Houston Oilers to Memphis, to Nashville (1997-1998)
Having been founded in 1960, the franchise joined the NFL in 1970. The team were entertaining to watch and had a good following. However, the stadium was not at the level needed for progression. It was in 1987 that owner Bud Adams threatened to move the franchise unless renovations were done to the Astrodome stadium. At the time of the request the Astrodome had a stadium capacity of 50,000 fans- the lowest in the NFL. Despite Harris County responding with $67 Million improvements, Adams’ demands only increased.
Once the deal to move the franchise to Nashville was announced (with promises of a new stadium), support for the Oilers dwindled to an all-time low. Eventually they left their lease a year early, moving to Memphis temporarily. After this, they finally made the long awaited move to Nashville. In 1999 the franchise was renamed ‘Tennessee Titans’.
Houston Oilers To Memphis, To Nashville
St. Louis Rams Back To Los Angeles (2016)
Stadium issues ran riot again with the St. Louis Rams here! Following the city of St. Louis not fulfilling promises under their lease in terms of renovations; the Rams were free to nullify the lease. To try and keep the team in St. Louis, a multipurpose stadium, National Car Rental Field, was offered in 2015 at a cost of $1.1 billion. In January 2016 however, the NFL released a report to team owners calling the St. Louis stadium plan “unsatisfactory and inadequate” regarding keeping the franchise in St. Louis. Owner Stan Kroenke subsequently purchased 60 acres of land in California, signaling his intent to move the team back to L.A.
St. Louis Rams Back To Los Angeles
