract larger crowds. The Raiders finished their first campaign with a 6–8 record, and lost $500,000, equivalent to $5.44 million in 2025. Desperately in need of money to continue running the team, Valley received a $400,000 loan from Buffalo Bills founder Ralph Wilson, equivalent to $4.35 million in 2025.

After the conclusion of the first season Soda dropped out of the partnership, and on January 17, 1961, Valley, McGah and Osborne bought out the remaining four general partners. Soon after, Valley and McGah purchased Osborne's interest, with Valley named as the managing general partner. Valley threatened to move the Raiders out of the area unless a stadium was built in Oakland, but in 1962 the Raiders moved into 18,000-seat Frank Youell Field (later expanded to 22,000 seats), their first home in Oakland. It was a temporary home for the team while the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum was under construction. Under Marty Feldman and Red Conkright—the team's second and third head coaches since entering the AFL—the Raiders finished 1–13 in 1962, losing their first 13 games (and making for a 19–game losing streak from 1961 and 1962) before winning the season finale, and attendance remained low.

After the 1962 season, Valley hired Al Davis, a former assistant coach of the San Diego Chargers, as head coach and general manager. At 33, he was the youngest person in over 30 years to hold the position of head coach, and the youngest person ever to hold the position of general manager, in professional football. Davis immediately changed the team colors to silver and black, and began to implement what he termed the "vertical game", an aggressive offensive strategy based on the West Coast offense developed by Chargers head coach Sid Gillman. Under Davis, the Raiders improved to 10–4, and he was named the AFL's Coach of the Year in 1963. Though the team slipped to 5–7–2 in 1964, it rebounded to an 8–5–1 record in 1965. He also initiated the use of team slogans such as "Pride and Poise", "Commitment to Excellence", and "Just Win, Baby"—all of which are registered trademarks.

In April 1966, Davis left the Raiders after being named AFL Commissioner. Two months later, the league announced its merger with the NFL. With the merger, the position of commissioner was no longer needed, and Davis entered into discussions with Valley about returning to the Raiders. On July 25, 1966, Davis returned as part-owner of the team. He purchased a 10 percent interest in the team for $18,000, equivalent to $178,615 in 2025, and became the team's third general partner—the partner in charge of football operations.

1967: AFL champions

On the field, the team Davis had assembled and coached steadily improved. With John Rauch (Davis's hand-picked successor) as head coach and quarterback Daryle Lamonica, the Raiders finished the 1967 season with a 13–1 record and won the 1967 AFL Championship, defeating the Houston Oilers 40–7.

The win earned the team a trip to Super Bowl II at the Orange Bowl, where they were defeated 33–14 by Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers. Both of Oakland's touchdowns were scored on receptions by wide receiver Bill Miller.

1968–1975

On November 17, 1968, Oakland scored two touchdowns in the final minute to defeat the New York Jets 43–32. However, NBC, decided to break away from its coverage to broadcast the television film Heidi, which caused many viewers to miss the Raiders' comeback. Oakland ended the 1968 season with a 12–2 record; defeating the Chiefs 41–6 in a tiebreaker playoff before losing 27–23 to the Jets in the AFL Championship Game.

In 1969, John Madden became the team's sixth head coach, and under him the Raiders became one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. It was during Madden's tenure that the Raiders forged an image as a team of tough, take-no-prisoners players—such as future Hall of Fame offensive linemen Jim Otto, Gene Upshaw, and Art Shell; linebacker Ted ("the Stork") Hendricks; defensive end Ben Davidson; and defensive backs Jack ("the Assassin") Tatum, George Atkinson, and Skip ("Dr. Death") Thomas—who would occasionally cross the line into dirty play. Those teams also featured future Hall of Fame players in kicker George Blanda, tight end Dave ("the Ghost") Casper, and wide receivers Fred Biletnikoff and Cliff Branch, as well as fiery quarterback Ken ("the Snake") Stabler.

In 1970, the AFL–NFL merger took place and the Raiders became part of the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the newly merged NFL. In 1972, with Wayne Valley out of the country for several weeks attending the Olympic Games in Munich, Davis's attorneys drafted a revised partnership agreement that gave him total control over all of the Raiders' operations. McGah, a supporter of Davis, signed the agreement. Under partnership law, by a 2–1 vote of the general partners, the new agreement was thus ratified. Valley was furious when he discovered this, and immediately filed suit to have the new agreement overturned, but the court sided with Davis and McGah.

Madden's first Raiders squad went 12–1–1 in 1969, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the last-ever AFL Championship Game, 17–7. This would become a frustrating trend during Madden's coaching career. Oakland won seven AFC West division titles and always played to a winning record during his ten seasons as head coach, but they also lost in six AFL / AFC Championship Games. One of the most frustrating playoff defeats came in 1972, when what appeared to be a last-minute AFC Divisional round victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers instead became a part of football lore when Franco Harris' "Immaculate Reception" gave Pittsburgh a 13–7 win.

