Left HeaderLeft Middle HeaderRight Middle HeaderRight Header
spacer

Chronological History

1919

Pre-NFL Green Bay Packers beat Racine 76-6.

1922

Horlick-Racine Legion team accepted into fledgling National Football League. Team was co-sponsored by William Horlick and the American Legion.

1923

Horlick-Racine Legion beat Green Bay Packers 24-3 in NFL game. Packers only allowed 34 points that entire season!

1925

Horlick-Racine Legion turns franchise over to Racine Exchange Club who do not field a team that season.

1926

Horlick-Racine Legion turns franchise over to Racine Exchange Club who do not field a team that season.

1927

NFL enacts $1000 franchise fee. Racine Exchange sell team to two men from Portsmouth, Ohio. The team becomes the present day Detroit Lions in 1934!

1930'S & 1940'S

Racine was represented in Minor League Football by various teams, including the Chippewas, Hornets and Bees.

1948

Racine Rocks join Central States Football League (CSFL).

1950

Racine Rocks fold.

1953

Wigs Konicek begins the Racine Raiders and the team adopts the colors of black andĀ silver, seven years before anyone hears about the AFL and Oakland Raiders!

1955

Raiders win Bi-States Football League Title.

1956

Raiders win second consecutive Bi-States Football League Title.

1957

Raiders switch to Tri-States Football League.

1961

Raiders switch to Central States Football League (CSFL).

1963 - 66

Raiders win 26 straight CSFL games, including titles in 1964 and 1965.

1975

Original Racine Raiders fold due to financial concerns.

1978

Racine Gladiators formed.

1979

Head Coach Larry Benjamin named CSFL "Coach of the Year."

1981

Gladiators win American Football Association (AFA) National Championship.

1983

Gladiators win second straight AFA National Championship.

1985

Gladiators fold after season due to financial concerns.

1986

Racine Raiders resurrected as a non-profit and community-owned organization.

1987

Raiders go 14-1 and win Midwest Football League (MFL) Championship.

1988

Raiders go undefeated in regular season to win second straight MFL Championship and also win American Football Association (AFA) National Championship with a 5-3 win over the Brooklyn Mariners before a record crowd of 6,299 fans who braved snow, sleet, rain, and wind in what became known as the "Mud Bowl" at Historic Horlick Field.

1989

Raiders become the first and only Minor League Football team to be granted 501.(c)(3) Non-Profit status by the IRS. The Raiders also win the MFL Championship for the third straight year and are crowned World Champions under the banner of the MLFA.

1990

Raiders go undefeated in the regular season to take the MFL Regular Season Championship but fall to the Palos-Orland Force in playoffs to stop their run for a three-peat.

1991

Raiders add Cardinal Red to their black & silver colors and go to current logo depicting a masked cowboy. Team dropped league affiliation to play an independent schedule in hopes of attracting better competition and finish 9-2.

1992

Raiders join the Midwest Football League and go 15-0, scoring 501 points while allowing only 25. Raiders defeat the Brooklyn Mariners for the MLFA/USFA National Championship.

1993

Raiders go 13-0 and win MFL Championship but fall 14-7 to the Marlboro Shamrocks in the MLFA/USFA National Championship game.

1994

Raiders have another undefeated season (12-0) but do not get invited to National Playoffs. They instead compete in the Greater Midwest Classic Tournament and win it with a 36-7 victory over the Wichita Warriors.

1995

Raiders join the Mid-Continental Football League and go 17-1. They win the MCFL Championship and United States Football Association National Title.

1996

Raiders go 13-4 but lose to the Southern Michigan Timberwolves in MCFL Title Game.

1997

Raiders go 13-5 but once again lose to Southern Michigan Timberwolves in MCFL Title Game. They are still invited to play in Midwest Football Tournament and win it but lose to the Marlboro Shamrocks in the USFA National Championship Game.

1998

Raiders go 10-4.

1999

Raiders win Mid-States Football Tournament Championship with an 11-4 record.

2000

Raiders go 14-3 but lose to the Marlboro Shamrocks in the National Championship Game.

2001

Raiders go 15-3 and win the USFA National Title by defeating the Scranton Eagles.

 

spacer
| Contact|Site Map |