The Los Angeles Raiders were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). The Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before relocating back to Oakland, California , where the team played from its inaugural 1960 season to the 1981 season and then again from 1995 to 2019 .
122-791: The team's first home game in Los Angeles was at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the San Diego Chargers on November 22, 1982, after a 57-day player strike . They played their last game as a Los Angeles–based club on December 24, 1994, at the Coliseum against the Kansas City Chiefs , a game which they lost 19–9 to eliminate them from playoff contention. After both the Raiders and
244-660: A record unlikely to be seriously threatened anytime soon given the smaller seating capacities of today's baseball parks. In May 1959, an exhibition game between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees in honor of legendary catcher Roy Campanella drew 93,103, the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in the Western Hemisphere until a 2008 exhibition game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and
366-591: A 12–4 record. They beat the Bengals in the divisional round of the playoffs, but Bo Jackson had his left femur ripped from the socket after a tackle. Without him, the Raiders were crushed in the AFC Championship by the Buffalo Bills 51-3. Jackson was forced to quit football as a result, although surgery allowed him to continue playing baseball until he retired in 1994. The team's fortunes faded after
488-544: A 38–9 victory and their third NFL championship. 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
610-413: A Denver uniform during Shanahan's tenure. In 1999, with the assistance of writer Adam Schefter , Shanahan penned Think Like a Champion , a motivational book about leadership; it was published by HarperCollins . In 2006, he cooperated with Stefan Fatsis 's endeavor to spend a year as a Broncos place-kicker, and much of the resulting book A Few Seconds of Panic (2008) covers Shanahan's coaching from
732-504: A coaching change would not be considered until the end of the season. On November 18, 2009, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Buffalo Bills had contacted Shanahan about their head coaching vacancy after the team parted ways with former coach Dick Jauron . On January 5, 2010, Shanahan was formally introduced as the Redskins' 24th full-time head coach. As part of the deal, he was also named vice president of football operations, with
854-774: A coaching position since his dismissal from the Washington Redskins in 2013. In 2015, he was interviewed by the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears for their vacant head coaching spots, as well as the Oakland Raiders , whom he previously coached from 1988 to 1989, when the club was based in Los Angeles. Shanahan was also interviewed for the vacant head coaching spot by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015, whom Shanahan previously served as their offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 1992 to 1994 and
976-542: A critical editorial "Every Sixth Hit a Homer!" Players also complained, with Milwaukee Braves ace Warren Spahn calling for a rule that would require any home run to travel at least 300 feet (91 m) before it could be considered a home run. Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick ordered the Dodgers to erect a 42 feet (12.8 m) screen in left field to prevent pop flies from becoming home runs. Its cables, towers, wires, and girders were in play. The "short porch" in left field looked extremely attractive to batters. In
1098-619: A deal to secure land in Carson which was transferred to a joint powers authority in Carson after the 157-acre site was purchased by Carson Holdings, a company set up by the two teams. The league was skeptical of the site due to a poorly drawn structure to apply for local bonds to fund the construction; and preferred the Rams' stadium plan on a site at Hollywood Park in Inglewood (which was privately financed), another proposed stadium site rejected by
1220-550: A few inches as Davis was able to dodge it just in time; afterwards Davis responded with an obscene gesture. Shanahan's success with the 49ers earned him a head coaching spot once more, this time back in Denver with the Broncos beginning in 1995. He led the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl championships in the 1997 and 1998 seasons, during which time the Broncos set a then-record for victories in two seasons. Between 1996 and 1998,
1342-418: A football gridiron, but the playing surface was just barely large enough to accommodate a baseball diamond. As a result, foul territory was almost nonexistent down the first base line, but was expansive down the third base line, with a very large backstop for the catcher. Sight lines also left much to be desired; some seats were as far as 710 feet (216 m) from the plate. Also, from baseball's point of view,
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#17327720530181464-501: A full list of 1932 and 1984 Olympic gold medalists (the complete roster of honorees can be seen below). For many years, the Coliseum was capable of seating over 100,000 spectators. In 1964, the stadium underwent its first major renovation in over three decades. Most of the original pale green wood-and-metal bench seating was replaced by individual theater-type chairs of dark red, beige and yellow; these seats remained until 2018, although
1586-446: A heated argument with assistant coach Art Shell (a Davis loyalist) in which Nicolau reportedly accused Shell of having a job only by virtue of his friendship with Davis. When Shell went to Davis later to ask if this was true, Davis' response was to immediately fire Nicolau. Shanahan responded by firing running backs coach Joe Scannella and offensive coordinator Tom Walsh (both Davis hires), but Davis ordered them both back to work. At
1708-409: A home run. However, the umpires ruled it a ground-rule double. The fans shook the screen, causing the ball to fall into the seats. The umpires changed the call to a homer, only to rule it a ground-rule double while Adcock was left stranded on second. The game was tied at the end of nine innings, and the Dodgers won in the tenth inning. At the end of the regular season, the Dodgers and Braves finished in
1830-761: 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