In 1973, the Raiders reached the AFC Championship with a 9–4–1 record, but lost 27–10 to the Miami Dolphins. In 1974, Oakland had a 12–2 regular season, which included a nine-game winning streak. Quarterback Ken Stabler earned NFL MVP honors. "The Autumn Wind", a poem written by former NFL Films President and co-founder Steve Sabol, became the unofficial team anthem, and was first used for the team's official yearbook film in 1974. It was narrated by John Facenda, and dubbed "The Battle Hymn of the Raider Nation". After knocking the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Dolphins out of the playoffs in dramatic fashion in which running back Clarence Davis caught a late 4th-quarter touchdown amid three Miami defenders ("The Sea of Hands") to win 28–26, the Raiders again lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship game, 24–13. The Steelers would once more end the Raiders' season one game short of the Super Bowl in the 1975 AFC Championship game, 16–10.

1976: Super Bowl XI champions

In 1976, Valley sold his interest in the team, and Davis—who now owned only 25 percent of the Raiders—was firmly in charge. The Raiders beat Pittsburgh in a revenge match on the season opener and continued to cement their reputation for hard, dirty play by knocking receiver Lynn Swann out for two weeks in a helmet-to-helmet collision. Al Davis later tried to sue Steelers coach Chuck Noll for libel after the latter called safety George Atkinson a criminal for the hit.

The Raiders finished 13–1 in the 1976 regular season. Quarterback Ken Stabler completed 66.7% of his passes. Fullback Mark van Eeghen rushed for 1,012 yards. Tight end Dave Casper led the team in receptions (53, including 10 touchdowns), while wide receiver Cliff Branch led in reception yards (1,111), touchdowns (12), and yards per reception (24.2). Oakland escaped the first round of the AFC playoffs with a dramatic and controversial 24–21 victory over the New England Patriots. New England's Ray Hamilton was tagged for roughing the passer in the fourth quarter, turning an incomplete pass on 3rd and 18 into a first down, and the Raiders went on to score on Ken Stabler's 1-yard touchdown run with 14 seconds left in the contest.

In their third straight encounter with Pittsburgh in the 1976 AFC Championship Game, Madden's Raiders finally defeated their nemesis 24–7 to reach Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl. Oakland's opponent was the Minnesota Vikings, a team that had lost three previous Super Bowls. The Raiders led 16–0 at halftime. By the end, forcing their opponent into multiple turnovers, they won 32–14 for their first Super Bowl championship. Hall of Fame wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff was voted Super Bowl MVP, catching four passes for 79 yards and setting up three Oakland scores. Another key play was a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown by Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown in the fourth quarter, which put the game completely out of reach.

1977–1979

The following season saw the Raiders defeating the Baltimore Colts in the AFC playoffs 37–31 (2 OT) when Errol Mann tied the game with a late field goal, set up by a pass to tight end Dave Casper, a play known as the "Ghost to the Post". In the second overtime, Casper caught a touchdown pass for the victory. The following week, Oakland fell to the Denver Broncos 20–17 in the 1977 AFC Championship Game.

With 10 seconds left during a September 10, 1978, matchup with the San Diego Chargers, quarterback Ken Stabler intentionally tossed the ball forward by under-handing it; a teammate dove for the ball and shoveled it closer to the end zone. Tight end Dave Casper then kicked the ball to himself in the end zone for a touchdown and a 21–20 Raiders' win. The play, which became known as the "Holy Roller," led to an NFL rule change prohibiting any player besides the fumbler, from the two-minute warning onward, from advancing the ball.

After ten consecutive winning seasons and one Super Bowl championship, John Madden left the Raiders (and coaching) in 1979 to pursue a career as a television football commentator. His replacement was former Raiders quarterback Tom Flores, the first Hispanic head coach in NFL history.

1980: Super Bowl XV champions

In the midst of the turmoil of Al Davis' attempts to move the team to Los Angeles in 1980, Flores looked to lead the Raiders to their third Super Bowl by finishing the 1980 season 11–5 and earning a wild card berth. Quarterback Jim Plunkett revitalized his career, taking over in week five when starter Dan Pastorini was lost for the season to a broken leg. New acquisition, wide receiver Bob Chandler, contributed by leading the team in receptions (49) and touchdowns (10). The Raiders spent most of the year as a mistake-prone offensive mess. Oakland turned it over 44 times and finished 16th in total yards. Oakland's defense, on the other hand, led the NFL in forced turnovers (52) and interceptions (35). That same season, defensive back Lester Hayes had a standout performance, recording 18 interceptions and 2 defensive touchdowns in 19 games played (including postseason).

After playoff victories against the Houston Oilers 27–7, Cleveland Browns 14–12 (see "Red Right 88"), and San Diego Chargers 34–27 in the 1980 AFC Championship Game, the Raiders went to Super Bowl XV at the Louisiana Superdome. Oakland clinched their second NFL championship in five years with a 27–10 win over the favored Philadelphia Eagles. With the victory, the Raiders became the first ever wild card team to win a Super Bowl. Two Super Bowl records of note occurred in this game: 1) Kenny King's 80-yard, first-quarter, catch-and-run reception from Jim Plunkett remained the longest touchdown pass play for the next 16 years; and 2) Rod Martin's three interceptions of Eagles' quarterback Ron Jaworski still stands today as a Super Bowl record. Reflecting on the last ten years during the post-game awards ceremony, Al Davis stated "...this was our finest hour, this was the finest hour in the history of the Oakland Raiders. To Tom Flores, the coaches, and the athletes: you were magnificent out there, you really were."

