Sports in Ohio


is home to many professional and college sports teams. The metropolitan areas of Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus are home to major league professional sports teams in baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer.

Major league sports teams

Ohio is home to major professional sports teams in baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and rugby union. The state's major professional sporting teams include: Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Columbus Crew SC, and FC Cincinnati.
Ohio played a central role in the development of both Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Baseball's first fully professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869, were organized in Ohio. An informal early 20th century American football association, the Ohio League, was the direct predecessor of the NFL, although neither of Ohio's modern NFL franchises trace their roots to an Ohio League club. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton.
Ohio teams have won 7 World Series, 9 NFL Championships, 1 NBA Finals, 4 AAFC Championships, 3 NBL Finals, 1 MLS Cup, 1 Negro World Series, and 1 Temple Cup.

Minor league teams

On a smaller scale, Ohio hosts minor league baseball, arena football, indoor football, mid-level hockey, and lower division soccer.
The minor league baseball teams include: Akron RubberDucks, Lake Erie Crushers, Columbus Clippers, Dayton Dragons, Lake County Captains, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, and Toledo Mud Hens.
Ohio's minor professional football teams include: Canton Legends 2005-2008, Cincinnati Marshals 2005-2007, Cincinnati Sizzle, Cleveland Fusion, Cleveland Gladiators, Columbus Comets, Mahoning Valley Thunder 2006-2009, Marion Mayhem 2006-2010, and Miami Valley Silverbacks 2006-2012.
Ohio's minor league hockey teams include: Cleveland Monsters, Cincinnati Cyclones, and the Toledo Walleye.
Ohio has been home to teams in many lower-division soccer leagues. The second-level USL Championship currently has no teams in the state, but has had Ohio teams in the past. The Dayton Dutch Lions played in the league, then known as USL Pro, from 2011 to 2014, after which it moved to the league then known as the Premier Development League and now as USL League Two, where it remains today. From 2016 to 2018, FC Cincinnati played in the USLC, then known as the United Soccer League, before being replaced by the current MLS team of the same name. The aforementioned Dayton Dutch Lions are the only current USL2 team that plays in Ohio. A second current USL2 team, the Cincinnati Dutch Lions, played home games in Cincinnati from 2014 to 2016, but now plays at Northern Kentucky University. Other past Ohio teams in USL2 are the Cincinnati Riverhawks, Cincinnati Kings, Cleveland Internationals, Dayton Gemini, and Toledo Slayers. Ohio also has Cleveland SC, FC Columbus, and Toledo Villa FC of the National Premier Soccer League, and Columbus Eagles FC, Cleveland Ambassadors, and Cincinnati Sirens FC of the Women's Premier Soccer League.
Ohio is also home to the Cleveland Comets, a minor professional softball club, of National Pro Fastpitch.

Individual sports

Notable drivers from Ohio include Mauri Rose, Frank Lockhart, Ted Horn, Bobby Rahal, Sam Hornish Jr. and Tim Richmond. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has hosted several auto racing championships, including CART World Series, IndyCar Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, Can-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA GT Championship, American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series.
The Grand Prix of Cleveland also hosted CART races from 1982 to 2007. The Eldora Speedway is a major dirt oval that hosts NASCAR Truck Series, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and USAC Silver Crown Series races.
Ohio has several short ovals, including Eldora Speedway and Toledo Speedway. Notable dragstrips in Ohio include the National Trail Raceway and the Summit Motorsports Park.
Ohio hosts two PGA Tour events, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and Memorial Tournament. Columbus native Jack Nicklaus won 18 major golf tournaments, whereas Urbana native Pete Dye is a prominent golf course architect.
The Cincinnati Masters is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and WTA Premier 5 tennis tournament.

Former professional teams

Former major league teams:
Ohio has eight NCAA Division I FBS college football teams, divided among three different conferences. It has also experienced considerable success in the secondary and tertiary tiers of college football divisions.
In FBS, representing the Big Ten, the Ohio State Buckeyes football team ranks 5th among all-time winningest programs, with eight national championships and seven Heisman Trophy winners. Their biggest rivals are the Michigan Wolverines, whom they traditionally play each year as the last game of their regular season schedule.
Ohio has six teams represented in the Mid-American Conference: the Akron Zips, Bowling Green Falcons, Kent State Golden Flashes, Miami RedHawks, Ohio Bobcats and Toledo Rockets. The MAC headquarters are in Cleveland.
The Cincinnati Bearcats represent the state in the American Athletic Conference.
The Youngstown State Penguins have been a perennial power at the Division I FCS level in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, having won four FCS titles.
In NCAA Division III, the Mount Union Purple Raiders boast a record-setting 13 national championships, most recently in 2017. Since 1996, the Purple Raiders have advanced to the Division III title game in all but three seasons, and appeared in 11 consecutive title games. They also boast two record winning streaks for D-III—55 straight wins overall from 2000 to 2003, and 112 straight regular-season wins from 2005 to 2016.

Stadiums and arenas

StadiumCityCapacityTypeTenantsOpened
Ohio StadiumColumbus104,944FootballOhio State Buckeyes1922
FirstEnergy StadiumCleveland73,200FootballCleveland Browns1999
Paul Brown StadiumCincinnati65,790FootballCincinnati Bengals2000
Great American Ball ParkCincinnati42,059BaseballCincinnati Reds2003
Nippert StadiumCincinnati40,000FootballCincinnati Bearcats
FC Cincinnati		1915
Progressive FieldCleveland38,000BaseballCleveland Indians1994
Rubber BowlAkron31,000FootballHigh school1940
InfoCision Stadium – Summa FieldAkron30,000FootballAkron Zips football2009
Doyt Perry StadiumBowling Green28,599FootballBowling Green Falcons1966
Glass BowlToledo26,248FootballToledo Rockets1937
Dix StadiumKent25,319FootballKent State Golden Flashes1969
Fred C. Yager StadiumOxford24,286FootballMiami RedHawks1983
Peden StadiumAthens24,000FootballOhio Bobcats1929
Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown20,630FootballYoungstown State Penguins1982
Rocket Mortgage ArenaCleveland20,562ArenaCleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Monsters		1994
Mapfre StadiumColumbus20,455SoccerColumbus Crew1999
Nationwide ArenaColumbus19,500ArenaColumbus Blue Jackets2000
Value City ArenaColumbus18,809ArenaOhio State Buckeyes1998
U.S. Bank ArenaCincinnati17,000ArenaCincinnati Cyclones1975
Wolstein CenterCleveland13,610ArenaCleveland State Vikings1991
UD ArenaDayton13,455ArenaDayton Flyers
NCAA First Four		1969
Fifth Third ArenaCincinnati13,176ArenaCincinnati Bearcats1989
Nutter CenterDayton10,464ArenaWright State Raiders1990
Fifth Third FieldToledo10,300BaseballToledo Mud Hens2002
Cintas CenterCincinnati10,250ArenaXavier Musketeers2000
Huntington ParkColumbus10,000BaseballColumbus Clippers2009
Canal ParkAkron9,097BaseballAkron RubberDucks1997
Savage ArenaToledo9,000ArenaToledo Rockets 1976
Day Air BallparkDayton8,500BaseballDayton Dragons2000
Huntington CenterToledo8,000ArenaToledo Walleye2009
CareFlight FieldSpringboro6,500FootballHigh School2009
James A. Rhodes ArenaAkron5,500ArenaAkron Zips1983
Taft ColiseumColumbus5,000ArenaHigh school1918

; Former venues
; Future venues