Sports in Cleveland

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Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Guardians (top left); Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers (top right); and Cleveland Browns Stadium, home of the Cleveland Browns (bottom)

The Cleveland sports community is anchored by three major league professional sports teams: the Cleveland Browns (National Football League), Cleveland Guardians (Major League Baseball), and Cleveland Cavaliers (National Basketball Association). The city is also home to two minor league affiliates that serve as developmental teams for major league franchises: the Cleveland Monsters (American Hockey League, affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL) and Cleveland Charge (NBA G League, affiliated with the Cavaliers). Another minor league team, the Cleveland Crunch, play in Major League Indoor Soccer. Local sporting facilities include Progressive Field, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Wolstein Center, and the I-X Center.

Historically, the Browns have been among the winningest franchises in

NFL/AFC Championship Game in 1968, 1969, 1986, 1987, and 1989
. Former owner
NFL Championship in 1945 before relocating to Los Angeles
.

The Cleveland Guardians (then known as the Indians) won the

2001, Progressive Field (then known as Jacobs Field) sold out 455 consecutive games, a Major League Baseball record until it was broken in 2008.[3]
The franchise changed its name beginning with the 2022 season from the Indians to the Guardians.

The Cavaliers have won the

American Basketball League
championship in 1962.

decision to leave the Cavaliers in 2010 for the Miami Heat.[1] The Cleveland city sports curse is considered to have ended in June 2016, when the Cavaliers won the NBA Championship against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.[6] Shortly before the Cavaliers' victory, the Monsters defeated the Hershey Bears to become AHL champions, the first time a Cleveland hockey team had won the Calder Cup
since 1964.

Notable Cleveland athletes to win top individual accolades include boxer

4 x 100 meter relay team. Cleveland native Dillard is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, having won his medals during the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics in various track and field events. Cleveland State University alum and area native Miocic is a two-time UFC World Heavyweight Champion. Area natives Gerard and Nagotte won Olympic gold medals for snowboarding (2018 Winter Olympics) and pole vaulting (2020 Summer Olympics) respectively. Area natives Mizanin and Ziggler are both two-time World Champions in WWE, with Mizanin holding the WWE Championship and Ziggler the World Heavyweight Championship.[7][8][9][10]

Teams

Main article:
List of Cleveland sports teams

Professional

Current

Major League

Club Sport League Venue Est. in CLE Championships
(in Cleveland)
Cleveland Browns Football National Football League Cleveland Browns Stadium 1946 8
(4
NFL
)
Cleveland Cavaliers Basketball National Basketball Association Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 1970 1
Cleveland Guardians Baseball Major League Baseball Progressive Field 1901 2

Minor League

Club Sport League Venue Est. in CLE Championships
(in Cleveland)
Cleveland Charge Basketball NBA G League Public Auditorium 2021 0*
Cleveland Monsters Ice hockey American Hockey League Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 2007 1
Cleveland Crunch
Indoor Soccer
 Major League Indoor Soccer I-X Center 1989 4
(3 NPSL, 1 M2)

(*) - The Charge have one NBA G League (then known as NBADL) Championship to their credit from 2006 when they were based in Albuquerque, New Mexico and known as the Thunderbirds.

Past

Club League Venue First season
(in Cleveland) 		Last season
(in Cleveland) 		Fate of team Championships
(in Cleveland)
Cleveland Barons National Hockey League Richfield Coliseum 1976 1978 Merged with Minnesota North Stars 0
Cleveland Blues
 National League
Kennard Street Park
 1879 1884 Absorbed into the
Brooklyn Dodgers
 0
Cleveland Indians/Bulldogs National Football League Dunn Field 1923 1927 Moved to Detroit 1
Cleveland Rams American Football League
National Football League
Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Shaw Stadium
 1936 1945 Moved to Los Angeles 1
Cleveland Indians/Tigers
American Professional Football Association
National Football League
 League Park 1916 1922 Team folded 0
Cleveland Indians of 1931
 National Football League
Cleveland Municipal Stadium
 1931 1931 Team folded 0
Cleveland Spiders
American Association
National League
 League Park
National League Park 		1887 1899 Team folded 1
Cleveland Rosenblums
American Basketball League
 Cleveland Public Hall 1925 1931 Team folded 3
Cleveland Barons
 American Hockey League Cleveland Arena 1937 1973 Moved to Jacksonville 9
Cleveland Rebels Basketball Association of America Cleveland Arena 1946 1947 Team folded 0
Cleveland Pipers
American Basketball League
 Cleveland Public Hall
Cleveland Arena 		1961 1962 Team folded 1
Cleveland Crusaders World Hockey Association Cleveland Arena
Richfield Coliseum 		1972 1976 Moved to Saint Paul[11] 0
Cleveland Force
Major Indoor Soccer League
 Richfield Coliseum 1978 1988 Team folded 0
Cleveland Jaybirds
American Professional Slo-Pitch League
 Rose Field 1977 1978 Changed name with new owner Ted Stepien 0
Cleveland Stepien's Competitors
APSPL, North American Softball League
 Rose Field
Daniel's Field 		1979 1980 Disbanded with league
(NASL)
 0
Cleveland Competitors
United Professional Softball League
 Daniel's Field 1982 1982 Disbanded with league 0
Cleveland Thunderbolts Arena Football League Richfield Coliseum 1992 1994 Team folded 0
Cleveland Gladiators Arena Football League
Quicken Loans Arena
 2008 2017 League folded before the team could return from hiatus 0
Cleveland Lumberjacks International Hockey League
Gund Arena
 1992 2001 Team and league folded 0
Cleveland Rockers Women's National Basketball Association
Gund Arena
 1997 2003 Team folded 0
Cleveland Barons
 American Hockey League
Gund Arena
 2001 2006 Moved to Worcester 0
Cleveland Crush
Legends Football League
Quicken Loans Arena
 2011 2013 Moved to Toledo 0

