Professional football (gridiron) Louis Cardinals moved to Phoenix, Arizona to become the Arizona Cardinals in 1988, while the Houston Oilers very nearly moved to Jacksonville in 1987 before deciding to stay, for the short term, in Houston. In 1993, the NFL began exploring expansion, eyeing five proposals (Baltimore, St. Louis, Memphis, Charlotte and Jacksonville), all of which were in cities that had hosted professional football before. The "Carolina Cougars" (later renamed Carolina Panthers) and Jacksonville Jaguars received franchises to begin play in 1995. At the same time, Al Davis moved the Raiders back to its original home in Oakland for the 1995 season,
Lamar Cardinals football Lamar participated in two NCAA College Division level bowl games, going 1–1. Lamar participated in the FCS Playoffs for the first time in 2018. Source: Below is a list of the Cardinals best-attended home games (all at Provost Umphrey Stadium). Below is the Cardinals' home attendance since program reinstatement. The two teams have met 35 times on the football field, with McNeese State currently holding a 24–10–1 edge in the all-time series. The rivalry has been expanded from football to head-to-head competition in all sports under a joint agreement with the two universities and Verizon Wireless. The first Sabine Shoe