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List of U.S. and Canadian cities by number of major professional sports teams

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This is a list of urban areas in the United States and Canada categorized by the number of major professional sports teams in their urban areas.

Major professional sports leagues

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Main article: Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada

The major professional sports leagues, or simply major leagues, in the United States and Canada are the highest professional competitions of team sports in the two countries. Although individual sports such as golf, mixed martial arts, tennis, and auto racing are also very popular, the term is usually limited to team sports.

The term "major league" was first used in 1921 in reference to Major League Baseball (MLB), the top level of professional American baseball. Today, the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada are Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL) and the National Hockey League (NHL).[1] These four leagues are also commonly referred to as the "Big Four". Each is the richest professional club competition in its respective sport worldwide. The best players can become cultural icons in both countries and elsewhere in the world, because the leagues enjoy a significant place in popular culture in the U.S. and Canada. The NFL and NHL each have 32 teams, and the MLB and the NBA each have 30 teams.

Baseball, football and hockey have had professional leagues for over 100 years; early leagues such as the National Association, Ohio League and National Hockey Association formed the basis of the modern MLB, NFL and NHL respectively. Basketball is a relatively new development; the NBA evolved when the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America merged, taking on its current form in 1949. The fifth biggest professional sports league is Major League Soccer (MLS), which will have 30 teams when the 2025 season begins. While soccer is very popular globally, it had struggled to become established in Canada and the United States with several professional leagues starting and folding before MLS was founded in 1996. The Canadian Football League (CFL), a much smaller league (9 teams), was founded in 1958 and is popular in Canada. All six of these leagues draw 15,000 or more fans in attendance per game on average as of 2015. This list includes a ranking by teams in the Big Four (B4) and a separate ranking including MLS and CFL teams called the Big Six (B6).

The most recent market to receive a new Big Four team is Salt Lake City, Utah, in which the NHL's Utah Hockey Club made its debut in the 2024–25 season. The largest urban area without a team in one of the Big Four leagues is the 31st-ranked Austin region, though it does have an MLS team. The largest urban area without a team in one of the Big Six leagues is the 38th-ranked Virginia Beach-Norfolk region.

Teams by urban area

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The following list contains all urban areas in the United States and Canada containing at least one team in any of the six major leagues. The number of teams in the Big Four leagues (B4) (NFL[2], MLB[3], NBA[4], and NHL[5]) and the Big Six leagues (B6) (aforementioned leagues plus MLS[6] and CFL)[7] are included in the table below. No urban area has teams in all six leagues, as NFL teams are exclusively in the United States and CFL teams are exclusively in Canada. There are currently 12 urban areas with teams in five leagues, excluding the gridiron football league of the other country.

