Get your tickets for Baltimore Ravens football games. Goods seats are available so don’t miss your opportunity to see the Ravens play. The Ravens are always electrifying and there’s plenty of energy when they are in the stadium. Buy your tickets now to see the Ravens this season.
Baltimore Ravens Franchise History
The Baltimore Ravens were founded in 1996 when Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns at the time, relocated the team to Baltimore. Modell was struggling financially and battling with the city of Cleveland to make improvements to the Brown’s stadium when Baltimore made him an offer he accepted. Baltimore had tried several times unsuccessfully to bring an NFL team back to Baltimore after the Colts relocated to Indianapolis. In 1993 a state financial bundle had offered a $200 million, rent-free stadium and permission to charge up to $80 million in personal seat license fees before the league expansion in 1995. There were two spots open for expansion teams and many thought that Baltimore was certain to get a team. Charlotte, NC was awarded the first franchise leaving one spot open. Later Jacksonville, FL was unexpectedly awarded the second franchise and Baltimore was outraged at the decision. The city decided to turn its’ attention to the Cleveland Browns. They offered Art Modell a new stadium and promised a yearly operating subsidy of $25 million. Modell announced in late 1995 that he planned to move the team to Baltimore the following year. Because of the controversy involved the NFL reach an agreement with Cleveland that stated the city would receive and NFL team by 1999. This could happen through relocation or expansion. The agreement also stated that Cleveland could keep the Browns name and colors and all franchise records would remain in Cleveland.
As a result of the agreement between Cleveland and the NFL Baltimore needed to find a new name and colors for the team. The city held a contest to choose a name for the team and they received over 33,000 votes. The Ravens was based on Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven”. Poe had spent the early years of his career in Baltimore and he is buried there. The Ravens home field for the first two seasons was Memorial Stadium were the Colts had played before moving to Indianapolis. Their new stadium was ready in 1988 and is now known as M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens now make up one of the four teams in the AFC North. The other teams in the division are the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cincinnati Bengals and ironically the Cleveland Browns.