1952-470: A memorial to Los Angeles veterans of World War I . Completed in 1923, it will become the first stadium to have hosted the Summer Olympics three times when it hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics , previously hosting in 1932 and 1984 . It was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 27, 1984, a day before the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics . The stadium serves as the home of
2074-615: 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
2196-526: A piercingly hard hit on the practice field ruptured one of his kidneys , which caused his heart to stop for thirty seconds and nearly killed him. A priest was summoned to administer the last rites to Shanahan, a devout Roman Catholic . In 1975 and 1976, Shanahan was a graduate assistant on Barry Switzer 's staff at the University of Oklahoma . In 1977, he became the offensive backfield coach at Northern Arizona University . NAU went 9–2 and played in
2318-400: A reduction in capacity of about 16,000 seats, with the final total at approximately 78,500 seats. The plans were met with mixed reactions from the public. The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic bid committee contemplated additional renovations to support its bid. On January 8, 2018, USC began the project to renovate and improve the Coliseum. The project, which was solely funded by the university,
2440-417: A scoreboard and video screen that towered over the peristyle dating back to 1983; they replaced a smaller scoreboard above the center arch installed in 1972, which in turn supplanted the 1937 model, one of the first all-electric scoreboards in the nation. Over the years new light towers have been placed along the north and south rims. The large analog clock and thermometer over the office windows at either end of
2562-592: A second jury ruled in favor of Davis and the Los Angeles Coliseum, clearing the way for the move. The Raiders finally relocated to Los Angeles for the 1982 season , playing their home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum. 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 playoffs before losing to
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#17327720530182684-434: A significantly more extensive master lease agreement that transferred to USC the responsibility for the long-term management and operation of both the Coliseum and the adjacent BMO Stadium property and the capital renewal of the Coliseum. The 98-year agreement required the university to make approximately $ 100 million in initial physical repairs to the Coliseum. Additionally, it requires USC pay $ 1.3 million each year in rent to
2806-535: A strong amount of Raider fans in Southern California still remain despite professional football having vacated the region for 20 seasons. Despite any cancelled plans of a return to Southern California, numerous Raiders fans are typically present during their annual matchup against the Chargers as well as games against the Rams at SoFi Stadium , Southern Californian fans are also regularly known to make
2928-467: A tear of his LCL and a damaged ACL to his previously injured knee. Shanahan came under criticism for his handling of the injury, both in bringing Griffin back to play after the initial injury on December 9 and keeping him in the game against the Seahawks after reinjuring the knee. While there were reports in December 2012 that the Redskins were considering negotiating a contract extension with Shanahan in
3050-468: A tie. The Dodgers won the ensuing playoff and went on to win the World Series. Although less than ideal for baseball due to its poor sight lines and short dimensions (left field at 251 feet (77 m) and power alleys at 320 feet (98 m)), the Coliseum was ideally suited for large paying crowds. Each of the three games of the 1959 World Series drew over 92,000 fans, with game five drawing 92,706,
3172-463: Is similar to how Belichick and Scott Pioli worked during their eight years in New England. Shanahan's son, Kyle Shanahan , became the offensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins on January 20, 2010. Shanahan had a combined 11–21 record in his first two seasons as Redskins coach, followed by a 3–6 start to the 2012 season, but ended the year with a seven-game winning streak on the way to
3294-654: The 1959 World Series . It was the site of the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (later called Super Bowl I ) and Super Bowl VII. Additionally, it has served as a home field for a number of other teams, including the 1960 inaugural season for the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL from 1982 to 1994 , and UCLA Bruins football . From 1959 to 2016, the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
3416-498: The 1989 season with a 1–3 record, Shanahan was fired by Davis, which began a long-standing feud between the two. He was replaced by former Raider offensive lineman Art Shell , who had been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier in the year. With the hiring, Shell became the first African American head coach in the modern NFL era, but the team still finished a middling 8–8. In 1990 , Shell led Los Angeles to
3538-533: The AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs at Invesco Field at Mile High . The victory, however, would be Shanahan's last playoff win as a head coach. Shanahan was fired after the 2008 NFL season following a collapse that caused the Broncos to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year. Although the Broncos held an 8–5 record by Week 14 and would have won the AFC West with one more victory,
3660-636: The American Football League (AFL)'s Los Angeles Chargers played at the Coliseum before relocating to San Diego the next year; the team moved back to the L.A. area in 2017 . The United States men's national soccer team played its first match at the stadium in 1965, losing to Mexico in a 1966 World Cup qualifier. Also, the Los Angeles Wolves of the United Soccer Association played their home games at
3782-545: The Boston Red Sox to mark the 50th anniversary of MLB in Los Angeles. The Coliseum also hosted the second 1959 MLB All-Star Game . The Coliseum was also the site of John F. Kennedy 's memorable acceptance speech at the 1960 Democratic National Convention . It was during that speech that Kennedy first used the term "the New Frontier ". The Rams hosted the 1949 , 1951 and 1955 NFL championship games at
