Oakland Coliseum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

The Coliseum Milk Bowl The Black Hole Baseball's Last Dive Bar
Oakland Coliseum in 2024
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Location in Oakland, California Show map of Oakland, California Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Location in California Show map of California Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Former names	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum (1966–1998, 2008–2011, 2016–2019, 2020, 2023–present) Network Associates Coliseum (1998–2004) McAfee Coliseum (2004–2008) Overstock.com Coliseum (2011) O.co Coliseum (2011–2016) RingCentral Coliseum (2019–2020, 2020–2023)
Address	7000 Coliseum Way
Location	Oakland, California, United States
Coordinates	37°45′6″N 122°12′2″W / 37.75167°N 122.20056°W / 37.75167; -122.20056
Public transit	AC Transit: 45, 46L, 73 , 90, 98, 646, 657, 805 Alameda County East Oakland Shuttle Amtrak: Capitol Corridor at Oakland Coliseum BART: at Coliseum Harbor Bay Business Park Shuttle
Owner	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority (City of Oakland and Alameda County)
Operator	AEG
Capacity	Baseball: 46,847 (expandable to 56,782 without tarps) Football: 53,200 (expandable to 63,132) Concerts: 47,416 or 64,829 (depending on configuration) Soccer: 15,000 Cricket: 12,000
Record attendance	Baseball: 56,310 (July 21, 2018, Athletics vs Giants) Football: 62,784 (January 14, 2001, Raiders vs Ravens)
Field size	Left field 330 feet (101 m) Left center 388 feet (118 m) Center field 400 feet (122 m) Right center 388 feet (118 m) Right field 330 feet (101 m) Backstop 60 feet (18 m)
Surface	Tifway II Bermuda Grass
Scoreboard	36 feet (11 m) high by 145 feet (44 m) wide
Construction
Broke ground	April 15, 1964
Opened	September 18, 1966
Renovated	1995–1996, 2017
Construction cost	$25.5 million ($230 million in 2022 dollars ) $200 million (1995–96 renovation) ($373 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill HNTB (1995–96 renovation)
Structural engineer	Ammann & Whitney
Services engineer	Syska & Hennessy, Inc.
General contractor	Guy F. Atkinson Company
Tenants
Oakland Athletics (MLB) (1968–2024) Oakland Raiders (AFL/NFL) (1966–1981) (1995–2019) Oakland Clippers (NPSL/NASL) 1967–1968 Oakland Stompers (NASL) 1978 Oakland Invaders (USFL) (1983–1985) San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) (2008–2009) Oakland Roots (USLC) (since 2025) Oakland Soul (USLW) (since 2025) San Francisco Unicorns (MLC) (since 2025) United States national cricket team (since 2025)

The Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, often called the Oakland Coliseum, is a large stadium in Oakland, California. It's a place where many different sports and events have happened. The stadium is part of a bigger area called the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, right next to the Oakland Arena.

In 2017, the baseball field was named Rickey Henderson Field. This was to honor Rickey Henderson, a famous baseball player who is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He used to play for the Oakland Athletics.

The stadium was home to the Oakland Athletics baseball team from 1968 to 2024. It also hosted the Oakland Raiders football team for many years. The Raiders played there from 1966 to 1981, then moved to Los Angeles. They came back in 1995 and played until 2019, when they moved to Las Vegas.

For a long time, the Coliseum was the only stadium in the United States that hosted both professional baseball and football teams. It has also been used for soccer games. The USL Championship team Oakland Roots SC plays there, and the San Jose Earthquakes played some matches there too.

The Coliseum can hold up to 63,132 people, depending on how it's set up. In 1996, a new upper deck, nicknamed "Mount Davis", was added. This was done when the Raiders returned to Oakland.

Over the years, the Coliseum has been criticized for being old and not well-maintained. Many fans and players thought it was one of the worst stadiums in Major League Baseball. The Athletics played their last season at the Coliseum in 2024. They moved to Sacramento while they plan to move to Las Vegas.

Building the Oakland Coliseum

Why the Coliseum was Built

Leaders in Oakland wanted their city to be famous, just like nearby San Francisco. They believed having professional sports teams and a big stadium would help Oakland get noticed. So, in the 1950s and 1960s, people really wanted a major league stadium in Oakland.

A special group was formed to help pay for and build the stadium. This group included important business leaders. Their idea was to build the Coliseum with private money. Once it was paid off, the city and county would own it.

