Sports in Colorado
Encyclopedia
Professional sports teams
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
with a higher population than any other city within 550 miles (885 km). Therefore, many of the residents in the surrounding states support the teams in Denver, as shown by the reach of the Broncos' radio network.
| Club | Home | First game | Sport | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Denver | September 9, 1960 | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... |
| Denver Barbarians Denver Barbarians The Denver Barbarians Rugby Football Club is a SuperLeague rugby union and Division I team based in Denver, Colorado.----- History :The Denver Barbarians Rugby Football Club was founded in 1967. The initial members were men that had been playing rugby with some of the local collegiate teams, or... |
Denver | Spring 1967 | Rugby Union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
Rugby Super League |
| Denver Nuggets Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams... |
Denver | September 27, 1967 | Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
National Basketball Association National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada... |
| Colorado Springs Sky Sox Colorado Springs Sky Sox The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies... |
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado... |
June 18, 1988 | Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Minor League Baseball Minor league baseball Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses... (AAA) |
| Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains... |
Denver | April 5, 1993 | Baseball | Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... |
| Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
Denver | October 6, 1995 | Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
National Hockey League National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
| Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
Commerce City Commerce City, Colorado The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado... |
April 13, 1996 | Soccer | Major League Soccer Major League Soccer Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada... |
| Colorado Mammoth Colorado Mammoth The Colorado Mammoth are a member of the National Lacrosse League. They have played at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, United States, since the 2003 season.... |
Denver | January 3, 2003 | Lacrosse Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh... |
National Lacrosse League National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff... |
| Colorado Eagles Colorado Eagles The Colorado Eagles are a professional ice hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado. The Eagles play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference, where they serve as the "Double-A" affiliate of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps... |
Loveland Loveland, Colorado Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the... |
October 17, 2003 | Ice hockey | ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
| Denver Outlaws Denver Outlaws The Denver Outlaws are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado. They began playing in the MLL in 2006 as an expansion team. From 2006 to 2008, they were in the Western Conference. With the MLL contraction in the 2009 season from 10 to 6 teams The... |
Denver | May 20, 2006 | Lacrosse | Major League Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :... |
Former professional sports teams
| Club | Sport | League |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora Cavalry Aurora Cavalry The Aurora Cavalry is a defunct basketball team from the International Basketball League. They were based in Aurora, Colorado and played only one season in 2006. The team played its home games in a local high school gymnasium.-Cavalry Players:... |
Basketball | International Basketball League International Basketball League (2005-) The International Basketball League is a professional men's spring basketball league featuring teams from the West Coast, Rocky Mountains, Western Canada, and the Midwest. In 2010 the Albany Legends became the first team in the Northeastern United States... |
| Colorado 14ers Colorado 14ers The Colorado 14ers were a team in the NBA Development League which began play in 2006-07. They were affiliated with the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors of the NBA. The 14ers played their home games at the Broomfield Event Center in the Denver suburb of Broomfield, Colorado. ... (won championship in their final season of 2008–09; moved to Frisco, Texas Frisco, Texas Frisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also... and will resume play in 2010–11 as the Texas Legends) |
Basketball | NBA Development League NBA Development League The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001... |
| Colorado Chill Colorado Chill The Colorado Chill were a professional women's basketball team playing in the National Women's Basketball League from 2004-2006. Based in Loveland, Colorado, they were Colorado's second and longest-lived women's pro basketball team... (folded along with the NWBL) |
Basketball | National Women's Basketball League National Women's Basketball League The National Women's Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NWBL, was an organization governing professional basketball leagues for women in the United States. The league was founded in 1997 and began play in the Fall of that year. The league used to have its own season during the off-season... |
| Colorado Crossover Colorado Crossover The Colorado Crossover were a professional basketball team in the International Basketball League. Based in Lakewood, Colorado, the Crossover began play in 2006, and lasted 2 seasons, compiling an overall 18-21 record... |
Basketball | International Basketball League |
| Colorado Crush Colorado Crush Colorado Crush were an Arena Football League team that began play as a 2003 expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspended operations in 2009... (suspended operations with the AFL, and did not return when a new AFL was formed) |
Arena football Arena football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.... |
Arena Football League |
| Colorado Rapids U23's | Soccer | USL Premier Development League USL Premier Development League The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid... |
| Colorado Rockies (NHL) Colorado Rockies (NHL) The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was... (moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan.... and became the New Jersey Devils New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... ) |
Ice Hockey | National Hockey League National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
| Colorado Xplosion Colorado Xplosion The Colorado Xplosion was the first women's professional basketball franchise in Colorado, an American Basketball League team based in Denver. Playing from 1996 through 1998, the team produced many memorable moments for Colorado sports fans and followers of women's professional basketball in... (won the Western Conference Championship in inaugural season) |
Women's Basketball | American Basketball League (1996-1998) American Basketball League (1996-1998) The American Basketball League, often abbreviated to the ABL of 1996 was an independent professional basketball league for women in the United States. At the same time the ABL was being formed, the National Basketball Association was creating the Women's National Basketball Association... |
| Colorado Springs Blizzard Colorado Springs Blizzard Colorado Springs Blizzard were an American soccer team, founded in 2004. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The Blizzard played... |
Soccer | USL Premier Development League |
| Denver Grizzlies (moved to Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197... , later moved to Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border... and became the Lake Erie Monsters Lake Erie Monsters The Lake Erie Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio... ) |
Ice Hockey | International Hockey League (1945-2001) |
| Denver Spurs Denver Spurs The Denver Spurs were a professional ice hockey team based out of Denver, Colorado. The Spurs began play in the Western Hockey League in 1968, and played at the Denver Coliseum. The Spurs became the first professional sports team in Colorado to win a championship in 1971–72... (moved to Ottawa, Ontario and became the Ottawa Civics Ottawa Civics The Ottawa Civics was a professional ice hockey team based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that played a portion of one season in the World Hockey Association in a mid-season relocation of the Denver Spurs.-Move to Ottawa:... for the rest of the team's existence) |
Ice Hockey | World Hockey Association World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926... /Central Hockey League Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs.... /Western Hockey League Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
| Denver Dynamite Denver Dynamite (arena football) This article is about the former Arena Football League franchise. For the Professional Arena Soccer League soccer club, see Denver Dynamite .... (Inaugural AFL member; folded after four seasons) |
Arena Football | Arena Football League |
| Denver Gold Denver Gold The Denver Gold was a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second major professional football league in the United States, playing a springtime season, from 1983 to 1985... (United States Football League member, 1983–1985) |
Football | United States Football League United States Football League The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in... |
| Denver Bears/Denver Zephyrs (moved to New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population... and became the New Orleans Zephyrs New Orleans Zephyrs The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field.... ) |
Baseball | American Association American Association (20th century) The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the... /Pacific Coast League Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The... |
| Denver Racquets 1974 Champions (moved to Phoenix 1975) | Tennis Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... |
World Team Tennis World Team Tennis World TeamTennis is a coed professional tennis league played with a unique team format in the United States. Each match consists of five sets. Each set features a different configuration . Coaches, before the match, decide the order in which the sets will be played... |
| Rocky Mountain Rage Rocky Mountain Rage The Rocky Mountain Rage are an inactive professional ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League. Their first season was in 2006-07. They played their home games at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado... |
Ice hockey | Central Hockey League |