Oakland Coliseum

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Lore & Background

The Coliseum's planning began in the 1950s and 1960s as Oakland sought national recognition through professional sports. Local real estate developer Robert T. Nahas headed the non-profit corporation that oversaw financing, and former Coliseum board member Jack Maltester said, 'If not for Bob Nahas, there would be no Coliseum, it's really that simple.' Nahas had to be a diplomat dealing with the egos of Raiders owner Al Davis, Athletics owner Charles O. Finley, and Warriors owner Franklin Mieuli. Preliminary architectural plans were unveiled in November 1960, and a site was chosen west of the Elmhurst district of East Oakland alongside the Nimitz Freeway. The Port of Oakland played a key role, giving 157 acres to the East Bay Regional Park District in exchange for 105 acres of park land, then donating that land to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority. Construction began in spring 1962 but faced delays due to legal issues and cost overruns, and the stadium did not open until 1968. Charlie Finley had already decided to move the Athletics from Kansas City before the Coliseum was fully built, and the move was finalized in 1967; Nahas was not the sole reason for Finley's decision.

In Their Own Story

The Coliseum has a seating capacity of up to 63,132 depending on configuration. An upper deck dubbed 'Mount Davis' by fans was added as part of a 1996 renovation for the Raiders' return to Oakland. In 2006, the Athletics blocked off the entirety of the Coliseum's third deck during its games, artificially limiting its capacity to 34,077, making it the smallest stadium in Major League Baseball. On April 11, 2017, with Dave Kaval as team president, the Athletics began to reopen some sections of the third deck and open the Mount Davis deck for selected marquee games, making it the largest baseball stadium in the United States by capacity through 2024. The state of the Coliseum has been widely criticized; sports fans and players alike consider it poorly maintained and out of date. During its later years as an MLB stadium it was often cited, along with Tropicana Field, as one of the worst ballparks in the league. The Athletics played their final season at the Coliseum in 2024, moving to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park while planning to relocate to Las Vegas.

Reader's Guide

The Coliseum has undergone several name changes since opening. It was first known as Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum from 1966 to 1998. In 1998, Network Associates agreed to pay $5.8 million over five years for naming rights, and the stadium became Network Associates Coliseum. Network Associates renewed in 2003 for $6 million, and in mid-2004 the name changed to McAfee Coliseum after the company restored its pre-merger name. McAfee declined renewal in 2008, and the name reverted to Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum on September 19, 2008. On April 27, 2011, it was renamed Overstock.com Coliseum via a six-year, $7.2 million deal, then O.co Coliseum on June 6, 2011. Overstock opted out on April 2, 2016, and the name reverted again. RingCentral placed a bid on May 14, 2019, for $1 million annual payment, and the Coliseum Authority approved it on May 31, 2019. However, in August 2019, Coliseum Authority head Scott McKibben resigned after allegations he requested a $50,000 fee from RingCentral; he was charged with conflict-of-interest violations and pleaded nolo contendere to a misdemeanor. The RingCentral deal was rescinded on January 17, 2020, but a new three-year deal was agreed to in late 2020. On April 1, 2023, the Coliseum terminated its sponsorship with RingCentral, reverting to its original name.

Did You Know?

• The playing surface was dedicated as Rickey Henderson Field on April 3, 2017, in honor of the MLB Hall of Famer and former Athletics left fielder.
• After the Raiders left following the 2019 season, the Coliseum was no longer shared by professional baseball and football teams.
• An upper deck nicknamed 'Mount Davis' by fans was added as part of a 1996 renovation for the Raiders' return to Oakland.
• In 2006, the Athletics blocked off the entire third deck, artificially limiting capacity to approximately 35,067, though it was not the smallest MLB stadium at the time.
• The Coliseum has had at least seven different names since opening, including Network Associates Coliseum, McAfee Coliseum, Overstock.com Coliseum, and O.co Coliseum.