Sports in Seattle
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The
The city's first professional sports team was the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA)'s Seattle Metropolitans, who became the first American ice hockey team to win the Stanley Cup.[1] Several expansion teams were created for Seattle by various leagues in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association in 1967; the short-lived Seattle Pilots in Major League Baseball, who played one season in 1969; the original Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League in 1974; the National Football League's Seattle Seahawks in 1976; and the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball in 1977. Several of these teams shared the Kingdome, a multipurpose venue opened in 1976, before purpose-built stadiums were built in the 1990s and 2000s.
Several professional teams in women's leagues were also established in the 21st century, including the
Major professional teams
At 4.1 million residents in 2023, Greater Seattle is now the 15th-largest
Professional soccer in Seattle has always involved the Seattle Sounders, whose
In 1976, the NFL's Seattle Seahawks began play. The Seahawks played at the Kingdome until its implosion in 2000. The Seahawks now play in Lumen Field.
In 1977, following years of legal wrangling over the move of the Seattle Pilots to Milwaukee (to become the Milwaukee Brewers), the MLB awarded Seattle a new baseball franchise, the Seattle Mariners. From 1977 the Mariners played in the Kingdome until mid-season 1999 when the team moved across the street to what is now known as T-Mobile Park, where they continue to play today.
The
In 2013, Seattle's professional women's soccer team Seattle Reign FC, including several members of the World Cup winning US women's national team, opened their first season as Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League at Starfire Sports Complex and played at Memorial Stadium in Seattle Center through 2018. Starting in the 2019 NWSL season, the rebranded Reign FC began play on their new home pitch at Tacoma's Cheney Stadium. During the 2019–20 offseason, the parent company of prominent French club Olympique Lyonnais bought a majority stake in Reign FC, and soon rebranded the side yet again as OL Reign. The team returned to Seattle in 2022 and now shares Lumen Field with the Seahawks and Sounders.
In September 2012, the Seattle City Council agreed to move forward towards building a $490 million new arena in the SoDo, Seattle neighborhood.[3] This commitment was intended to help bring the NBA back to Seattle along with the NHL. Instead, five years later, on December 3, 2017, the Council approved the expansion of Key Arena in Seattle Center, under the direction of the Oak View Group.[4] Three days later, on December 6, 2017, the NHL awarded a new franchise opportunity to Seattle.[5]
In 1976, Seattle was
In 2017, the
Current major professional teams
| Club names | Sport | League | Home venue | Founded | First season | National titles[a] |
Avg attendance[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Sounders FC | Soccer | MLS | Lumen Field | 1974 NASL
|
2009 (MLS) | 8 | 33,607 |
| Seattle Seahawks | Football | NFL | Lumen Field | 1974 | 1976 | 1 | 68,832 |
| Seattle Mariners | Baseball | MLB | T-Mobile Park | 1977 | 1977 | 0 | 28,238 |
| Seattle Kraken | Ice hockey | NHL | Climate Pledge Arena | 2018 | 2021 | 0 | 17,151 |
| Seattle Storm | Basketball | WNBA | Climate Pledge Arena | 1999 | 2000 | 4 | 10,631 |
| Seattle Seawolves | Rugby Union | MLR | Starfire Sports Complex
|
2017 | 2018 | 2 | 3,608 |
| Seattle Reign FC | Soccer | NWSL | Lumen Field | 2012 | 2014 | 4 | 7,596 |
| Seattle Orcas | Twenty20 Cricket | MLC | Marymoor Park | 2023 | 2023 | 0 | 3,300 |
- NWSL Championship.
- ^ most recent complete season.
Championships
As of 2023, the city of Seattle enjoys a total of 21 national & international professional team championships, including one
Championship Shields. Nineteen of these twenty-one titles were won in the 21st century, over the course of 18 years (2004-2022).Seattle's first professional sports championship was brought to the city by the Seattle Metropolitans in 1917, when they became the first American team to win the coveted Stanley Cup by beating the Montreal Canadiens three games to one. They returned to the Stanley Cup finals twice more. Their first return, again versus Montreal, was in 1919; that series was cancelled due to an outbreak of influenza with the two teams tied at 2–2–1. The Metropolitans last went to the Stanley Cup finals in 1920, when they lost to the Ottawa Senators.