College

Club Sport League Venue Location
Cleveland State Vikings 16 Varsity (7 men's, 9 women's) NCAA Division I (Horizon League) various – including:
Krenzler Field (soccer)
Wolstein Center (men's and women's basketball)
Woodling Gym (wrestling and volleyball) 		Cleveland
Case Western Reserve Spartans 19 Varsity (10 men's, 9 women's) NCAA Division III (University Athletic Association) various – including:
DiSanto Field (football, soccer)
Veale Athletic Center (men's and women's basketball) 		Cleveland

Current arenas and stadiums

The Wolstein Center is home to Cleveland State Vikings basketball and the Cleveland Charge.
Facility name Year opened
Cleveland Browns Stadium 1999
Progressive Field 1994
Public Auditorium 1922
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 1994
Wolstein Center 1991
I-X Center 1942
DiSanto Field 2005

Major professional championships

MLB

1945 Negro World Series championship
1920 & 1948 World Series championships
1895 Temple Cup Series championship

NBA

2016 NBA championship

NFL

1946, 1947, 1948, & 1949 AAFC championships
1950, 1954, 1955, & 1964 NFL championships*
1924 NFL championship*
1945 NFL championship*

(*) - Pre-Super Bowl era

Past teams

Dragon boat racing on the Cuyahoga River

The city has been home to several additional professional sports franchises, including a

IHL, began play and lasted until 2001. Later in 2001, a third incarnation of the Barons was established, this time having returned to the AHL. The Barons moved to Worcester, Massachusetts
following the 2006 season.

In 1997, Cleveland was awarded one of the original eight franchises in the WNBA, the Cleveland Rockers.[16] Although the Rockers finished first in the WNBA Eastern Conference on two occasions, they never made an appearance in the WNBA Finals. The team folded in 2003 after the league was unable to find a new owner. Previous owner Gordon Gund had dropped the team from operation, citing financial losses and poor attendance.[17]

From 1978 to 1988, Cleveland was home to the

NPSL and MISL, who played from 1989 to 2005. The Crunch won three league championships in the 1990s, being the first Cleveland sports team to win a championship since the 1964 Cleveland Browns. They re-adopted the Force name in 2002 before ceasing operations in 2005. The Crunch returned in 2021 playing in the Major Arena Soccer League 2
.

Outdoor soccer has also been represented in Cleveland via the

ASL and the Cleveland Stokers (1967–1968) of the North American Soccer League
.

The

United Soccer Leagues from 2006 to 2009, winning the USL Second Division
championship in 2008 before folding after the 2009 season.

The Cleveland Spiders played in the National League of Major League Baseball from 1887 to 1899. The team folded after the team owners (Robison brothers) had purchased the St. Louis Browns and sent all of Cleveland's star players there. Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young began his career with the Spiders and threw the first of his No-hitters with them.

The Cleveland Gladiators formerly played in the Arena Football League from 2008 to 2017. The team played home games in Quicken Loans arena. They reached the arena bowl in 2014. The team was placed on hiatus for the 2018 and 2019 seasons while renovations were underway at their home arena. Unfortunately for the team the AFL ceased operations before the team could return for 2020.

College sports

The headquarters of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) are located in Cleveland. The conference also stages both its men's and women's basketball tournaments at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

In NCAA Division I, Cleveland State University fields 16 varsity sports playing in the Horizon League. The Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball teams play their home games at the Wolstein Center. The university has periodically considered forming a non-scholarship Division I FCS football program.[18][19][20]

In NCAA Division III, Case Western Reserve University fields 19 varsity sports playing in the UAA. Most notably, in both present day and in Cleveland pastime, is the Case Western Reserve Spartans football team, who boasts a history of football dating back to 1890.[21] Home games are played at DiSanto Field in University Circle.