Choosing a Location and Starting Construction

In 1960, architects showed their first plans for the stadium. A spot was chosen in East Oakland, next to the Nimitz Freeway. The Port of Oakland helped by donating land for the stadium complex.

The Oakland Raiders football team moved to a temporary stadium in Oakland in 1962. Everyone knew the Coliseum would be their permanent home. Baseball was also a big part of the plan. The American League wanted to have a team in Oakland.

By 1962, the city and county approved the project. They arranged for $25 million to build it. Plans included a stadium, an indoor arena, and an exhibition hall. Construction began in 1962, but there were some delays and extra costs.

In 1965, the owner of the Kansas City Athletics baseball team, Charlie Finley, was looking for a new home for his team. He liked Oakland's new stadium. After some discussions, Finley moved the Athletics to Oakland before the 1968 season.

Stadium Name Changes Over Time

For more than 30 years, from 1966 to 1998, the stadium was known as the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum.

Companies sometimes pay money to have a stadium named after them. This is called "naming rights." In 1998, a company called Network Associates paid to have the stadium named Network Associates Coliseum. Later, the company changed its name to McAfee, so the stadium became McAfee Coliseum.

In 2008, McAfee decided not to renew their naming rights. The stadium went back to its original name, Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. Then, in 2011, Overstock.com bought the naming rights, and it became Overstock.com Coliseum, and later O.co Coliseum.

Overstock.com ended their deal in 2016, and the stadium became the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum again. In 2017, the baseball field was named Rickey Henderson Field.

In 2019, RingCentral bought the naming rights, and it was called RingCentral Coliseum. However, this deal was later canceled. In 2020, a new deal with RingCentral was made. But on April 1, 2023, that sponsorship ended, and the stadium returned to its original name.

Stadium Design and Layout

The Coliseum has a unique design. The playing field is actually below ground level, even below sea level! This means when fans walk into the stadium, they are already at the top of the first level of seats.

How the Stadium Changes for Sports

The Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, meaning it can be set up for different sports.

For baseball, the Coliseum has a lot of "foul territory." This is the area between the field and the stands. Because of this, many balls that would be caught by fans in other stadiums are caught for outs here.

For football, the field used to be set up in two different ways. Sometimes it ran from home plate to center field. Other times, after baseball season ended, it ran from the left field line to the right field line. After a big renovation in 1996, the football field always ran north–south.

Seating Capacity for Sports

The number of seats available changed over the years for both baseball and football.

Teams Moving On

Over the years, the teams that called the Coliseum home looked for new stadiums.

The Athletics' Search for a New Home

The Oakland Athletics baseball team explored many ideas for a new ballpark. They looked at different locations in Oakland and nearby cities like Fremont and San Jose. However, these plans did not work out.

In 2014, the Athletics signed a ten-year lease to stay at the Coliseum. But they continued to search for a new stadium within Oakland. In 2018, they announced plans to build a new ballpark at the Howard Terminal site in Oakland. They also planned to buy the Coliseum site for new buildings and a park.

However, these plans faced challenges. In 2021, Major League Baseball suggested the A's look into moving to another city. The team then started looking at Las Vegas. In April 2023, the A's announced they would buy land in Las Vegas for a new stadium. The move to Las Vegas was officially approved by MLB in November 2023.

The Athletics played their final season in Oakland in 2024. They moved to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento for the 2025-2027 seasons. Their new permanent home in Las Vegas is expected to be ready after that.

The Raiders' Journey to Las Vegas

The Oakland Raiders football team also looked for a new stadium. They considered building a new stadium at the Coliseum site in 2013. They also explored moving to San Antonio, Texas, and even back to Los Angeles.

In 2016, Raiders owner Mark Davis met with people in Las Vegas about building a new stadium there. After getting support from Nevada and a bank, the Raiders applied to move to Las Vegas in 2017. Their move was approved in March 2017.

The Raiders continued to play at the Coliseum through the 2019 NFL season. They officially moved to Las Vegas in January 2020, becoming the Las Vegas Raiders.

New Teams for the Coliseum

In March 2024, the Oakland Roots SC and Oakland Soul SC soccer teams announced they would move into the Coliseum. They will play their 2025 and 2026 seasons there while their own soccer stadium is built. The field will still be known as Rickey Henderson Field.

Future Plans for the Coliseum Area

The Coliseum, along with the Oracle Arena and its parking lots, used to be owned by the City of Oakland and the Athletics. The Athletics bought their share in 2018.