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3904-600: The Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League relocated to the West Coast in 1958. The Dodgers played here until Dodger Stadium was completed in time for the 1962 season . Even allowing for its temporary status, the Coliseum was extremely ill-suited for baseball due to the fundamentally different sizes and shapes of football and baseball fields. A baseball field requires roughly 2.5 times more area than
4026-588: The Los Angeles Rams and a division rival, the Los Angeles Chargers . On February 19, 2015, the Raiders and the Chargers announced that they would build a privately financed $ 1.78 billion stadium in Carson, California if they were to move to the Los Angeles market. Both teams stated that they would continue to attempt to get stadiums built in their respective cities. On April 22, 2015,
4148-597: The NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs. He left after one season to return to his alma mater as offensive coordinator . He helped Eastern Illinois win the Division II football championship. Shanahan then worked as the offensive coordinator for the University of Minnesota for a single season, before accepting the same position at the University of Florida under head coach Charley Pell in 1980. Shanahan stayed with
4270-703: The New York Jets in the second round. The following season, the team compiled a 12–4 record and a first-place finish in the AFC West . in the playoffs , they convincingly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Playoffs and Seattle Seahawks in the AFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl XVIII against the Washington Commanders . The Raiders built a 21–3 halftime lead over Washington en route to
4392-533: The North American Soccer League used the Coliseum as their home ground in 1977 and 1981. The Coliseum was also home to the USFL 's Los Angeles Express between 1983 and 1985. In this capacity, the stadium also is the site of the longest professional American football game in history: on June 30, 1984 (a few weeks before the start of the 1984 Summer Olympics), a triple-overtime game between
4514-579: The Rams left Los Angeles after the 1994 season , Los Angeles was left without an NFL team until the 2016 season. Prior to the 1980 season, Raiders owner Al Davis attempted unsuccessfully to have improvements made to the Oakland Coliseum , specifically the addition of luxury boxes . On March 1, 1980, 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,
4636-673: The Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 1982 . In 1932, the Coliseum hosted the Summer Olympic Games , the first of two Olympic Games hosted at the stadium. The Coliseum served as the site of the field hockey , gymnastics , the show jumping part of the equestrian event, and track and field events, along with the opening and closing ceremonies. The 1932 games marked the introduction of the Olympic Village , as well as
4758-584: The Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Coliseum was also the site of the 1982 Speedway World Final , held for the first and only time in the United States. The event saw Newport Beach native Bruce Penhall retain the title he had won in front of 92,500 fans at London's Wembley Stadium in 1981 . An estimated 40,000 fans were at the Coliseum to see Penhall retain his title before announcing his retirement from motorcycle speedway to take up an acting role on
4880-539: The San Francisco 49ers under head coach George Seifert , capping his rise with a victory in Super Bowl XXIX after the 1994 season. His years under Seifert placed him in the Bill Walsh coaching tree . In 1994 while coaching for the 49ers, Shanahan added to the ongoing feud between him and Raiders owner Al Davis when he had then quarterback Elvis Grbac throw a football at Davis' head, which missed by
5002-399: The University of Minnesota , with the game being televised on ABC . After USC took over the Coliseum master lease in 2013, they began making plans for major renovations needed and as stipulated in the master lease agreement. On October 29, 2015, USC unveiled an estimated $ 270 million project for a massive renovation and restoration the Coliseum. The upgrades included: replacing all seats in
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5124-857: The University of Southern California Trojans football team of the Big Ten Conference , and is located directly adjacent to the school's main University Park campus. The Coliseum is jointly owned by the State of California's Sixth District Agricultural Association, Los Angeles County , and the city of Los Angeles. It is managed and operated by the Auxiliary Services Department of the University of Southern California (USC). USC granted naming rights to United Airlines in January 2018. After concerns were raised by
5246-489: The gangsta rap group N.W.A. , wearing Raiders gear. Chuck D wears Raiders colours on the cover of Public Enemy 's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back , despite being a New York Jets fan. "Everyone liked the Raiders," he explained, "because they wore black and silver." This period – chronicled by the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Straight Outta L.A. – is considered the beginnings of Raider Nation . Today,
5368-533: The "new/old" style, and all new ballparks since then have been allowed to set their own distances. Late that season, the screen figured in the National League pennant race. When the Braves were playing the Dodgers at the Coliseum on September 15, 1959, Joe Adcock hit a ball that cleared the screen but hit a steel girder behind it and got stuck in the mesh. According to ground rules, this should have been
5490-524: The $ 10 million from the city's bid, but later declined any future proposals for the site. On June 23, 1995, Davis signed a letter of intent to move the Raiders back to Oakland. The move was approved by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors the next month, as well as by the NFL. The move was greeted with much fanfare, and under new head coach Mike White . Hollywood Park would later become the site of an NFL Stadium for their former rivals,
5612-440: The 1984 games, burnable Olympic Rings and a 25-step hydraulic staircase were added inside in the front of the coliseum to allow the cauldron to be lit by lifting up the stairs to the burnable Olympic Rings, which brought the flame to the cauldron on top. The football field runs east to west with the press box on the south side of the stadium. The current jumbotrons to each side of the peristyle were installed in 2017, and replaced
