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

Ohio is home to major professional sports teams in baseball, basketball,football, hockey, volleyball, and soccer. The state's major professional sporting teams include:Cincinnati Reds (Major League Baseball),^[1]Cleveland Guardians (Major League Baseball),^[2]Cincinnati Bengals (National Football League),^[3]Cleveland Browns (National Football League),^[3]Cleveland Cavaliers (National Basketball Association),^[4]Columbus Blue Jackets (National Hockey League),^[5]Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer),Columbus Fury (Pro Volleyball Federation) andFC Cincinnati (Major League Soccer).^[6]

Ohio played a central role in the development of both Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Baseball's first fully professional team, theCincinnati Red Stockings of 1869, were organized in Ohio.^[7] An informal early 20th centuryAmerican football association, theOhio League, was the direct predecessor of the NFL, although neither of Ohio's modern NFL franchises trace their roots to an Ohio League club. ThePro Football Hall of Fame is located inCanton.

Ohio teams have won sevenWorld Series (five forCincinnati Reds, two forCleveland Guardians), nineNFL Championships (four forCleveland Browns, two forCanton Bulldogs, one forCleveland Rams, one forAkron Pros, one forCleveland Bulldogs), oneNBA Finals (Cleveland Cavaliers), fourAAFC Championships (Cleveland Browns), and threeMLS Cups (Columbus Crew).

On a smaller scale, Ohio hostsminor league baseball,arena football,indoor football, mid-level hockey, and lower division soccer.

The minor league baseball teams include theInternational League'sColumbus Clippers (affiliated with theCleveland Guardians) andToledo Mud Hens (affiliated with theDetroit Tigers), theEastern League'sAkron RubberDucks (affiliated with the Guardians) and theMidwest League'sDayton Dragons (affiliated with theCincinnati Reds) andLake County Captains (affiliated with the Guardians). TheMahoning Valley Scrappers were also affiliated with the former Indians, playing theNew York–Penn League before the2021 Minor League Baseball reorganization and became a founding member of theMLB Draft League. Additionally, theLake Erie Crushers play in the independentFrontier League.

Ohio's minor professional football teams include:Canton Legends 2005-2008 (American Indoor Football Association),Cincinnati Marshals 2005-2007 (National Indoor Football League),Cincinnati Sizzle (Women's Football Alliance),Cleveland Fusion (Women's Football Alliance),Cleveland Gladiators (Arena Football League),Columbus Comets (Women's Football Alliance),Mahoning Valley Thunder 2006-2009 (af2),Marion Mayhem 2006-2010 (Continental Indoor Football League), andMiami Valley Silverbacks 2006-2012 (Continental Indoor Football League).

Ohio's minor league hockey teams include:Cleveland Monsters (American Hockey League),Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL), and theToledo Walleye (ECHL).

Ohio’s minor league basketball teams include:Cleveland Charge (NBA G League) andBurning River Buckets (American Basketball Association)

Ohio has been home to teams in many lower-division soccer leagues. The second-levelUSL Championship (USLC) currently has no teams in the state, but has had Ohio teams in the past. TheDayton 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 asUSL League Two (USL2), 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, theCincinnati Dutch Lions, played home games in Cincinnati from 2014 to 2016, but now plays atNorthern Kentucky University. Other past Ohio teams in USL2 are theCincinnati Riverhawks (1997),Cincinnati Kings (2008–2012),Cleveland Internationals (2004–2010),Dayton Gemini (2000–2002), and Toledo Slayers (2003–2005). Ohio also hasCleveland SC,FC Columbus, and Toledo Villa FC of theNational Premier Soccer League, andColumbus Eagles FC, Cleveland Ambassadors, and Cincinnati Sirens FC of theWomen's Premier Soccer League. Two teams play forMLS Next Pro,FC Cincinnati 2 andColumbus Crew 2.

Ohio is also home to theCleveland Comets, a minor professionalsoftball club, ofNational Pro Fastpitch.

Notable drivers from Ohio includeMauri Rose,Frank Lockhart,Ted Horn,Bobby Rahal,Sam Hornish Jr. andTim Richmond. TheMid-Ohio Sports Car Course has hosted several auto racing championships, includingCART World Series,IndyCar Series,NASCARXfinity Series,Can-Am,Formula 5000,IMSA GT Championship,American Le Mans Series andRolex Sports Car Series.

