When Did The Baltimore Ravens Join The NFL?

The Baltimore Ravens are one of the most iconic teams in the NFL, but when did they actually join the league? Check out this blog post to find out!

When Did The Baltimore Ravens Join The NFL?

The Baltimore Ravens joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1996 as an expansion team. They are currently members of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The Ravens began play in the 1996 season.

The History of The Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens began play in 1996, when Art Modell, who then owned the Cleveland Browns, decided to relocate his franchise to Baltimore. That left the city of Cleveland without a team for three whole seasons until the Browns returned as an expansion team in 1999.

The Ravens’ name was chosen via a fan contest. The team’s name was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” Poe spent most of his life in Baltimore.

Modell have originally planned to keep the Browns’ name and colors in Baltimore, but he eventually relented after fans campaigns against him. As a result, the Ravens debuted with new team colors and logo.

In their first season, the Ravens compiled a 7-9 record under head coach Ted Marchibroda. They failed to make the playoffs. The following year, they went on to win Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants 34-7. They are one of only two teams (the other being the New Orleans Saints) to win a Super Bowl after only four years of existence.

The Baltimore Ravens Today

The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its home games at M&T Bank Stadium and is headquartered in Owings Mills.

The Ravens were established in 1996, when Art Modell, who was then the owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced plans to relocate the franchise to Baltimore. As part of a settlement between Modell and the city of Cleveland, the Browns’ name, colors, and history were kept intact in Cleveland, while a new franchise was established in Baltimore. The Ravens have qualified for the NFL playoffs ten times since 2000, with two Super Bowl victories (Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XLVII), two AFC Championship appearances (2000 and 2012), 15 playoff victories, four AFC North division titles (2003, 2006, 2011, 2012), and are currently the only team in the NFL to hold a perfect record in multiple Super Bowl appearances (2-0).

The Ravens organization was led by head coach Brian Billick from 1999 to 2007. In his first season as head coach, Billick led the Ravens to their then-best regular season record in team history (12-4) and their first playoff berth since 1999. During Billick’s nine-year tenure as head coach, he compiled a 80–64 (.556) win–loss record,[1] won five playoff games,[2] and led the Ravens to their only Super Bowl victory in 2000 over the New York Giants.[3] Lester Matthews was named head coach after Billick’s firing on New Year’s Eve 2007. Matthews served as interim head coach for one game before John Harbaugh was hired on January 18, 2008. Harbaugh served nine seasons as head coach of the Ravens before being fired on December 31, 2018.[4][5] Harbaugh led Baltimore to six straight playoff appearances from 2008–2013,[6] winning five AFC North division championships during that span.[7][8] The club then hired former USC head coach Lane Kiffin on January 15th 2019.[9][10] Kiffin’s only season with Baltimore ended with a 7-9 record[11], missing out on the playoffs for only their third time since Harbaugh’s firing Following matches played on December 29th 2019., After only one season with an underwhelming 7-9 record,[12], Kiffin was relieved of his duties by owner Steve Bisciotti effective immediately[13], with offensive coordinator Greg Roman being promoted to interim head coach for their Week 17 matchup against Cincinnati.[14]. Roman would finish out that game as well as their Wild Card Round matchup against Tennessee which resulted in a28-12 victory.[15].

The Future of The Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its home games at M&T Bank Stadium and is headquartered in Owings Mills.

The Ravens were established in 1996, when Art Modell, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced plans to relocate the franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. As part of a settlement between Modell, the city of Cleveland, and the NFL, the Browns’ intellectual property—including team name, logos, training facility, and history—were kept in trust and the franchise was regarded by the league as suspended; meaning that an expansion franchise would be awarded to Baltimore by way of an auction process conducted amongst all interested parties. The team’s name was inspired by Poe’s poem “The Raven”.

The Ravens have qualified for the NFL playoffs ten times since 2000, with two Super Bowl victories (Super Bowl XXXV in 2000 and Super Bowl XLVII in 2013), two AFC Championship appearances (2000 and 2012), 15 playoff victories (9th all-time), and are currently tied with the 49ers for having played in more consecutive playoff games than any other team (10).