The Oakland Raiders (now Las Vegas Raiders) have maintained a consistent and iconic logo throughout the history of the franchise, despite multiple relocations and name changes. The logo’s central feature—the depiction of a pirate’s face—has remained the same since the team’s inception in 1960, solidifying its place in football history.

Meaning and History

The Oakland Raiders were established in 1960 as a professional football team in the American Football League (AFL), before the AFL-NFL merger. Today, the team plays in the West Division of the National Football League (NFL), with Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada serving as their home venue. Despite moving locations from Oakland to Los Angeles and back to Las Vegas, the team’s identity has been largely defined by its enduring logo.

Logo Evolution

• 1960-1962: The original Raiders logo depicted a pirate’s face with an eye patch, wearing a leather helmet. This was placed on a yellow football, with two crossed sabers behind it. The color scheme combined yellow and black for a bold, striking look.
• 1963: The logo was updated into a crest shape with a silver-gray and black color palette. The pirate’s face, still wearing an eye patch, was placed on a light gray shield with two crossed sabers. The wordmark, “The Oakland Raiders,” was added at the top in two levels: a small “The Oakland” and a larger “Raiders” in a bold sans-serif font.
• 1964-1981: The logo evolved to show only the word “Raiders” in the badge. The crest became completely black, and the pirate’s helmet changed from black to a gray helmet with a thick black stripe. The sabers were shortened slightly.
• 1982-1994: When the team moved to Los Angeles, the logo remained unchanged as there were no geographical markers in it. The classic design continued for over a decade with the same black and gray colors.
• 1995-2019: The Raiders returned to Oakland in 1995 and retained the same logo, which had become iconic and easily recognizable worldwide. The design stayed true to its original form without any changes.
• 2020-Present: The Raiders relocated to Las Vegas in 2020 and were renamed the Las Vegas Raiders. The logo remained almost identical, with subtle updates. The pirate’s helmet was darkened to a deeper shade of gray, and a white outline was added to the shield, providing a more modern look while keeping the overall design intact.

Font

The wordmark in the current logo features a bold, all-caps sans-serif font that is clean, solid, and easily legible, further reinforcing the team's strong, distinctive identity.

Colors

The color palette for the Raiders logo is minimalist yet powerful, consisting of only three colors:

• Raiders Black: Pantone PMS Black 6 C, Hex #000000
• Raiders Silver: Pantone PMS 8180 C, Hex #A5ACAF
• White: Complementing the silver and black for contrast

These colors contribute to the Raiders’ strong, timeless visual identity that has remained consistent for decades.