# 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 Indians, 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 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)