Oakland, California is a magnet for sports fans of all types. Whatever the season, Oakland pro and amateur games frequently garner large crowds and broad national media coverage. In the last three decades, Oakland’s professional sports teams have won six world championships in three major sports.
The Network Associates Coliseum and Oakland Arena complex is home to the Oakland Athletics, Oakland Raiders, and Golden State Warriors. The Oakland Ice Center, located in downtown, provides recreational skating, practice facilities for amateur and professional figure skaters, as well as a prime venue for ice hockey team and tournament play. Lake Merritt, the nation’s largest urban saltwater lake, is a sought after site for regional and national sprint races and regattas.
Oakland’s sports history and reputation have made it a natural home for major regional, national and international events, including:
1987
NBA All-Star Game – Oakland Arena
1988
World Series – Oakland Coliseum (now Network Associates Coliseum)
1989
World Series – Oakland Coliseum (now Network Associates Coliseum)
1990
World Series – Oakland Coliseum (now Network Associates Coliseum)
1989
U.S. Rowing Masters National Rowing Regatta - Lake Merritt
1992
World Figure Skating Championships – Oakland Arena
1994
Bank of the West Tennis Classic – Henry J. Kaiser Arena
1995
Bank of the West Tennis Classic – Henry J. Kaiser Arena
1995
U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Pan American Games Trials – Oakland Convention Center
1995
U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Junior Trials – Oakland Convention Center
1996
U.S. Olympic Boxing Team Trials – Henry J. Kaiser Arena
1997
National Tae Kwon Do Championships – Oakland Convention Center
2000
NBA All Star Game
2002
U.S. National Dragon Boat Championship Races – Lake Merritt
2003
West America Regional Martial Arts Tournament – Oakland Convention Center
2003
U.S. Canoe & Kayak Sprint National Championships – Lake Merritt
2004
U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Flatwater Sprint Canoe/Kayak – Lake Merritt
2005
Pacific Coast Classic Men’s Gymnastics
2006
Pacific Coast Classic Men’s Gymnastics
2006
NCAA Men’s Basketball West Regional Finals - Oakland Arena - In association with the University of San Francisco
Sources: Samee Roberts, Marketing Manager, City of Oakland, 510-238-2136; sroberts@oaklandnet.com, Oakland Convention & Visitors Bureau
