February 9, 1996. That’s the short answer. But if you ask a die-hard fan in Baltimore or a grieving supporter in Cleveland, the answer gets a lot more complicated than a single date on a calendar. When were the ravens founded? Technically, the franchise was established on that chilly February day when the NFL officially approved a deal that moved Art Modell’s personnel from Ohio to Maryland. It wasn't an expansion. It wasn't exactly a move, either. It was a "legal rebirth" that left one city with the history and another with the talent.
Modern NFL history is littered with teams changing zip codes. The Raiders move every few decades. The Rams went to St. Louis and back. But the birth of the Baltimore Ravens was different. It was a surgical extraction. Art Modell, the longtime owner of the Cleveland Browns, found himself in a financial chokehold. He wanted a new stadium. Cleveland wouldn't give it to him. So, he looked East. By the time the dust settled, the NFL had to invent a brand-new legal framework just to keep everyone from suing each other into oblivion.
The Midnight Flight That Wasn't
Most people compare the Ravens' origin to the Baltimore Colts leaving for Indianapolis in the middle of the night. It's an easy comparison. It's also wrong. When the Colts left Baltimore in 1984, they packed the Mayflower trucks and vanished under the cover of darkness. Art Modell didn't do that. He announced his intention to move the team in November 1995, right in the middle of the season.
Imagine being a Browns player in 1995. You’re playing for a city that suddenly hates your boss. The atmosphere at Cleveland Municipal Stadium turned toxic instantly. Fans were tearing out seats. Dogs weren't just barking in the Dawg Pound; they were mourning. Bill Belichick was the head coach at the time—yes, that Bill Belichick—and he had to navigate a locker room that knew they were essentially a lame-duck franchise. They finished 5-11. It was miserable.
When we talk about when were the ravens founded, we have to look at the "Settlement Agreement." This is the piece of paper that makes the Ravens unique. Usually, when a team moves, they take their name, their colors, and their history with them. The Houston Oilers became the Tennessee Titans, but they kept the records of Earl Campbell. The Ravens couldn't do that. The city of Cleveland fought like hell. They sued Modell, and the settlement reached in early 1996 dictated that the Browns' name, colors, and heritage would stay in Cleveland for a future "replacement" team.
Why 1996 is the Magic Number
The NFL officially gave Baltimore its team back on February 9, 1996. But they were a team without a soul—or at least, without a name. For a few months, they were just "Baltimore NFL Pro Football." They had no logo. They had no colors. They just had a roster of guys who used to wear brown and orange.
The search for a name was actually pretty cool. It wasn't some corporate committee decision made in a vacuum. The Baltimore Sun ran a phone-in poll. Over 33,000 people called in. "Ravens" won by a landslide, beating out "Americans" and "Marauders." The link to Edgar Allan Poe, who lived and died in Baltimore, felt right. It gave a brand-new team an instant sense of ancient history. It’s kinda poetic when you think about it. A team born out of a grim business deal took its name from a grim poem about loss and "Nevermore."
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By March 29, 1996, the name was official. They had their identity. But the front office was already miles ahead. Ozzie Newsome, a Hall of Fame tight end for the Browns, was moved into the front office. He became the architect. While the legal foundation of when were the ravens founded was being poured, Ozzie was looking at the 1996 NFL Draft.
Two Picks That Changed Everything
If you want to understand why the Ravens became a powerhouse while other relocated teams struggled, look at April 20, 1996. This was the first draft in franchise history. The Ravens had two picks in the first round.
- Jonathan Ogden (4th overall)
- Ray Lewis (26th overall)
Think about that. Your first two steps as a new business are hiring two guys who would eventually become first-ballot Hall of Famers. Ogden was a mountain of a man who protected the left side for twelve years. Ray Lewis became the literal heart of the city. He didn't just play linebacker; he defined a style of defense that the Ravens still try to emulate today.
People forget that the 1996 Ravens weren't actually very good on the field. they went 4-12. Vinny Testaverde was throwing bombs to Michael Jackson (the receiver, not the singer), and they could score points, but their defense was a sieve. They gave up 400 points that year. It took time for the "Raven Way" to take hold. But the foundation—the actual human foundation—was set that year.