5734-401: The 2013 offseason, this did not happen and there were later reports that Shanahan had considered resigning after the end of the year. Griffin underwent reconstructive surgery of his knee on January 9 and returned as the starter for the beginning of the 2013 season, though Shanahan held him out of the preseason to protect him from further injury. The team continued to struggle in 2013. With
5856-605: The 3-hour drive in support of the team's home games in Las Vegas. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Former The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum ) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California , United States. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as
5978-421: The Broncos set the NFL record for victories by going 46–10 over a three-year span. The 1998 Broncos won their first 13 games on their way to a 14–2 mark. Shanahan, taking his cue from West Coast offense guru Bill Walsh, was well known for scripting the first 15 offensive plays of the game, and helped the 1998 Broncos set an NFL record for first quarter points scored in a season. In 2005, he passed Dan Reeves as
6100-485: The Carson City Council bypassed the option to put the stadium to public vote and approved the plan 3–0. The council voted without having clarified several issues, including who would finance the stadium, how the required three-way land swap would be performed, and how it would raise enough revenue if only one team moved in as tenant. On May 19, 2015, the Chargers and Raiders announced that they had finalized
6222-533: The Carson site, with Jerry Jones even making a wise crack about Bob Iger. The committee set up by the league initially recommended the Carson Site, but the Chargers and Raiders were unable to secure the votes they needed to move. After hours of debate, the NFL owners voted to allow the St. Louis Rams to move back to Los Angeles after a two decade long absence on January 12, 2016, with the San Diego Chargers having
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#17327720530186344-719: The Coliseum Commission, which has public oversight of USC's management and operation of the Coliseum, the airline agreed to become the title sponsor of the playing field, naming it United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . The Coliseum was the home of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1979 , when they moved to Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim , and again from 2016 to 2019 , prior to
6466-618: The Coliseum for a year (1967) before moving to the Rose Bowl. In June 1970, the first Senior Olympics (known as the Senior Sports International Meet) took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In July 1972, the Coliseum hosted the "Super Bowl" of Motocross . The event was the first motocross race held inside a stadium. It evolved into the AMA Supercross championship held in stadiums across
6588-467: The Coliseum was undoubtedly inspired by the earlier Yale Bowl which was built in 1914. The now-signature Olympic torch was added, and the stadium was briefly known as Olympic Stadium . The Olympic cauldron torch which burned through both Games remains above the peristyle at the east end of the stadium as a reminder of this, as do the Olympic rings symbols over one of the main entrances. Originally for
6710-462: The Coliseum's large size, Rams (and later Raiders) games were often blacked out in Southern California , even in the teams' best years. From 1964 to the late 1970s, it was common practice to shift the playing field to the closed end of the stadium and install end zone bleachers in front of the peristyle, limiting further the number of seats available for sale. For USC– UCLA and USC– Notre Dame games, which often attracted crowds upward of 90,000,
6832-444: The Coliseum, jumping the cars in the center of the field, and stopping high atop the other end. The jump was broadcast on ABC 's Wide World of Sports . Also in 1973, the Coliseum was host to Super Bowl VII, which saw the AFC champion Miami Dolphins defeat the NFC champion Washington Redskins 14–7, becoming the only team in NFL history to attain an undefeated season and postseason. The Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group hosted
6954-404: The Coliseum. The Coliseum was also the site of the first NFL–AFL Championship Game in 1967, an event since renamed the Super Bowl . It also hosted Super Bowl VII in 1973, but future Super Bowls in the Los Angeles region would instead be hosted at the Rose Bowl, which has never had an NFL tenant. The Coliseum was also the site of the NFL Pro Bowl from 1951 to 1972 , and again in 1979 . In 1960 ,
7076-481: The Express and the Michigan Panthers that was decided on a 24-yard game-winning touchdown by Mel Gray of the Express, three and a half minutes into the third overtime, to give Los Angeles a 27–21 win. Until 2012, this game marked the only time in the history of professional football that there was more than one kickoff in overtime play in the same game. In 1982 , the former Oakland Raiders moved in. The same year, UCLA decided to move out, relocating its home games to
7198-432: The Gators through 1983. Shanahan first served as a receivers coach and later offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos under Dan Reeves from 1984 to 1987. This firmly places Mike Shanahan on the Tom Landry tree of coaching, as Dan Reeves was one of Landry's greatest disciples. It was his skill as an offensive mind that garnered Shanahan the attention of maverick Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis . After Shanahan and
7320-432: The NFL or NCAA: Two of Shanahan's former players became head coaches in the NFL or NCAA: Five of Shanahan's executives/former players became general managers in the NFL: Shanahan is a Catholic. He and his wife, Peggy, have two children — a son, Kyle , the current San Francisco 49ers ' head coach, and a daughter, Krystal. Shanahan is also a brother in the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. In May 2008, Shanahan attended
7442-440: The Raiders get at least one game in Los Angeles each season playing the Los Angeles Chargers . The Raiders’ time in Los Angeles had a large cultural impact on both the Raiders brand and Los Angeles. During this time, there was an explosion of popularity in both the team and the Raiders brand, as L.A. is America's second-largest media market. The team's early success was coupled with brand exposure by Hollywood celebrities, notably
