Mount Davis (Oakland)
Controversial seating section built to lure the Raiders back to Oakland.
Mount Davis is a 20,000-capacity seating section at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, built in 1995 to entice the Los Angeles Raiders to return to Oakland. It is named after former Raiders owner Al Davis. The section later became known for being largely covered by tarpaulin during baseball and football games.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Oakland, California, United States
- Capacity
- 20,000
- Year built
- 1995
- Named after
- Al Davis
- Cost
- Approximately $500 million
Facts from the source article.
History
The Raiders left Oakland in 1982 after the city refused to upgrade the Coliseum, leaving the Athletics as the sole tenants. Before their departure, the Raiders had to manage two stadium configurations within a season: a baseball-friendly alignment during the A's season and portable bleachers for northeast sideline seating afterward, forcing season ticket holders to accept different seating assignments. In 1995, the city agreed with Raiders owner Al Davis to increase Coliseum capacity in exchange for the team's return. The resulting structure, nicknamed Mount Davis, was completed in 1996 but drew criticism for obstructing views of the Oakland Hills, being too steep, and distancing spectators from the field. It also negatively affected baseball by creating an enclosed concrete stadium and reducing capacity for the Athletics. The $500 million construction cost was shared by Alameda County and Oakland, leading to $20 million in annual debt repayments. In 2015, Alameda County paid off the remaining $100 million debt from its surplus reserves, with the city continuing annual payments to the county on its share.
Tarpaulin
Due to low attendance, the Athletics covered all top-tier seating, including Mount Davis's top level, with tarpaulin in 2006. City regulations prevented advertising on the tarp, so Athletics-related messages were printed instead; Mount Davis sections displayed the team's logo and retired numbers. The covered seats totaled 20,878, about 37% of Coliseum capacity. Although removable, Athletics management refused to uncover the tarp unless the team reached the World Series, citing a more intimate atmosphere. This policy persisted during the 2012 American League Division Series despite sold-out demand. For the 2013 ALDS, the tarp was removed from the rest of the third deck but not Mount Davis. In 2017, Athletics president Dave Kaval removed some tarp sections—excluding Mount Davis—adding back 12,103 seats. The Raiders began covering Mount Davis with tarp in 2013 due to NFL blackout policies requiring 85% stadium capacity sales; the team had blacked out more home games than were televised. This made the Coliseum the NFL's smallest stadium. Under NFL rules, Mount Davis remained tarped all season, even after the NFL suspended blackout policies in 2015, and stayed covered until the Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020.
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