History of the Las Vegas Raiders facts for kids
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team. They are based in the Las Vegas area in Nevada. The Raiders play in the National Football League (NFL). They are part of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The team started in Oakland, California, in 1960. They were one of the first teams in the American Football League. The Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982. Then they moved back to Oakland in 1995. In 2020, they moved to Las Vegas. The Raiders won the AFL championship in 1967. After joining the NFL, they won three Super Bowls. These wins were in 1976, 1980, and 1983.
Contents
Raiders in Oakland: The Early Years (1960–1981)
The Raiders began as one of eight original teams in the American Football League (AFL) in 1960. In 1964, the team played a special game in Las Vegas. This was the first professional football game ever played in Las Vegas. It was a preseason game against the Houston Oilers at Cashman Field.
This game helped start a long connection between the Raiders and Las Vegas. The Raiders won that game with a score of 53 to 49. In 1970, the team joined the National Football League as part of the AFL–NFL merger. They have been an NFL team ever since. During their first time in Oakland, the Raiders won Super Bowl XI and Super Bowl XV.
Raiders in Los Angeles (1982–1994)
In the early 1980s, the Raiders' owner, Al Davis, wanted to improve their stadium in Oakland. When this didn't happen, he decided to move the team to Los Angeles. There was a legal fight with the NFL about this move. But in May 1982, a court said the Raiders could move.
So, the Raiders moved to Los Angeles for the 1982 season. They played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. While in Los Angeles, the team won Super Bowl XVIII. This was the first Super Bowl win for a team based in Los Angeles.
Raiders Return to Oakland (1995–2019)
In 1995, the Raiders moved back to Oakland. This happened after the city and Alameda County agreed to add new seats to the Oakland Coliseum. These new sections were known as Mount Davis. Al Davis chose to bring the team back because he couldn't get a new stadium in Los Angeles.
During their second time in Oakland, the team played in Super Bowl XXXVII. However, they lost that game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Moving to Las Vegas
The Raiders had been looking for a new stadium since the late 1980s. After Al Davis passed away in 2011, his son, Mark Davis, continued the search. The Davis family always had a connection to Las Vegas. Al Davis often visited the city and thought about moving the team there.
Mark Davis even bought the website address LasVegasRaiders.com in 1998. The team seriously started looking into moving to Las Vegas in 2015. After many years of trying to get a new stadium in Oakland, the NFL finally allowed the team to move to Las Vegas. This decision was made on March 27, 2017. Construction on their new stadium officially began on November 13, 2017.
Las Vegas Raiders (2020–Present)
On January 22, 2020, the team was officially named the "Las Vegas Raiders." This happened at a ceremony at the new Allegiant Stadium, which was still being built.
On September 13, 2020, the Raiders won their first game as the Las Vegas Raiders. They beat the Carolina Panthers 34–30. On September 21, they won their first home game in Las Vegas. They defeated the New Orleans Saints 34–24. The Raiders finished their first season in Las Vegas with an 8–8 record. They missed the playoffs that year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans were not allowed in the stadium for games.
In 2021, fans were allowed back at games. The Raiders started the season strong with a 3–0 record. On October 11, head coach Jon Gruden resigned. Rich Bisaccia became the interim coach. The Raiders made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. They had a 10–7 record in the 2021 season. They lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs with a score of 26–19.
See also
