Two Klamath Falls football players that played for the distant Southern Oregon Timberwolves began forming the Klamath Crusaders Organization in late 1996. Travel requirements and differences with the Timberwolves management gave cause and motivation for these two players to found and organize a local team. Successful recruiting coupled with tremendous support from the community allowed the new team to get off to a great start. The Oregon Football League was formed a short time later and the Klamath Crusaders became one of the original charter members in 1998.

The Klamath Crusader Organization was initially fully owned and controlled by the players. Don Nelson and Dave McNiven came on the scene in 1999 and purchased both the Klamath Crusaders and the Merrill Stallions. Prior to the start of the 2000 season the new owners merged the Crusaders and the Stallions into one team keeping the Klamath Crusaders name. Don Nelson eventually, through a buyout, became the primary principle of the organization. The merging of the two teams and coaching staffs must have been the right recipe because soon thereafter the Oregon Football League championship trophy became the property of the Crusaders after defeating the Rogue Warriors 21-20. Rob Walton set the regional record with five interceptions in a 19-0 win over the Warriors on June 10th.

Season winning records became common place. The team was nationally ranked numerous times and had invitations to play in bowl games, though opted not take on the high travel expenses.

The 2005 team returned to the Championship against Rogue led by quarterback and OFL MVP Matt Miles.  The entire staff would earn the OFL South Coaching Staff of the Year.

In 2008 offensive lineman Michael Pett and father Rodney Roberts became one of the rare father-son playing duos in minor league football.  Grandfather Charlie Roberts watched from the stands as three generations supported the Crusaders.
 
The Crusaders battled on through the roll-up of the Oregon League into the newly formed Pacific League combining the best teams of Washington and Oregon in 2011. 
 
Increased pressures from new teams in the area, as well as extended travel, as the new league stretched to Bellingham, Spokane and Yakima, Washington, brought an end to the franchise following the 2011 season.  Along with Rogue, the two remaining "OFL Originals" were no longer, with players flying under a new banner in the Southern Oregon Renegades or retiring after a 14-year run of the franchise that accumulated a 64-59 record, the 2000 OFL Championship, and five playoff and three championship appearances.

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