Led by
Another national basketball championship trophy arrived in 2004, when the Seattle Storm defeated the Connecticut Sun two games to one to win the WNBA championship. The Seattle Storm won their second WNBA title in 2010, beating the Atlanta Dream in 3 games. Eight years later, the Storm swept the Washington Mystics in 2018 to take their third national championship. The team earned a fourth WNBA title in 2020 in a sweep against the Las Vegas Aces with all games played at a quarantined facility in Florida.[9]
The Seattle Mariners have won the American League West Pennant three times – in 1995, 1997, and, most recently, in 2001, after a record 116-win season. The Mariners, however, have yet to win an American League Championship Series or participate in a World Series Championship. After the then-longest playoff drought in professional American sports (21 years), the Mariners clinched their next trip to the post-season on September 30, 2022 by defeating the Oakland Athletics with a walk-off home run in the ninth inning in front of a sold-out crowd at T-Mobile Park.
In 2014 – the second regular season of the U.S. National Women's Soccer League – Seattle Reign FC attained the highest season point total of all nine league teams to receive their first NWSL Shield award. The Reign became the league's first team to repeat this achievement when they defeated the Boston Breakers at Memorial Stadium on August 26, 2015. On October 1, 2022, OL Reign clinched their third NWSL Shield by defeating the Orlando Pride 3–0.
The Seahawks have won nine NFL division titles, including two in the AFC West and seven in the NFC West. They won the NFC championship in 2006, earning them their first trip to Super Bowl XL, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21–10. In 2014, the Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field, to clinch their second NFC title and a berth in Super Bowl XLVIII, where they routed the Denver Broncos 43–8 to win their first Lombardi trophy. The following season, the Seahawks overcame a deficit in the NFC championship game with the Green Bay Packers in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to claim their first back-to-back George Halas trophies. In Super Bowl XLIX at the University of Phoenix Stadium (now State Farm Stadium), the Seahawks missed the opportunity to claim their second Super Bowl win in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, falling to the New England Patriots by a score of 28–24.
Other teams
The
Originally arriving in 1974, the men's
Several minor-league soccer teams are also based in the Seattle area, including members of USL League Two. Two neighborhood-level teams, Ballard FC and West Seattle Junction FC, play in Seattle proper.[12]
Current teams
Championships
The Seattle Sounders (USL) won the A-League championship in 1995 and 1996 and the US First Division championship in 2005 and 2007.
The Seattle SeaDogs defeated the Houston Hotshots two games to none for the Continental Indoor Soccer League championship in 1997.
The
The
The
The Seattle Thunderbirds were the 2-time WHL champions in the 2016–17 and 2022–23 seasons.
College and high school sports
College sports
The
A Huskies rowing team represented the United States at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany and defeated the Nazi Germany team to win the gold medal. The story was later chronicled in the 2013 book The Boys in the Boat.[13]
In addition to the Seattle-based teams, the Spokane-based Gonzaga Bulldogs play one men's basketball game each season at Climate Pledge Arena in an event billed as the Battle in Seattle.
| Club | Sport | Division (Conf.) | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Huskies | Football | Division I (Pac-12) | Husky Stadium |
| Washington Huskies | Basketball | Division I (Pac-12) | Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion |
| Seattle Redhawks | Basketball | Division I (WAC) | Climate Pledge Arena, Redhawk Center |
High school and youth sports
Rugby is growing in Seattle at the high school and youth level, with several schools adding programs, such as Shorecrest, Roosevelt and Nathan Hale High School.[14]
Former teams
Former major professional teams
The first professional team to play in Seattle was the PCHA Seattle Metropolitans, which played in the Seattle Ice Arena between 1915 and 1924. In 1967, the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics (more commonly known as the "Sonics") became the first modern-day major professional sports franchise in Seattle. However, in 2008, the Sonics' ownership group moved the team to Oklahoma City. In 1969, the Major League Baseball Seattle Pilots were established, but only played one year in Seattle before moving to Milwaukee. The Pilots' sole season was immortalized in Jim Bouton's book Ball Four.
