The Oakland Coliseum, officially the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, opened on September 18, 1966, as one of the last true multi-purpose facilities built to share baseball and football in a single bowl. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the stadium became a fixture of East Bay sports for nearly six decades, famous for its symmetrical concrete bowl and its unusual distinction of sitting below sea level.
The venue hosted the Oakland Raiders across two separate eras and the Oakland Athletics for 57 seasons, witnessing three perfect games and several World Series. After the Athletics’ 2024 departure for Sacramento and eventually Las Vegas, the Coliseum entered a new chapter, now hosting Bay Area soccer and cricket matches while its long-term future is decided.
Stats at a Glance
- Teams: Oakland Athletics (1968–2024), Oakland Raiders (1966–1981, 1995–2019)
- Location: Oakland, California
- Opened: September 18, 1966
- Capacity (baseball): about 34,077 to 46,847 depending on configuration
- Capacity (football): up to about 63,132 with the ‘Mount Davis’ upper deck
- Notable fact: Playing field sits below sea level, an unusual engineering feat
- Current tenants: Oakland Roots SC (USL Championship); hosts select Major League Cricket matches for the San Francisco Unicorns
A Stadium Built for Two Sports
The Coliseum’s defining feature was its convertible seating bowl, which shifted between a baseball configuration and a football layout depending on the season. That flexibility let it host the Raiders and Athletics simultaneously for years, a setup that grew increasingly rare as teams across the country moved to sport-specific stadiums.
Its low-lying construction meant groundwater and drainage required constant engineering attention, but it also gave the playing field a distinctive, enclosed feel that longtime fans still associate with the venue.
Decades of Bay Area Sports History
Three perfect games were thrown at the Coliseum, by Catfish Hunter in 1968, Dallas Braden in 2010, and Domingo German in 2023, and the stadium hosted World Series games during the Athletics’ championship runs in the 1970s and in 1989. The Raiders’ return in 1995 added the infamous ‘Mount Davis’ upper deck expansion, which changed the stadium’s profile for its final decades of football use.
With the Athletics gone since the 2024 season, the Coliseum has anchored a new era of Oakland sports, serving as the primary home of USL Championship club Oakland Roots SC and hosting Major League Cricket matches for the San Francisco Unicorns, who moved their home games to the venue starting with the 2025 MLC season. The women’s club Oakland Soul SC, which normally plays its USL W League home matches at nearby Merritt College, also took the field at the Coliseum for a historic one-off doubleheader alongside the Roots in June 2025.
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For late-season football, outdoor hockey and October park nights. Shake, pocket, and stay warm for hours.
12 x 10.5 x 6 in. — built to the common stadium clear-bag size. Check your venue's rules.
USB-charged warmers for cold night games — no disposable packets.
Oakland Coliseum FAQs
Is the Oakland Coliseum still standing?
Yes. The stadium remains active and currently hosts soccer and cricket matches after the Athletics’ departure following the 2024 season.
Why was the Oakland Coliseum known for sitting below sea level?
Its playing field was built below sea level, an unusual engineering choice that required ongoing drainage management throughout the stadium’s history.
What teams played at the Oakland Coliseum?
The Oakland Athletics played there from 1968 to 2024, and the Oakland Raiders used it from 1966 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019.
Does Oakland Soul SC play its home games at the Oakland Coliseum?
No. Oakland Soul SC’s regular home venue is Merritt College in Oakland. The club made a single special appearance at the Coliseum for a doubleheader with Oakland Roots SC in June 2025, but the Coliseum is not its home ground.
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.