Los Angeles Chargers Team History
Los Angeles Chargers Team Formation
The San Diego Chargers were established with seven other American Football League teams in 1959. In 1960, the Chargers began AFL play in Los Angeles. The Chargers’ original owner was hotel heir Barron Hilton, son of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton.
According to the official site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Barron Hilton agreed after his general manager, Frank Leahy, picked the Chargers name when he purchased an AFL franchise for Los Angeles: “I liked it because they were yelling ‘charge’ and sounding the bugle at Dodgers Stadium and at USC games.”
No Stadium – Move back to Los Angeles
Spanos announced the relocation in a letter to Chargers fans posted to the team’s official site on January 12, 2017. Revealing a new marketing logo with the announcement, the team will play as the Los Angeles Chargers starting in the 2017 season at StubHub Center in Carson, California, despite the fact that the stadium seats well below the 50,000 minimum that the NFL set even for temporary homes following the 1970 merger. There had been speculation that the team may rebrand itself similar to how the Houston Oilers ultimately became the Tennessee Titans in 1999. Unlike the situation between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, the Oilers’ rebranding was done by the team’s choice and not by court order. The Chargers, however, announced they had no immediate plans to rebrand after the relocation.
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The club began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), and spent its first season in Los Angeles, before moving to San Diego in 1961. The Chargers joined the NFL as result of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, and played their home games at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers had been the only NFL team based in Southern California since the Raiders and Rams moved out of Los Angeles in 1994. A return to Los Angeles was announced for the 2017 season, just one year after the Rams had moved back themselves. The Chargers will play their home games at the StubHub Center until the opening of the Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park in 2019, which they will share with the Rams.
Established
1960
City
Los Angeles – San Diego – Los Angeles
League History
1970 – Present / National Football League
1960 – 1970 / American Football League
Team History
2017 – Present / Los Angeles Chargers
1961 – 2016 / San Diego Chargers
1960 / Los Angeles Chargers
Nickname
Chargers – The Chargers nickname is a carry over from the Los Angels Chargers, an original AFL team. Barron Hilton agreed after his general manager, Frank Ready picked the Chargers name when he purchased an AFL franchise for Los Angeles. “I liked it because they were yelling “charge” and sounding the bugle at Dodgers Stadium and at USC games.”
Championship
Super Bowl 0
AFL Championships 1
1963
Stadium
2019 / Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park
2017 – Present / StubHub Center
*San Diego*
1998 – 2016 / Qualcomm Stadium
1981 – 1997 / Jack Murphy Stadium
1967 – 1980 / San Diego Stadium
1961 – 1966 / Balboa Stadium
*Los Angeles*
1960 / Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Owner
1984 – Present / Alex Spanos
1966 – 1984 / Gene Klein and Sam Schulman
1960 – 1966 / Barron Hilton
Retired Number
14 Dan Fouts
19 Lance Alworth
21 LaDainian Tomlinson
55 Junior Seau
Mascot
2009 – Present / Boltman
*Blue is this team’s history