Oakland, California had been without a football team after the Oakland Raiders relocated to Los Angeles, California before the 1982 NFL season. The Invaders stepped in to fill the void; the similar name was no accident. The team had good fan support during the spring seasons of the USFL (1983-1985).
Led by the league's 2nd ranked passer QB Fred Besana, WR Gordon Banks, and ex-Raiders HB Arthur Whittington and TE Raymond Chester, the Invaders won the Pacific Conference with a 9-9 record. The Invaders gave a valiant effort in the opening round of the playoffs, but were overrun by the eventual league champion Michigan Panthers, 37-21 in front of 60,237 rabid fans in the Pontiac Silverdome (The game was the largest turnout for any USFL game in the 1983 season).
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Years Played in USFL: 1983, 1984, 1985
Club Owner(s): Tad Taube and Jim Joseph (1982); Tad Taube (1983-84); Tad Taube and A. Alfred Taubman (1985)
Playing Site: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Head Coach(es): John Ralston (1983-84); Charlie Sumner (1985) Overall Record: -
Widget is courtesy of The New USFL
