Superdome

Opened in 1975 for basketball and football, the Louisiana Superdome sought a baseball club. Throughout its history, it was the home of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League and the annual Sugar Bowl college football game. It also hosted the Super Bowl on a number of occasions. The New Orleans Jazz of the National Basketball Association also made it their home.

When Tulsa, OK failed to provide a new stadium for A. Ray Smith, who spent lots of money fixing up the old stadium, Smith moved the Tulsa Oilers to the Superdome in 1977. There they became known as the New Orleans Pelicans. The deal was a poor one for Smith, as the per-game rental fee was $6,000 and there were no concessions or parking shares for the team. While they drew well, Smith lost lots of money. He then moved the team the next year to Springfield, IL, where they became the Springfield Cardinals. While the stadium was in use for over 30 years before Hurricane Katrina struck and made it infamous, the 1977 Pelicans were the only minor league team that tried to use the Super Dome as their home. A few major league exhibition games were also played here over the years, however.

Cleveland Indians owner Vernon Stouffer tried unsuccessfully to obtain approval from fellow American League owners to play some games at the facility at the time it was being planned, but when that was denied, he decided to sell the team instead.

Related Sites

• Superdome (New Orleans, LA) at the SABR Bio Project