Although there is no Division I college football team based in the city itself, Cleveland is nationally known for its support of Ohio State Buckeyes football. This is due to the team playing occasional games in Cleveland throughout the years, the large fan base of the Buckeyes (including many Ohio State alumni in the Cleveland/NE Ohio area), and numerous Cleveland area high school standouts playing for OSU (such as Glenville High School alums Troy Smith, winner of the 2006 Heisman Trophy, and 2014 National Championship winning quarterback Cardale Jones).[22][23][24] Cleveland's devotion to Buckeyes football has been documented by fan surveys,[25] television ratings,[26] and even the Terminal Tower being lit up in scarlet and gray during OSU's 2014 National Championship run.[27]

The most notable college football win for Cleveland was the city’s only

college football bowl game victory—the 1941 Sun Bowl—where the Western Reserve Red Cats, now known as Case Western Reserve University, defeated the Arizona State Bulldogs
, now nicknamed Sun Devils, 26–13.

Major events

Cleveland facilities have hosted the

Dew Action Sports Tour Right Guard Open in 2007. In 2013 the city hosted about 11,000 male and female athletes at the National Senior Games. Cleveland hosted the 2014 Gay Games.[28]

Event Number Venue Years
MLB All Star Game
 6 Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Progressive Field		 1935, 1954, 1963, 1981
1997, 2019
NBA All Star Game
 3 Richfield Coliseum
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse		 1981
1997, 2022
International Gay Games 1 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, multiple venues 2014
Ultimate Fighting Championship 1 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse 2016 (UFC 203)
U.S. Figure Skating Championships 4 Cleveland Arena
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse		 1940, 1964
2000, 2009
NFL Draft
 1 Downtown Cleveland, multiple venues
2021
Davis Cup[29] 10 Multiple venues 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1968, 1979 (preliminary matches)
1964, 1969, 1970, 1973 (championship matches)
U.S. Pro Tennis Championships 13 Cleveland Arena, multiple venues 1950-1962

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Walker, James (July 13, 2010). "Take your pick recap: LeBron vs. Modell". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  2. ^ Kroll, John (September 6, 2012). "When Art Modell moved his Cleveland Browns team to Baltimore: How The Plain Dealer reported it". Plain Dealer. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  3. ^ Burt, Bill (September 9, 2008). "Sellouts! Record 456 and counting for Sox". Eagle Tribune. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
  4. OCLC 979415121.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  5. ^ "Ending to 'Believeland' 30 for 30 to change". CBSSports.com.
  6. ^ Lee, Edward (June 22, 2016). "Cavs End the Curse in Cleveland". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  7. ^ "Red Gerard: The Cleveland pride picture you have to see". WKYC. 12 February 2018.
  8. WEWS
    )
  9. ^ WWE Championship - WWE.com
  10. ^ World Heavyweight Championship - WWE.com
  11. ^ The Complete Historical and Statistical Reference to the World Hockey Association, 1972–79. Scott Adam Surgent. Tempe, AZ: Xaler Press
  12. ^ "Cleveland Barons (1976–1978)". Sports E-cyclopedia. Retrieved August 1, 2007.
  13. ^ "Encyclopedia Of Cleveland History". Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
  14. ^ "Encyclopedia of Cleveland History:CLEVELAND CRUSADERS". Ech.case.edu. 1997-06-20. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  15. ^ a b "Encyclopedia of Cleveland History:CLEVELAND BARONS". Ech.case.edu. 2008-09-23. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  16. ^ "Rockers divvied up in dispersal draft". USA Today. January 6, 2004. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
  17. ^ "Cleveland Rockers". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. September 28, 2006. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  18. ^ "Board of Elections". CSUOhio.org. Cleveland State University. 2008. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  19. ^ Turner, Karl (October 14, 2008). "Cleveland State considers a new name and a new football team". Cleveland.com. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  20. ^ Lubinger, Bill (April 15, 2010). "Poll shows Cleveland State students want football team, but costs dampen enthusiasm". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 10, 2010. The survey was the next phase in a process that began in late 2008, when then-outgoing CSU President Michael Schwartz floated the idea of a Vikings football team to enhance the college experience and campus atmosphere.
  21. ^ "WRU Football 1890/91". case.edu.
  22. ^ "Sports & Recreation". Cleveland Scene.
  23. ^ "O-H-I-O - Share your pride". www.osu.edu.
  24. ^ Taylor, John (August 31, 2012). "New Browns owner: 'I'd love Ohio State to play' in Cleveland".
  25. ^ "College Football Fan Map". October 3, 2014 – via NYTimes.com.
  26. ^ "College Football Playoff Semifinals: Highest Overnight Ratings Ever for Non-Championship Football Game on ESPN and ABC". January 2, 2015.
  27. ^ CLE, Terminal Tower (January 12, 2015). "O - H! #BucksvsDuckspic.twitter.com/vcXnPhCI7q".
  28. ^ Maag, Christopher (October 1, 2009). "Forget Chicago: Cleveland Gets the Gay Games". Time. Archived from the original on October 2, 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2010.
  29. ^ "DAVIS CUP MATCHES". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University. 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2022-04-12.

External links

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