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#17327720530187564-436: The Raiders in 1987, plans continuously failed to materialize as the team looked to convert land formerly operated by a quarry as a candidate for a stadium site. City officials in Irwindale offered Davis a $ 10 million deposit as an incentive to consider the site. Despite a further $ 10 million being invested by the city into environmental surveys, legal fees, and approvals for usage of the land. For conflicted reasons, Davis accepted
7686-459: The Raiders in 1995. In response, Jerry Richardson , then owner of the Carolina Panthers , who supported the plan, convinced Chargers owner Dean Spanos to recruit Bob Iger , the then CEO of The Walt Disney Company . Iger was appointed non-executive chairman of the Carson stadium project. On January 4, 2016, the Raiders filed for relocation alongside the Chargers and Rams. Despite the sales pitch from Bob Iger, many owners held reservations about
7808-439: The Raiders parted ways four games into the 1989 season, Shanahan returned to the Broncos as quarterbacks coach on October 16, 1989. He was fired a couple years later by Reeves after finding himself in the middle of a growing feud between Reeves and quarterback John Elway . Shanahan was hired by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1988 to replace longtime Raiders coach Tom Flores . He was the Raiders' first head coach hired from outside
7930-436: 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 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
8052-416: The Raiders were put on hold indefinitely. The Raiders then redirected their efforts toward a proposed stadium at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood before electing to move back to the Oakland Coliseum prior to the 1995 NFL season . In 2000, Bentley Management Group (BMG) was hired as the project manager to complete work at the Coliseum and Sports Arena funded by FEMA. In addition to seismically bracing
8174-519: The Sports Arena while it remained open for events, BMG also coordinated the Coliseum's new press box elevator, various concession stands, restroom improvements, and concrete spalling repairs. In August 2011, construction began on the Coliseum's west end on a new 6,000-square-foot (560 m ) HD video scoreboard, accompanying the existing video scoreboard on the peristyle (east end) of the stadium. The video scoreboard officially went into operation on September 3, 2011, at USC football's home opener versus
8296-412: The State of California for the state-owned land the property occupies in Exposition Park; maintain the Coliseum's physical condition at the same standard used on the USC Campus; and assume all financial obligations for the operations and maintenance of the Coliseum and BMO Stadium Complex. The Coliseum is primarily the home of the USC Trojans football team. Most of USC's regular home games, especially
8418-468: The United States and Canada. The Coliseum last hosted the event in 1998. On August 20, 1972, Wattstax , also known as "Black-Woodstock", took place in the Coliseum. Over 100,000 black residents of Los Angeles attended this concert for African-American pride. Later in 1973, a documentary was released about the concert. In 1973, Evel Knievel used the entire distance of the stadium to jump 50 stacked cars. Knievel launched his motorcycle from atop one end of
8540-413: The addition of luxury boxes and club suites. The $ 315 million project, funded solely by the university and managed by architectural firm DLR Group , was the first major upgrade of the stadium in twenty years. The improvements and added amenities resulted in a reduced stadium capacity from 92,348 to 77,500. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, which consists of six voting members appointed by
8662-514: The alternating games with rivals UCLA and Notre Dame , attract a capacity crowd. The current official capacity of the Coliseum is 77,500, with 42 suites, 1,100 club seats, 24 loge boxes, and a 500-person rooftop terrace. USC's women lacrosse and soccer teams use the Coliseum for selected games, usually involving major opponents and televised games. USC also rents the Coliseum to various events, including international soccer games, musical concerts and other large outdoor events. In May 2021, due to
8784-444: The bleachers were moved eastward and the field was re-marked in its original position. When a larger east grandstand was installed between 1977 and 1978, at the behest of Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom , the capacity was just 71,500. With the upcoming 1984 Summer Olympic Games, a new track was installed and the playing field permanently placed inside it. However, the combination of the stadium's large, relatively shallow design, along with
8906-416: The end of the season, Shanahan fired defensive assistants Willie Brown and Charlie Sumner . An enraged Davis re-hired Brown to a different position in the organization. When the Raiders began 1–3 in 1989, Shanahan himself was fired and replaced by Shell. Shanahan's final Raiders record was 8–12 in less than two seasons, going 2–7 after a 6–5 start. In 1992, Shanahan was hired as offensive coordinator for
9028-575: The expansion Los Angeles Angels joined the American League in 1961, Frick rejected their original request to use the Coliseum as a temporary facility. This rule was revoked (or perhaps, simply ignored) when the Baltimore Orioles launched the "retro ballpark" era in 1992, with the opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards . With a right field corner of only 318 feet (97 m), this fell short. However, baseball fans heartily welcomed
9150-420: The final say on football matters. He was one of several coaches who also had the title or powers of general manager, along with New England 's Bill Belichick and others. Shanahan was signed to a five-year, $ 35 million contract. Several months earlier, Bruce Allen was named the team's general manager. Shanahan and Allen split the duties held by a general manager, with Shanahan having the final say. This model
9272-470: The final three games of the regular season, Shanahan decided to make Griffin inactive for the rest of the season because Shanahan thought it was best for both Griffin's and the Redskins' future. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder fired Shanahan on December 30, 2013. The team finished 3–13 in the 2013 season, and was in last place in the NFC East division three of Shanahan's four seasons. Shanahan has not held
