List of sports teams in Cleveland

The following is a list of sports teams that either are currently or were previously based in Cleveland, Ohio. Teams still active in Cleveland are listed in bold.

Baseball

Active

• Cleveland Guardians, Major League Baseball (1901–present)

Defunct

• Cleveland Forest Citys, National Association (1871–1872)
• Cleveland Spiders, National League (1879–1884, 1889–1899)
• Cleveland Blues, American Association (1887–1888)
• Cleveland Infants, Players' League (1890)
• Cleveland Green Sox Federal League (1913)
• Cleveland Bearcats, American Association (1914)
• Cleveland Spiders, American Association (1915)
• Cleveland Tate Stars, Negro National League (1922)
• Cleveland Browns, Negro National League (1924)
• Cleveland Elites, Negro National League (1926)
• Cleveland Hornets, Negro National League (1927)
• Cleveland Tigers, Negro National League (1928)
• Cleveland Cubs, Negro National League (1931)
• Cleveland Stars, East-West League (1932)
• Cleveland Giants, Negro National League (1933)
• Cleveland Red Sox, Negro National League (1934)
• Cleveland Bears, Negro American League (1939–1940)
• Cleveland Buckeyes, Negro American League (1943–1948, 1950)

Basketball

Men's basketball

Active

• Cleveland Cavaliers, National Basketball Association (1970–present)
• Cleveland Charge, NBA G League (established 2001, moved to Cleveland 2021)

Defunct

• Cleveland Rosenblums, American Basketball League (1925–31)
• Cleveland Chase Brassmen, National Basketball League (1943–44)
• Cleveland Allmen Transfers, National Basketball League (1944–46)
• Cleveland Rebels, Basketball Association of America (1946–47)
• Cleveland Pipers, American Basketball League (1961–1962)

Women's basketball

Defunct

• Cleveland Rockers, Women's National Basketball Association (1997–2003)

Collegiate sports

Active

• Cleveland State Vikings -- 17 Varsity (7 men's, 9 women's, 1 coed)
  • Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball
  • Cleveland State Vikings women's basketball
  • Cleveland State Vikings men's soccer
• Case Western Reserve Spartans -- 19 Varsity (10 men's, 9 women's)
  • Case Western Reserve Spartans football

Defunct

• Ohio Chiropody (1929–41)

Football

Active

• Cleveland Browns, All-America Football Conference (1946–1949) National Football League (1950–1995, 1999–present)
• Cleveland Fusion, Women's Football Alliance (2002–present)

Defunct/relocated

• Cleveland Tigers (NFL) APFA (1920), originally named as the Tigers in 1916 ^[1] in the Ohio League; renamed Indians in 1921
• Cleveland Indians (NFL 1931), league-sponsored team that only played on the road
• Cleveland Bulldogs NFL (1924–1925) (1927), named as the Cleveland Indians in 1923
• Cleveland Panthers AFL (1926)
• Cleveland Rams AFL (1936) NFL (1937–1942) (1944–1945) (now known as the Los Angeles Rams)
• Cleveland Thunderbolts AFL (Arena) (1992–1994), relocated from Columbus, Ohio
• Cleveland Crush, Legends Football League (2011–13)
• Cleveland Gladiators, Arena Football League (2008, 2010–2020)

Ice hockey

Active

• Cleveland Monsters, American Hockey League (2007–present)

Defunct/relocated

• Cleveland Indians, International Hockey League (1929–34)
• Cleveland Falcons, IHL & AHL (1934–37)
• Cleveland Barons, American Hockey League relocated to Jacksonville, Florida (1937–73)
• Cleveland Crusaders, World Hockey Association (1972–76)
• Cleveland Barons, NHL (1976–78)
• Cleveland Lumberjacks, IHL (1992–2001)
• Cleveland Barons, American Hockey League relocated to Worcester, Massachusetts(2001–06)
• Cleveland Jr. Barons, NAHL (2005–06)

Roller Derby

Active

• Burning River Roller Derby, Women's Flat Track Derby Association (2006–Present)
• Cleveland Men's Roller Derby Guardians, Men's Roller Derby Association (2013–Present)

Rugby league

• Cleveland Rugby League, North American Rugby League (2021–Present)

Rugby union

Active

• Cleveland Rovers RFC, USA Rugby (1978–present)
• Cleveland Women's RFC, Iron Maidens (2003–present)
• Cleveland Crusaders RFC, (2015–present)

Soccer

Active

• Cleveland Crunch, Major League Indoor Soccer (1989–present)
• Cleveland SC, National Premier Soccer League (2018–present)

Defunct/relocated

• Cleveland Stokers, North American Soccer League (1967–68)
• Cleveland Stars, American Soccer League (1972–73) (name change from Cleveland Stars to Cleveland Cobras before 1974 season commenced)
• Cleveland Cobras, American Soccer League (1974–81)
• Cleveland Force, MISL (1978–88)
• Cleveland Force, MISL (2002–2005) (name change from Cleveland Crunch back to Cleveland Force in 2002, when NPSL became the MISL)
• Cleveland City Stars, USL First Division (2006–09)
• Cleveland Internationals, USL PDL (2004–10)
• Cleveland Freeze, Professional Arena Soccer League (2013–2014)
• AFC Cleveland, National Premier Soccer League (2012–2017)

Softball

Defunct

• Cleveland Jaybirds, American Professional Slow Pitch League (1977–78)
• Cleveland Stepien's Competitors, American Professional Slow Pitch League (1979)
• Cleveland Stepien's Competitors, North American Softball League (1980)
• Cleveland Competitors, United Professional Softball League (1982)

Indoor professional team tennis

Defunct

• Cleveland Nets (featured Björn Borg & Martina Navratilova), World Team Tennis (1974–77)

See also

• Sports in Cleveland

References

1. Roberts, Milt (1979). "Peggy Parratt MVP" (PDF). Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association. 1 (6): 1–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-22.