Urban area Country Pop.
rank 		Population
(2023 est.)[8] 		B4 NFL MLB NBA NHL B6 MLS CFL
New York City United States 1 21,396,000 9 Giants
Jets[note 1] 		Yankees
Mets[note 2] 		Knicks
Nets 		Rangers
Islanders
Devils[note 3] 		11 Red Bulls
New York City FC 		—
Los Angeles United States 2 15,587,000 8 Rams
Chargers[note 4] 		Dodgers
Angels 		Lakers
Clippers 		Kings
Ducks 		10 Galaxy
Los Angeles FC[note 5] 		—
Washington-Baltimore United States 4 7,853,000 6 Commanders
Ravens[note 6] 		Nationals
Orioles[note 7] 		Wizards[note 8] Capitals 7 D.C. United [note 9]
Chicago United States 3 8,954,000 5 Bears[note 10] Cubs
White Sox 		Bulls[note 11] Blackhawks 6 Fire —
Boston United States 5 7,429,000 4 Patriots[note 12] Red Sox[note 13] Celtics Bruins 5 Revolution —
Dallas–Fort Worth United States 6 6,979,000 4 Cowboys[note 14] Rangers Mavericks Stars 5 FC Dallas —
San Francisco Bay Area United States 7 6,844,000 4 49ers[note 15] Giants[note 16] Warriors Sharks[note 17] 5 Earthquakes —
Miami–Fort Lauderdale United States 10 6,139,000 4 Dolphins Marlins Heat Panthers 5 Inter Miami CF[note 18] —
Philadelphia United States 11 5,795,000 4 Eagles[note 19] Phillies[note 20] 76ers[note 21] Flyers[note 22] 5 Union —
Minneapolis–Saint Paul United States 22 2,796,000 4 Vikings[note 23] Twins Timberwolves[note 24] Wild[note 25] 5 United FC —
Denver United States 25 2,308,000 4 Broncos Rockies Nuggets[note 26] Avalanche[note 27] 5 Rapids —
Detroit United States 14 4,258,000 4 Lions[note 28] Tigers[note 29] Pistons[note 30] Red Wings 4 — —
Toronto–Hamilton Canada 8 6,837,000 3 [note 31] Blue Jays Raptors[note 32] Maple Leafs[note 33] 6 Toronto FC Argonauts
Tiger-Cats
Houston United States 9 6,703,000 3 Texans[note 34] Astros Rockets — 4 Dynamo —
Atlanta United States 12 5,702,000 3 Falcons Braves Hawks [note 35] 4 United FC —
Seattle United States 15 4,001,000 3 Seahawks Mariners[note 36] [note 37] Kraken 4 Sounders FC —
Phoenix United States 13 4,617,000 3 Cardinals Diamondbacks Suns [note 38] 3 — —
Tampa Bay Area United States 17 3,203,000 3 Buccaneers Rays [note 39] Lightning 3 [note 40] —
Cleveland United States 21 2,871,000 3 Browns[note 41] Guardians[note 42] Cavaliers[note 43] [note 44] 3 — —
Pittsburgh United States 33 1,738,000 3 Steelers Pirates [note 45] Penguins[note 46] 3 — —
Charlotte United States 20 2,879,000 2 Panthers — Hornets[note 47] — 3 Charlotte FC —
Salt Lake City United States 24 2,463,000 2 — — Jazz Utah HC 3 Real Salt Lake —
St. Louis United States 27 2,247,000 2 [note 48] Cardinals[note 49] [note 50] Blues[note 51] 3 St. Louis City SC —
Kansas City United States 32 1,794,000 2 Chiefs[note 52] Royals[note 53] [note 54] [note 55] 3 Sporting Kansas City —
Cincinnati United States 35 1,698,000 2 Bengals[note 56] Reds[note 57] [note 58] — 3 FC Cincinnati —
Nashville United States 42 1,195,000 2 Titans — — Predators 3 Nashville SC —
Las Vegas United States 26 2,260,000 2 Raiders [note 16] [note 59] Golden Knights 2 — [note 60]
Sacramento United States 30 1,976,000 2 — Athletics[note 16] Kings — 2 — [note 61]
Indianapolis United States 34 1,733,000 2 Colts [note 62] Pacers[note 63] — 2 — —
Milwaukee United States 41 1,302,000 2 [note 64] Brewers[note 65] Bucks[note 66] — 2 — —
Buffalo United States 51 949,000 2 Bills[note 67] [note 68] [note 69] Sabres 2 — —
New Orleans United States 52 906,000 2 Saints — Pelicans[note 70] — 2 — —
Montreal Canada 16 3,750,000 1 — [note 71] — Canadiens[note 72] 3 CF Montréal Alouettes
Vancouver Canada 23 2,484,000 1 — — [note 73] Canucks 3 Whitecaps FC Lions
Orlando United States 19 3,075,000 1 — — Magic — 2 Orlando City SC —
Portland United States 28 2,117,000 1 — — Trail Blazers — 2 Timbers —
Columbus United States 36 1,599,000 1 [note 74] — — Blue Jackets 2 Crew —
Calgary Canada 39 1,349,000 1 — — — Flames 2 — Stampeders
Edmonton Canada 43 1,186,000 1 — — — Oilers 2 — Elks[note 75]
Ottawa Canada 45 1,087,000 1 — — — Senators[note 76] 2 — Redblacks[note 77]
Winnipeg Canada 61 774,000 1 — — — Jets[note 78] 2 — Blue Bombers
San Diego United States 18 3,078,000 1 [note 79] Padres [note 80] — 1 [note 81] —
San Antonio United States 29 2,088,000 1 [note 82] — Spurs — 1 — [note 83]
Raleigh United States 37 1,588,000 1 — — — Hurricanes 1 — —
Jacksonville United States 40 1,306,000 1 Jaguars — — — 1 — —
Memphis United States 47 1,060,000 1 [note 84] — Grizzlies — 1 — [note 85]
Oklahoma City United States 48 1,013,000 1 — — Thunder[note 86] — 1 — —
Green Bay United States — 328,268[15] 1 Packers — — — 1 — —
Austin United States 31 1,943,000 0 — — — — 1 Austin FC —
Regina Canada — 249,217[15] 0 — — — — 1 — Roughriders
Totals — — – 124 32 30 30 32 162 29[note 81] 9
Notes
  1. ^ Seven NFL teams have previously played in the New York City area: the New York Giants (1921; no relation to the current Giants), the Brooklyn Lions/Horsemen 1926, the New York Yankees (1927-1929), the Orange/Newark Tornadoes (1929-1930), the Staten Island Stapletons (1929-1932), the Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers/Yanks (1930-1945) and the New York Bulldogs/Yanks (1949-1951).
