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,
1971 Lamar Cardinals football team 1971 Lamar Cardinals football team The 1971 Lamar Cardinals football team represented Lamar University in the 1971 NCAA football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Cardinals played their home games at Cardinal Stadium now named Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, Texas. The Cardinals competed at the NCAA College Division level in 1971. The 1971 season marked the first year the Cardinals competed as the Lamar University Cardinals following the school's name change from Lamar State College of Technology to Lamar University on August 23, 1971. The Cardinals finished the season with a 5–6 overall record and a