9394-588: The first Super Bowl championships in team history, they were the seventh team to win consecutive Super Bowls in NFL history. His head coaching career spanned a total of twenty seasons and also included stints with the Los Angeles Raiders and Washington Redskins . He is the father of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan . Shanahan played high school football at East Leyden High School , Franklin Park, Illinois , where he played wishbone quarterback for coach Jack Leese's 1968 and 1969 Eagles teams. Shanahan held
9516-511: The first of a multi-stage renovation designed by HNTB that would have turned the Coliseum into a split-bowl stadium with two levels of mezzanine suites (the peristyle end would have been left as is). However, after the 1994 Northridge earthquake , the $ 93 million was required from government agencies (including the Federal Emergency Management Agency ) to repair earthquake damage, and the renovations demanded by
9638-536: The first stadium short course off-road race at the Coliseum in 1979. The event was last held in 1992. The Los Angeles Rams played their home games in the Coliseum until 1979, when they moved to Anaheim prior to the 1980 NFL season . They hosted the NFC Championship Game in 1975 and 1978, in which they lost both times to the Dallas Cowboys by lopsided margins. The Los Angeles Aztecs of
9760-554: The first week of play during the 1959 season , the media's worst preseason fears seemed to be realized when 24 home runs were hit in the Coliseum, three of them by Chicago Cubs outfielder Lee Walls , not especially distinguished as a hitter. However, pitchers soon adapted, throwing outside to right-handed hitters, requiring them to pull the bat hard if they wanted to hit toward left. Perhaps no player took better advantage than Dodgers outfielder Wally Moon , who figured out how to hit high fly balls that dropped almost vertically just behind
9882-439: The first, it would have been a ground-rule double. However, the Dodgers discovered that the earthquake safety provisions of the Los Angeles building code forbade construction of a second screen. Unable to compel the Dodgers to fix the situation, the major leagues passed a note to Rule 1.04 stating that any stadium constructed after June 1, 1958, must provide a minimum distance of 325 feet (99 m) down each foul line. Also, when
10004-526: The franchise merged with its NFL cousins just before the two leagues merged. The Coliseum hosted the NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1934 , 1939 , 1949 , and 1955 . It also hosted several Coliseum Relays and several Compton-Coliseum Invitational (track and field) events from the 1940s until the 1970s. Among other sporting events held at the Coliseum over the years were Major League Baseball (MLB) games, which were held when
10126-546: The home of the UCLA Bruins football team, opened in 1997, and been guaranteed at least two Super Bowls . Al Davis balked and refused the deal over a stipulation that he would have had to accept a second NFL team at the stadium as soon as 1998. The team had also reconsidered the site adjacent to Interstate 210 's junction with Interstate 605 in Irwindale, California , 18 miles east of Los Angeles. Originally sought by
10248-480: The improvised park as "O'Malley's Chinese Theatre" or "The House that Charlie Chan Built", drawing protests from the Chinese American community in the Los Angeles area. They also expressed concern that cherished home run records, especially Babe Ruth 's 1927 seasonal mark of 60, might easily fall as a result of 250-foot (76 m) pop flies going over the left-field fence. Sports Illustrated titled
10370-550: The inaugural game at the Coliseum, with the Trojans prevailing 23–7. Situated just across the street from Exposition Park, USC agreed to play all its home games at the Coliseum, a circumstance that contributed to the decision to build the arena. From 1928 to 1981 , the UCLA Bruins also played home games at the Coliseum. When USC and UCLA played each other , the "home" team (USC in odd-numbered years, UCLA in even), occupied
10492-415: The locker rooms were huge as they were designed for football (not baseball) teams. In order to shoehorn even an approximation of a baseball field onto the playing surface, the left-field fence was set at only 251 feet (77 m) from the plate. This seemed likely to ensure that there would be many " Chinese home runs ", as such short shots were called at the time. Sportswriters began jokingly referring to
10614-424: The loss. They made two other playoff appearances during the 1990s, and finished higher than third place only three times. In 1991, they got into the postseason as a wild card after a 9–7 regular season, but fell to Kansas City. 1992 saw them drop to 7–9. This period was marked by the injury of Jackson in 1991, the failure of troubled quarterback Todd Marinovich , the acrimonious departure of Marcus Allen in 1993, and
10736-465: The name of the stadium by the condition of the Coliseum Commission's requirement in its master lease agreement with USC. However, veterans groups and the new president of the Coliseum Commission raised concern about the new name, while United did not approve of any change from the stadium and stated that they were willing to step away from the deal. On March 29, 2019, USC suggested the name United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum instead of
10858-484: The north sideline and bench, and its band and rooters sat on the north side of the stadium; the "visiting" team and its contingent took to the south (press box) side of the stadium. Excepting the mid-1950s and 1983–2007, the two teams have worn their home jerseys for the rivalry games for the Victory Bell . This tradition was renewed in 2008 , even though the two schools now play at different stadiums. UCLA moved to
10980-476: The option to join them within a year. It was still possible, however, for the Raiders to move as they could have moved into the Rams' new stadium in Inglewood with the Rams if the Chargers opted to stay in San Diego. On January 12, 2017, the Chargers opted to join the Rams in Los Angeles, thereby closing the door on the return of the Raiders to the city. Although with an AFC West rival playing in Los Angeles,
11102-401: The organization since Davis himself 23 years earlier. Shanahan (who proved very unpopular with the players) and the micromanaging Davis clashed almost immediately, and this was only exacerbated after the Raiders finished a disappointing 7–9, losing four of their last five games. Tensions increased towards the end of the season when wide receivers coach and Shanahan loyalist Nick Nicolau got into