TheGrand Prix of Cleveland also hosted CART races from 1982 to 2007. TheEldora Speedway is a major dirt oval that hosts NASCARTruck Series,World of Outlaws Sprint Cars andUSAC Silver Crown Series races.

Ohio has several short ovals, includingEldora Speedway andToledo Speedway. Notable dragstrips in Ohio include theNational Trail Raceway and theSummit Motorsports Park.

Ohio hosts twoPGA Tour events, theWGC-Bridgestone Invitational andMemorial Tournament. Columbus nativeJack Nicklaus won 18major golf tournaments, whereas Urbana nativePete Dye is a prominent golf course architect.

TheCincinnati Open is anATP World Tour Masters 1000 andWTA Premier 5 tennis tournament.

Former major league teams:

• Akron Pros (NFL) (1920–1925)
• Canton Bulldogs (NFL) (1920–1923; 1925–1926)
• Portsmouth Spartans (NFL) (1930–1933)
• Cincinnati Red Stockings (NL) (1876–1880)
• Cleveland Blues (NL) (1879–1884)
• Cleveland Spiders (AA-NL) (1887–1899)
• Cleveland Rams (NFL) (1936–1945)
• Cleveland Rebels (BAA) (1946–1947)
• Cincinnati Royals (NBA) (1957–1972)
• Cleveland Barons (NHL) (1976–1978)
• Cleveland Crusaders(WHA)(1972–1976)
• Cincinnati Stingers (WHA) (1975–1979)
• Dayton Triangles (NFL) (1920–1929)
• Cleveland Rockers (WNBA) (1997–2003)
• Columbus Destroyers (AFL) (2004–2008; 2019)
• Cincinnati Marshals (National Indoor Football League) (2005–2007)
• Mahoning Valley Thunder (af2) (2006–2009)
• Miami Valley Silverbacks (Continental Indoor Football League) (2006–2012)
• Toledo Maroons (NFL) (1922-1923)

Ohio has eightNCAA Division I FBS college football teams, divided among three differentconferences. It has also experienced considerable success in the secondary and tertiary tiers of college football divisions.

In FBS, representing theBig Ten, theOhio State Buckeyes football team ranks 5th among all-time winningest programs, with eight national championships and sevenHeisman Trophy winners. Theirbiggest rivals are theMichigan Wolverines, whom they traditionally play each year as the last game of their regular season schedule.

Ohio is one of only two states to have two colleges to appear in theCollege Football Playoffs. Ohio State appeared in 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2020 whileCincinnati appeared in 2021. Of those Ohio State was the only one to win the National Championship in 2014. The Cincinnati Bearcats represent the state in theAmerican Athletic Conference; they will move to theBig 12 Conference in 2023.

Ohio has six teams represented in theMid-American Conference: theAkron Zips,Bowling Green Falcons,Kent State Golden Flashes,Miami RedHawks,Ohio Bobcats andToledo Rockets. The MAC headquarters are inCleveland.

TheYoungstown State Penguins have been a perennial power at theDivision I FCS level in theMissouri Valley Football Conference, having won fourFCS titles.

InNCAA Division III, theMount 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 (2005–2015). 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 (the latter breaking the school's own record of 110, set from 1994 to 2005).^[8]

Former venues

• Cleveland Stadium (1931-1995; capacity: 83,000) –Cleveland Indians andCleveland Browns
• Riverfront Stadium (1970-2002; capacity: 59,754) –Cincinnati Bengals andCincinnati Reds
• Richfield Coliseum (1973–1994; capacity 20,273) –Cleveland Cavaliers,Cleveland Barons, and many others
• Cincinnati Gardens (1949–2016; capacity 10,208) –Cincinnati Royals,Cincinnati Bearcats,Xavier Musketeers,Cincinnati Cyclones, and many others

• 
  Ohio Stadium, home of theOhio State Buckeyes football team
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  FirstEnergy Stadium, home of theCleveland Browns football team
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  Great American Ball Park, home of theCincinnati Reds baseball team
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  Progressive Field, home of theCleveland Guardians baseball team
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  Nationwide Arena, home of theColumbus Blue Jackets.
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  Rocket Arena, home of theCleveland Cavaliers andMonsters
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  ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, home ofColumbus Crew soccer
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  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

• Sports in Cincinnati
• Sports in Cleveland
• List of Sports Coaches From Youngstown, Ohio

• Media related toSports in Ohio at Wikimedia Commons

• Sports in Ohio

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