Los Angeles (1982–1994)

Before the 1980 season, Al Davis attempted unsuccessfully to add luxury boxes to the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. On March 1, he signed a memorandum of agreement to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles. The move, which required three-fourths approval by league owners, was defeated 22–0 (with five owners abstaining). When Davis tried to move the team anyway, he was blocked by an injunction. In response, the Raiders became a partner in an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (which had recently lost the Los Angeles Rams to Anaheim) and filed an antitrust lawsuit of their own. After the first case was declared a mistrial, in May 1982 a second jury found in favor of Davis and the Los Angeles Coliseum, clearing the way for the move. With the ruling, the Raiders finally moved to Los Angeles for the 1982 season to play their home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum. "Sure, I expected the Oakland fans to get angry at me," Davis said. "But I don't remember any of them parading on the Oakland Coliseum, saying 'Give him what he wants.' In their mind, it's their team. In my mind, it's not."

The Los Angeles teams of the 1980s featured three future Hall of Famers—running back Marcus Allen, defensive lineman Howie Long, and cornerback Mike Haynes—and multisport sensation Bo Jackson, who excelled in both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the NFL as a running back.

In the strike-shortened 1982 season, the team finished first in the AFC with an 8–1 record. They defeated the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the AFC playoffs before losing to the New York Jets in the second round.

1983: Super Bowl XVIII champions

In 1983, the Raiders compiled a 12–4 record and a first-place finish in the AFC West. In the playoffs, they convincingly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 38–10 in the Divisional Round, and Seattle Seahawks 30–14 in the 1983 AFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl XVIII against the Washington Redskins at Tampa Stadium. With seven seconds remaining in the first half, linebacker Jack Squirek intercepted a Joe Theismann swing pass at the Washington five-yard line and scored, sending the Raiders to a 21–3 halftime lead. Los Angeles sealed the game when Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen reversed his route on a Super Bowl record run that turned into a 74-yard touchdown. The Raiders went on to a 38–9 victory and their third NFL championship. Allen, who was named Super Bowl MVP, set a Super Bowl record for most rushing yards (191) and combined yards (209).

1984–1994

The Raiders had another successful regular season in 1984, finishing 11–5, but a three-game losing streak in late October and early November forced them to enter the playoffs as the second wild card team. They were defeated by the Seahawks in the Wild Card Playoffs, 13–7. The 1985 campaign saw 12 wins and another division title, but the first-seeded Raiders suffered a humiliating 27–20 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots in the Divisional Playoffs.

The Raiders' fortunes declined after the loss to the Patriots in the 1985 playoffs. From 1986 through 1989, they finished no better than 8–8 and posted consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1961–62. Also, 1986 saw Al Davis get into a widely publicized argument with running back Marcus Allen, whom he accused of faking injuries. The feud continued into 1987, with Davis retaliating by signing Bo Jackson to take Allen's place. However, Jackson was also a left fielder for Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals, and could not play full-time until the baseball season ended in October. Even worse, another strike cost the NFL one game and prompted them to use substitute players. The Raiders fill-ins achieved a 1–2 record before the regular roster returned. After a weak 5–10 finish, head coach Tom Flores moved to the front office and was replaced by Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan. Shanahan coached the team to a 7–9 mark in 1988, and Allen and Jackson continued to trade places as the starting running back. Low game attendance and fan apathy were evident by this point, and in the summer of 1989, rumors of a Raiders return to Oakland intensified when a preseason game against the Houston Oilers was scheduled at Oakland Coliseum.

As early as 1986, Davis began to seek a new, more modern stadium away from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the dangerous neighborhood that surrounded it at the time (which caused the NFL to schedule the Raiders' Monday Night Football appearances as away games). In addition to the team having to share the venue with the USC Trojans, the Coliseum was aging and still lacked the luxury suites and other amenities that Davis was promised when he moved the Raiders to Los Angeles. Finally, the Coliseum had 100,000 seats and was rarely able to fill all of them, and so most Raiders home games were blacked out on television. In August 1987, it was announced that the city of Irwindale, California paid Davis $10 million as a good-faith deposit for a prospective stadium site, though Davis later kept the deposit despite the bid being abandoned by the team. During this time Davis also almost moved the team to Sacramento in a deal that would have included Davis becoming the managing partner of the Sacramento Kings.

Negotiations between Davis and Oakland commenced in January 1989, and on March 11, 1990, Davis announced his intention to bring the Raiders back to Oakland. By September 1990, however, numerous delays had prevented the completion. On September 11, Davis announced a new deal to stay in Los Angeles, leading many fans in Oakland to burn Raiders paraphernalia in disgust.