11224-465: The original bowl's initial construction costs were $ 954,873. When the Coliseum opened in 1923, it was the largest stadium in Los Angeles, with a capacity of 75,144. In 1930, however, with the Olympics due in two years, the stadium was extended upward to seventy-nine rows of seats with two tiers of tunnels, expanding the seating capacity to 101,574. The physical structure of a bowl-shaped configuration for
11346-417: The peristyle were installed in 1955. In the mid- and late 1950s, the press box was renovated, and the "Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum" lettering and Olympic rings, lighted at night, were added to the eastern face of the peristyle tower. Between the double peristyle arches at the east end is the Coliseum's "Court of Honor" plaques, recognizing many of the memorable events and participants in its history, including
11468-455: The planned United Airlines Memorial Coliseum. Although United also did not support this and considered withdrawal, the two parties agreed to the name on June 7. During Los Angeles Rams home games for the 2019 season , the stadium reverted to its original name, and all signage indicating "United Airlines Field" was covered due to the franchise's sponsoring partnership with American Airlines . On October 6, 1923 , Pomona and USC played in
11590-414: The player's point of view. After Elway's retirement and Davis' career-ending injuries, Shanahan went six years without a playoff win (including three seasons when the Broncos failed to qualify for the postseason), a drought which caused criticism from fans. The playoff drought ended during the 2005–06 postseason when the Broncos defeated the two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in
11712-520: The presence of the track between the playing field and the stands, meant that some of the original end zone seats were as far from the field by the equivalent length of another football field. To address these and other problems, the Coliseum underwent a $ 15 million renovation before the 1993 football season, which included the following: Additionally, for Raiders home games, tarpaulins were placed over seldom-sold sections, reducing seating capacity to approximately 65,000. The changes were anticipated to be
11834-428: The previous year of local COVID-19 restrictions, USC held commencement ceremonies in the Coliseum for graduating students from the classes of 2020 and 2021. Ceremonies were held in the Coliseum twice a day for a week, with over 36,000 diplomas (including undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates) were awarded. It was the first time in 70 years that USC had held its commencement in the stadium. In September 2024
11956-400: The retirement of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long after the 1993 season, where the Raiders went 10–6 and lost to Buffalo in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Todd Marinovich fiasco overshadowed the Raiders' 1991 and 1992 efforts. Marinovich was groomed from childhood to play football; his strict upbringing led to him being called "Robo QB" in the sports press. He attended USC and
12078-497: The rival Kansas City Chiefs. Shell was fired after posting a 9–7 record in the 1994 season . In May 1995 after the departure of the Rams' for St. Louis , the owners of the National Football League teams approved with a 27–1 vote with two abstentions, a resolution supporting a plan to build a $ 200 million, privately financed stadium on property owned by Hollywood Park in Inglewood for the Raiders. The stadium would have also been
12200-399: The screen. By the end of the season, he had hit 19 homers, all but five of them in the Coliseum. In recognition, such homers were dubbed " Moon Shots ". Nonetheless, the number of home runs alarmed Frick enough that he ordered the Dodgers to build a second screen in the stands, 333 ft (101 m) from the plate. A ball would have had to clear both screens to be a home run; if it cleared
12322-402: The single-game rushing record of 260 yards on 15 carries (which was set in a 32–8 win over Hinsdale South on September 20, 1969) until it was broken in 1976 by Dennis Cascio but is now held by Angel Maldonado with 312 yards on 25 carries in 2009. He graduated from high school in 1970. He was a quarterback at Eastern Illinois University , where he joined Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity . In 1972,
12444-574: The stadium, construction of a larger and modern press box (with new box suites, premium lounges, a viewing deck, a V.I.P. section, and the introduction of LED ribbon boards), adding new aisles and widening some seats, a new sound system , restoration and renaming of the peristyle to the Julia and George Argyros Plaza, stadium wide Wi-Fi , two new HD video jumbotrons , new concession stands , upgraded entry concourses, new interior and exterior lighting, modernization of plumbing and electrical systems, and
12566-404: The team lost their remaining three games and the 8–8 San Diego Chargers won the division on a tiebreaker. In the early part of the 2009 season, it was reported that the Washington Redskins were interested in naming Shanahan their head coach, replacing Jim Zorn . Although this was reported by several media outlets, the Redskins' vice president of football operations, Vinny Cerrato , stated that
12688-633: 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. After starting
12810-575: The team's first NFC East title and home playoff game since the 1999 season. During this season Shanahan also continued his trend of developing unheralded draft picks into 1000-yard rushers, with the 6th-rounder Alfred Morris . The Redskins lost in the Wild Card round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs to the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 24–14, during which his quarterback Robert Griffin III sustained
12932-538: The team's move to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood . The facility had a permanent seating capacity of 93,607 for USC football and Rams games, making it the largest football stadium in the Pac-12 Conference and the NFL. The stadium also was the temporary home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1958 to 1961 , and was the host venue for games three, four, and five of