Now, groups are working to buy the city's half of the site. They plan to redevelop the area with homes and businesses. In November 2021, the city council chose to move forward with a plan from the African American Sports and Entertainment Group. In May 2024, Oakland announced it would sell its share of the complex to this group.

Exciting Events at the Coliseum

Early Days and Big Wins

The Raiders played their first game at the Coliseum on September 18, 1966. The Athletics baseball team started playing there on April 17, 1968. The stadium cost $25.5 million to build.

On April 17, 1968, Boog Powell hit the first home run in the Coliseum's major league history. A month later, Catfish Hunter pitched a "perfect game" there. This is a very rare event in baseball where no opposing player reaches base.

The Coliseum hosted the AFL championship games in 1967 and 1969. The Athletics won their first of three straight World Series championships in 1972.

The "Black Hole" and Other Moments

From 1970 to 1972, the stadium hosted college football games for charity. In the late 1970s, the stadium was not always well-maintained. Sometimes, very few fans came to A's games, earning it the nickname "Oakland Mausoleum."

In 1980, the Oakland Raiders won Super Bowl XV. After the Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982, the A's were the only team left. The A's almost moved too, but city officials kept them in Oakland.

New scoreboards were installed after the 1986 baseball season. The 1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held at the stadium. From 1988 to 1990, the Coliseum hosted three more World Series. In 1989, the Athletics won the World Series, beating the San Francisco Giants in what was called the "Battle of the Bay" Series.

When the Raiders returned in 1995, the stadium was renovated. This included adding the "Mount Davis" upper deck. The Raiders' return also brought the "Black Hole," a famous group of fans who sat in one end zone during football games.

In 2006, the broadcast booth was named after Bill King, a legendary sportscaster. In 2010, Dallas Braden pitched the 19th perfect game in Major League history at the Coliseum.

In 2014, the Coliseum got new $10 million scoreboards. The A's also made improvements, like creating a new outdoor plaza called Championship Plaza and renovating the West Side Club into Shibe Park Tavern. In 2018, the A's held a free admission game to celebrate their 50th anniversary in Oakland.

The Raiders played their last scheduled game at the Coliseum on December 15, 2019.

Recent Events and Cricket

On September 6, 2020, the Coliseum hosted its warmest game ever, with temperatures reaching 94 degrees.

On June 13, 2023, Oakland A's fans organized a "Reverse Boycott." Many fans came to protest the team's ownership and their plans to move the team.

On June 28, 2023, Domingo Germán of the New York Yankees threw the 24th perfect game in Major League Baseball history at the Coliseum. This was the third perfect game in the stadium's history.

The Athletics played their final game at the Coliseum on September 26, 2024, winning against the Texas Rangers.

In March 2025, Major League Cricket announced that the Coliseum would host nine matches during its 2025 season. The field will be set up for cricket with 12,000 seats.

Concerts and Entertainment

Starting in 1973, the stadium hosted an annual "Day on the Green" concert series. Many famous musicians have performed at the Coliseum.

In January 1974, Marvin Gaye made his comeback performance at the stadium. Led Zeppelin played their last North American concerts there in 1977. Parliament-Funkadelic recorded a live album at the Coliseum in 1977.

The stadium hosted Amnesty International's Human Rights Now! concert in 1988, featuring Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel. Metallica and Guns N' Roses played there in 1992. U2 performed at the Coliseum in 1997 and again in 2011. Green Day played a homecoming concert in 2017.

The hip-hop music festival Rolling Loud was held at the Coliseum in 2018 and 2019. In October 2021, the Mexican band Los Bukis closed out their reunion tour there.

Coliseum in Movies

The Coliseum was used for scenes in the 1994 Disney movie Angels in the Outfield. It was also featured in the 2011 film Moneyball.

Images for kids

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  Gate at the Oakland Coliseum, September 10, 2017

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  Oakland Coliseum during a football game

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  The Coliseum as seen in its original open grandstand configuration before being enclosed

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  Oakland Coliseum concourse

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  Vantage point from upper deck

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  Dugouts used for baseball games

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  Scoreboard with view of Downtown Oakland

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  1996 addition of an upper deck largely goes unused and stays covered in tarp

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  Collapsable Raiders seats left abandoned

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  Rooted in Oakland campaign sign at the entrance

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  Iceplant located on the Coliseum perimeter

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  Final Bay Bridge Series

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  Footbridge to BART Coliseum Station

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  A's Stomping Ground inside Mt. Davis

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  Overhead view

See also

In Spanish: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum para niños