| Club Name | Sport | League | Championships | In Seattle | Last venue | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Metropolitans | Ice hockey | PCHA | 1917 Stanley Cup | 1915–1924 | Seattle Ice Arena | Folded, league collapsed |
| Seattle Pilots | Baseball | MLB | none | 1969 | Sick's Stadium | Moved, became Milwaukee Brewers |
| Seattle SuperSonics | Basketball | NBA | 1979 NBA | 1967–2008 | KeyArena
|
Moved, became Oklahoma City Thunder |
Other former teams
| Club | Sport | League | Championships | In Seattle | Last Venue | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everett Hawks | Indoor football
|
NWFL, NIFL, AF2 | '03, '04 (NWFL), '04 (NAFL) | 2002–2007 | Comcast Arena | Folded |
| Everett Raptors | Indoor football
|
IFL | None | 2010–2012 | Comcast Arena | Folded |
| Seattle Mist | Indoor football
|
LFL
|
2015, 2017, 2019 | 2009–2019 | ShoWare Center
|
League ceased operations |
| Seattle Rangers | Football | CFL | None | 1967–1969 | Memorial Stadium | League folded |
| Seattle Reign | Women's basketball | ABL
|
None | 1996–1998 | Mercer Arena, KeyArena | League folded |
| Seattle Sea Dragons | Football
|
XFL
|
None | 2020–2023 | Lumen Field | Team folded |
| Seattle SeaDogs | Indoor soccer | CISL | 1997 CISL Championship | 1995–1997 | KeyArena | League folded |
| Snohomish Co. Explosion | Basketball | IBL, NABL | None | 2007–2010 | Monroe Sports Arena
|
Folded |
| Washington Stealth | Lacrosse | NLL | 2010 Champion's Cup
|
2010–2013 | Comcast Arena | Relocated
|
| Seattle Totems | Ice hockey | CHL | Three Lester Patrick Cups (1959, 1967, 1968) | 1944–1974 | Seattle Center Coliseum | Folded |
| Seattle Steelheads | Baseball | West Coast Negro Baseball Association | None | 1944–1946 | Sick's Stadium | League folded |
Other sports
Swimmer Helene Madison (1913–1970) of Seattle won three gold medals at the 1932 Olympic Games.
The Seattle Dojo[1], which was founded before 1907, is the oldest judo academy in the United States.
Sporting events
Seattle has been host to a number of important sporting events. It hosted the
In 1998, the Seattle City Council rejected a resolution 8-to-1 that would have allowed Seattle to be considered for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[15]
The Seattle Marathon has taken place annually since 1970.
Seattle has hosted several United States men's national soccer team and United States women's national soccer team events in the past, including men's FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in 1976 and 2013.[16]
Lumen Field has hosted CONCACAF Gold Cup matches in 2005 and 2013.[17] The stadium was also proposed as a 2016 Copa América venue and was considered, along with Husky Stadium, in the failed U.S. bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[18][19]
2026 FIFA World Cup
Lumen Field is one of eleven U.S. venues which will host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [20]
See also
Notes and references
- ^ Morton, Ralph (March 26, 2017). "Take 2: 1917 Metropolitans started Seattle's championship run". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Stone, Larry (January 19, 2023). "Seattle sports fans, savor this Golden Moment in Time". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Murphy, Patricia (October 15, 2012). "King County And Seattle City Councils Say Yes To Sodo Arena". KUOW-FM. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ^ "Seattle City Council Passes MOU for Oak View Group's $600M+ KeyArena Redevelopment". seattlebusinessmag.com. December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
- NHL.com. December 7, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- king5.com. July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ^ Abdeldaiem, Alaa (December 4, 2018). "NHL Board of Governors Approve Seattle Expansion Team". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ Monahan, Terry (June 16, 2019). "Seawolves repeat as Major League Rugby champions with try as time expires". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Copeland, Kareem (October 6, 2020). "Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird grab another ring as Seattle Storm wins WNBA title". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ "T-Birds Win Western Hockey League Championship – Seattle Thunderbirds".
- ^ Evans, Jayda (January 9, 2024). "OL Reign transform to Seattle Reign FC in throwback to original name and crest". Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ Evans, Jayda (January 10, 2024). "Two former Sounders take over as coaches of USL League Two sides". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ Stricherz, Vince (June 2, 2013). "New book tells stirring story of UW crew winning Olympic gold". UW Today. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^ "Seattle Launching Single-School HS 7s Competition", Gof Rugby Report, December 8, 2015.
- ^ Halverson, Matthew (June 20, 2012). "Inside Seattle's Unsuccessful Bid for the 2012 Olympics". Seattle Metropolitan. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^ Petterson, Joel (June 9, 2013). "It's been a long, successful road back to Seattle for U.S. Soccer". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ^ "CenturyLink Field to Host Gold Cup Matches on July 11". Seattle Sounders FC. March 13, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ^ "USA Bid Committee Announces List of 27 Cities Still in Contention For Inclusion in U.S. Bid to Host FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022". USSoccer.com. United States Soccer Federation. August 20, 2009. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ^ "Centennial Cup America 2016 Venue Selection Process Draws Interest from 24 Metropolitan Areas across U.S." (Press release). CONCACAF. January 8, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ^ Evans, Jayda (November 1, 2021). "There are a lot of factors in considering Seattle as a 2026 men's World Cup city. The biggest might just be the surface of Lumen Field". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
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