13054-615: The team." By the late 1980s, injuries began to reduce Allen's role in the offense. This role was reduced further in 1987, when the Raiders drafted Bo Jackson—even though he originally decided to not play professional football in 1986 (when drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round). By 1990, Allen had dropped to fourth on the team's depth chart, leading to resentment on the part of his teammates. In late 1992 Allen lashed out publicly at Davis, and accused him of trying to ruin his career. In 1993, Allen left to play for
13176-592: The television series CHiPs . Mike Shanahan Michael Edward Shanahan (born August 24, 1952) is an American football coach, best known as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2008. During his fourteen seasons with the Broncos, he led the team to two consecutive Super Bowl victories in XXXII and XXXIII ; along with being
13298-504: The three ownership interests and meets on a monthly basis, provides public oversight of the master lease agreement with USC. Under the lease, the university has year-round day-to-day management and operation responsibility for both the Coliseum and BMO Stadium properties. USC's Vice President of Auxiliary Services is the Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and Coliseum employees are employees of
13420-609: The university announced that its main commencement ceremony was regularly attracting more than 60,000 guests and had outgrown all venues on campus, and beginning with the May 2025 ceremony it would be moving to the Coliseum. The Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a memorial to L.A. veterans of World War I (rededicated to all United States veterans of the war in 1968). The groundbreaking ceremony took place on December 21, 1921, with construction being completed in just over 16 months, on May 1, 1923. Designed by John and Donald Parkinson ,
13542-442: The university. Until 2013, USC had a series of mostly one and two year agreements with the Coliseum Commission – which up to that time had been directly operating the stadium. Those agreements were limited to the university only renting the stadium for USC home football games. On July 29, 2013, after the previously governing Coliseum Commission failed to deliver promised renovations, the Coliseum Commission and USC implemented
13664-490: The victory podium. The former Cleveland Rams of the National Football League relocated to the Coliseum in 1946 , becoming the Los Angeles Rams; however, the team later relocated again, first to Anaheim in 1980 , then to St.Louis in 1995 , only to move back to Los Angeles in 2016 . The Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference played in the Coliseum from 1946 to 1949, when
13786-539: The wedding of George W. Bush 's daughter Jenna Bush , who was the former college roommate of Shanahan's daughter. In July 2016, Shanahan hosted a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump . In October 2016, Shanahan spoke on Trump's behalf at a campaign rally in Loveland, Colorado . In October 2021, Shanahan sold his mansion in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado (near Denver) for
13908-508: The winningest coach in franchise history. Shanahan is known for an offense featuring zone running plays and play-action passes . He has often found unheralded running backs from later rounds of the annual NFL Draft and then turned them into league-leading rushers behind small-but-powerful offensive lines. Examples of this phenomenon are Terrell Davis , Mike Anderson , Olandis Gary , Clinton Portis , Reuben Droughns and Tatum Bell , all of whom have had at least one 1,000-yard season in
14030-512: The yellow color was eliminated in the 1970s. The seating capacity was reduced to approximately 93,000. The Coliseum was problematic as an NFL venue. At various times in its history, it was either the largest or one of the largest stadiums in the league. While this allowed the Rams and Raiders to set attendance records, it also made it extremely difficult to sell out. The NFL amended its blackout rule to allow games to be televised locally if they were sold out 72 hours before kickoff. However, due to
14152-458: 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 team returned. After a weak 5–10 finish, head coach Tom Flores moved to the front office and
14274-402: Was completed by the 2019 football season, and was the first major upgrade of the stadium in 20 years. The project budget increased from the initial estimate of $ 270 million to $ 315 million mainly due to the tight construction schedule. On January 29, 2018, Chicago -based United Airlines became the stadium's first naming rights partner. Originally, Memorial Coliseum was to be retained in
14396-422: 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 not only became an active partner in an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (who had recently lost the Los Angeles Rams to Anaheim ), but filed an antitrust lawsuit of their own. After the first case was declared a mistrial , in May 1982
14518-453: Was located adjacent to the Coliseum before it closed in March 2016. BMO Stadium , formerly Banc of California Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium and the home of Major League Soccer (MLS)'s Los Angeles FC , was constructed on the former Sports Arena site, and opened in 2018. In 2019, USC completed a two year long major renovation of the stadium that included replacing the seating along with
14640-797: Was part of the 1994 team that won Super Bowl XXIX . Coincidentally, the 49ers would hire his son, Kyle Shanahan as their head coach 2 years later. In 2016, Shanahan was nearly hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins before they hired Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase for the vacant spot on January 9, 2016. On August 17, 2019, it was revealed that the Denver Broncos , whom Shanahan previously coached from 1995 to 2008, nearly re-hired him as head coach in 2018 before their decision to retain Vance Joseph on January 1, 2018. Shanahan has worked under six head coaches: Sixteen of Shanahan's assistant coaches became head coaches in
14762-523: Was replaced by Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan . Shanahan led 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
14884-431: Was the 24th overall pick in the 1991 draft. However, he struggled on field and was cut after the 1992 season due to repeated substance abuse problems. Shell's five-plus-year tenure as head coach in Los Angeles was marked particularly by a bitter dispute between star running back Marcus Allen and Al Davis. The exact source of the friction is completely unknown but a contract dispute led Davis to refer to Allen as "a cancer on
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