The Legal Ghost of the Cleveland Browns
There is a lingering debate among sports historians about whether the Ravens are an expansion team or a continuation. If you look at the NFL Record Manual, it’s weirdly specific. It states that the Ravens are a "new franchise" that began play in 1996. It also states that the Cleveland Browns are a franchise that "suspended operations" from 1996 to 1998.
This matters. It means that legally, the Ravens have no history before 1996. They don't claim the Browns' 1964 Championship. They don't claim Jim Brown’s rushing records. When the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in January 2001, it was technically only their fifth year of existence. That’s an insane turnaround. From non-existent to world champions in five seasons.
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Honestly, the "founding" was a heist. Baltimore got the infrastructure of a professional football team without having to start from scratch like the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Carolina Panthers (who both started in 1995). They had a veteran quarterback, an established offensive line, and a front office that knew where the bodies were buried. They were an expansion team with a ten-year head start.
The Art Modell Factor
You can't talk about the Ravens being founded without talking about Art Modell’s reputation. In Baltimore, he’s a saint. He brought football back after the city spent 12 years in the wilderness. In Cleveland, he’s the ultimate villain. He’s the man who took the "inner city's heartbeat" and sold it for a stadium deal at Camden Yards.
Modell’s financial situation was dire. He didn't own the stadium in Cleveland, and he was losing money while the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) were getting a shiny new ballpark next door. He felt he had no choice. But the way he did it—announcing it mid-season—created a scar in the NFL that hasn't totally healed. It’s the reason why, even today, NFL fans are so protective of their team’s heritage. The "Ravens Model" proved that you can take the players, but you can't take the history.
What Most Fans Miss
A lot of younger fans think the Ravens just appeared because the NFL wanted to expand. They don't realize that Baltimore was passed over for expansion in 1993. The league chose Jacksonville and Charlotte instead. Baltimore was devastated. There was a sense of desperation in Maryland. They were ready to take any team. They almost got the Raiders. They almost got the Cardinals.
When the deal for the Browns finally happened, it was a marriage of convenience between a broke owner and a lonely city. The Ravens were founded on the idea that Baltimore wouldn't be ignored again. That chip on the shoulder has stayed with the team for nearly 30 years.
Key Milestones in the Ravens Founding:
- November 6, 1995: Art Modell announces he's moving the Browns to Baltimore.
- February 9, 1996: The NFL officially approves the move and the creation of the Ravens.
- March 29, 1996: The "Ravens" name is officially adopted.
- April 20, 1996: The team drafts Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis.
- September 1, 1996: The Ravens play their first regular-season game, beating the Oakland Raiders 19-14.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you’re looking to dig deeper into the history of when were the ravens founded, don't just look at the box scores. The real story is in the legal documents and the local journalism of that era.
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1. Study the Settlement Agreement. If you’re a sports law nerd, the 1996 agreement between the NFL, Art Modell, and the City of Cleveland is the blueprint for how modern franchise relocation works. It’s the reason the "Seattle SuperSonics" name stayed in Seattle even when the team moved to Oklahoma City.
2. Visit M&T Bank Stadium. Look at the statues. You’ll see Ray Lewis and Johnny Unitas. Wait, Unitas? He never played for the Ravens. But the Ravens adopted the Colts' alumni because the Colts left their history behind in Baltimore. It’s a fascinating overlap of two different franchise births.
3. Watch "A Football Life: Art Modell." It gives a fairly balanced look at the financial pressures that led to the founding of the Ravens. It won't make Cleveland fans feel better, but it explains the "why" behind the "when."
4. Respect the "Gap." When discussing team stats, remember that Ravens records start in 1996. Anything before that belongs to the Browns. Mixing them up is the quickest way to lose a bar bet in either city.
The founding of the Baltimore Ravens wasn't a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new building; it was a messy, loud, and expensive divorce followed by a quick remarriage. It changed the NFL forever, proving that a team's identity is more than just the players on the field—it's the name on the jersey and the fans in the stands. Baltimore got their team, Cleveland eventually got their name back, and the NFL learned that some traditions are too big to move.