The Arizona Outlaws were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They were owned by Fresno banker and real estate agent William Tatham, Sr., who had briefly owned the Portland Thunder of the World Football League.
The Outlaws were originally slated to play in San Diego. However, under pressure from baseball's Padres, the NFL's Chargers and the NASL's Sockers, the city refused to grant Tatham a lease for Jack Murphy Stadium.
Scrambling for a home, Tatham seriously considered playing in Honolulu for its inaugural 1984 season, but settled on Tulsa, Oklahoma--even though the city had not even been included in a list of possible expansion sites for the USFL. However, Tatham had roots in Oklahoma (his father had moved to California during the Great Depression), and felt that putting his team there would give something back to the state. He christened his team the Oklahoma Outlaws. The club was the second major-league sports team to play...... Read more
Years Played in USFL: 1984, 1985.
Club Owner(s): William Tatham, William Tatham Jr.
Playing Site: Skelly Stadium, Tulsa, Oklahoma (1984); Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona (1985)
Head Coach(es): Woody Widenhofer (1984); Frank Kush (1985) Overall Record: 14-22-0
Widget is courtesy of The New USFL
