Oakland Alameda-County Coliseum field orientation

[Gary Najman]

Watching some USFL games of the Oakland Invaders at the Coliseum from 1983-1985 it appears that the field of play was orientated quite different as the Raiders ad it before they left for Los Angeles (and as they have it since it returned). Of all the multiporpose baseball/football stadiums build in the 60s and 70s, only I remember the Oakland Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons arrengements had the baseball outfield stands as the eastern grandstand (and the baseball field in the center, unlike MIlwaukee County Stadium, who was saomewhat in a diagonal arrangement when the packers played there), while the Invaders had the baseball outfield stands placed in the football endzone (as it was traditionally). Do any of you know why they changed it with the Invaders?

[ehaight]

The Coliseum used a different football orientation based on whether the A's were still playing. Once the A's season finished and the new sod was laid down on the basepaths, they shifted the orientation mid-football season to get a more favorable seating arrangement for fans.