The
Oakland Raiders began play in 1960 as the eighth charter member of the American Football League (AFL), where they won one championship and three division titles. The team joined the
NFL in 1970 as part of the AFL–NFL merger. Since joining the
NFL, the
Raiders have won twelve division titles and three
Super Bowls (XI, XV, XVIII), and have appeared in two other
Super Bowls. During their first three seasons, the Raiders struggled both on and off the field. In 1963, Al Davis was brought to the team as head coach and general manager, and from 1963 until 2002 the team had only seven losing seasons.