The Raiders return to the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday for the 16th Battle of the Bay against the San Francisco 49ers, marking the team's first regular-season game at its former home since relocating to Las Vegas in 2020. For East Oakland natives like Chris Bibbens-Williams and Brianna Kelleghan, the game stirs memories of a franchise that once anchored the community. Bibbens-Williams, 37, attended his first game at the Coliseum with his mother, Renee, a stadium worker who died in 2020. "(I'll) think about the memories," he said. "It'll be just like old times for a second."
Kelleghan, 34, a dean and coach at Unity High School, inherited her fandom from her late father, Darren Brown, who also worked at the Coliseum. She describes the team as "a distant relative. They're still family, but it's a distant relative. ... The love is still there." Both fans say their anger over the move has softened, acknowledging that Oakland could not match the $750 million in public funding Clark County provided for Allegiant Stadium. "It used to be 'Just Win, Baby.' That was our logo," Kelleghan said. "It's just money now. It's just money, baby. That's what I see. ... It is what it is. I'm still going to be a Raider fan until I die."
Current Raiders players such as AJ Cole, Kolton Miller, and Maxx Crosby have spoken about missing the atmosphere and fans in Oakland. Residents recall the pregame tailgates that turned the parking lot into a communal gathering of food, music, and chants where "everybody felt like they knew everybody." The Coliseum and neighboring Oakland Arena now sit mostly dormant following the departures of the Raiders, the Golden State Warriors, and the Athletics. Yet Raiders gear — specifically Oakland Raiders gear — remains a common sight in the neighborhood, a symbol of a connection that endures despite the franchise's move.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
English (US)·