List of Cleveland sports teams

Sports teams ever to play in Cleveland. Teams still in existence are in bold.

Baseball

Active

• Cleveland Indians, American League (1915-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 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

Active

• Cleveland Cavaliers, National Basketball Association (1970-present)

Defunct

• Cleveland Rosenblums, American Basketball League (1925–1931)
• Cleveland Chase Brassmen, National Basketball League (1943–1944)
• Cleveland Allmen Transfers, National Basketball League (1944–1946)
• Cleveland Rebels, Basketball Association of America (1946–1947)
• Cleveland Pipers, American Basketball League (1961–1962)

Women's basketball

• Cleveland Rockers, Women's National Basketball Association (1997–2003)

College

Active

• Cleveland State Vikings
• Case Western Reserve University Spartans

Defunct

• Ohio Chiropody (1929-1941)

Football

Active

• Cleveland Browns, All-America Football Conference (1946–1949) National Football League (1950–1995, 1999–present)
• Cleveland Gladiators, Arena Football League (2008, 2010–present)
• Cleveland Fusion, Women's Football Alliance (2002-present)
• Cleveland Crush, Lingerie Football League (2011-present)

Defunct/Relocated

• Cleveland Tigers (NFL) APFA (1920), originally named as the Cleveland Indians in 1916, renamed 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) (known as the St. Louis Rams since 1995)
• Cleveland Thunderbolts AFL (Arena) (1992–1994), relocated from Columbus, Ohio

Ice Hockey

Active

• Lake Erie Monsters, American Hockey League (2007-present)

Defunct/Relocated

• Cleveland Indians, International Hockey League (1929–1934)
• Cleveland Falcons, IHL & AHL (1934–1937)
• Cleveland Barons, American Hockey League (1937–1973)
• Cleveland Crusaders, World Hockey Association (1972–1976)
• Cleveland Barons, NHL (1976–1978)
• Cleveland Lumberjacks, IHL (1992–2001)
• Cleveland Barons, American Hockey League (2001–2006)
• Cleveland Jr. Barons, NAHL (2005–2006)

Soccer

Active

• AFC Cleveland, National Premier Soccer League (2012-present)

Defunct/Relocated

• Cleveland Stokers, North American Soccer League (1967–1968)
• Cleveland Stars, American Soccer League (1972–1973) (name change from Cleveland Stars to Cleveland Cobras before 1974 season commenced)
• Cleveland Cobras, American Soccer League (1974–1981)
• Cleveland Force, MISL (1978–1988)
• Cleveland Force, (formerly Cleveland Crunch) NPSL (later reorganized as the MISL) (1989–2005)
• Cleveland City Stars, USL First Division (2006–2009)

Softball

• Cleveland Jaybirds, American Professional Slow Pitch League (1977–1978)
• 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

• Cleveland Nets (featured Björn Borg & Martina Navratilova), World Team Tennis (1974–1977)