  2. ^ The New York Mutuals played in the National League's inaugural season in 1876, but were expelled at the end of that season. The next year, the Hartford Dark Blues moved to nearby Brooklyn (then an independent city) and played the 1877 season as the Hartfords before it dissolved. The Gothams/Giants played in Manhattan from 1883 and the Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms/Grooms/Bridegrooms/Superbas/Trolley Dodgers/Superbas/Robins/Dodgers played in Brooklyn (which became part of New York City in 1898) from 1890 (when it joined the NL from the AA); both teams respectively moved to San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1958. Before the move to the West Coast, the Dodgers played several home games in Jersey City at Roosevelt Stadium. The Newark Peppers were a member of the Federal League in 1915.
  3. ^ The New York/Brooklyn Americans played in the NHL from 1925 until suspending operations in 1942, and were disbanded in 1946.
  4. ^ The Rams and Chargers are both in their second stints in the Los Angeles market. The Rams arrived from Cleveland in 1946 and played in the L.A. area until moving to St. Louis after the 1995 season; they would return to L.A. in 2016. The Chargers were originally based in Los Angeles, playing there for the AFL's first season in 1960 before moving to San Diego, where they would play until returning to L.A. in 2017. In addition to the Rams and Chargers, two other NFL teams have called Los Angeles home. The Buccaneers (no relation to NFL franchise in Tampa) played in the 1926 season; despite representing Los Angeles, the team operated out of Chicago because of the difficulty of transcontinental travel in the era before modern air travel. The Oakland Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994, before they moved back to Oakland.
  5. ^ Club Deportivo Chivas USA was a Major League Soccer club that existed between 2005 and 2014 before folding.[9]
  6. ^ The Washington Senators played 1 season in the NFL (then APFA) in 1921. The Commanders were known as the Redskins from 1937, when they moved from Boston, until 2020 when the name was temporarily changed to the Washington Football Team; the Commanders name was adopted in 2022. Baltimore was home to two NFL teams, both named the Colts. The original Colts played in the 1950 NFL season before folding, while the second Colts team played from 1953 until it relocated to Indianapolis following the 1983 season.
  7. ^ Before the then-Montreal Expos moved to Washington in 2005, four MLB teams (two per league) had played in Washington. In the National League, the original Nationals played from 1886 to 1889. Three teams also played under the name of the Washington Senators: The NL's Senators, who played from 1892 until it was contracted in 1899, and two American League Senators teams (the Senators/Nationals/Senators, who moved to Minneapolis in 1960 and a new Senators team which moved to Dallas in 1971). The original Orioles joined the National League in 1892 from the defunct American Association and played there until they were contracted from the NL in 1899. Another Orioles team played in the American League for two years, before dissolving after the 1902 season.
  8. ^ The Washington Capitols were a charter member of what became the NBA; the team dissolved midway through the 1950-1951 season. Baltimore was home to two NBA teams, both named the Bullets. The original Bullets played in the American Basketball League and NBA from 1944 to 1954. The second team was founded in 1963, following the relocation of the Chicago Zephyrs to Maryland. For the next 11 seasons, the Bullets played in Baltimore before moving to Landover, Maryland, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, in 1973.
  9. ^ Baltimore was granted a CFL expansion franchise in 1994, the Baltimore Stallions, which relocated to Montreal after the 1995 season to become the current Montreal Alouettes.
  10. ^ The Chicago Tigers played one season in the NFL (then APFA) in 1920, while the Chicago Cardinals were a charter franchise of the NFL, before moving to St. Louis in 1960.
  11. ^ Chicago has had two prior NBA teams: the Stags existed from 1946 to 1950 before folding and the Packers/Zephyrs played from 1961 to 1963, before moving to Baltimore.
  12. ^ Before the Patriots joined the NFL as a result of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, three other NFL teams had played in Boston: the Bulldogs (1929, disbanded), the Braves/Redskins (1932-1936, moved to Washington) and the Yanks (1944-1948, moved to New York and became the Bulldogs).
  13. ^ The Red Caps/Beaneaters/Doves/Rustlers/Braves/Bees/Braves played in the National League from the league's 1876 inception until it moved to Milwaukee in 1953.
  14. ^ Two other top-level football teams have played as the Dallas Texans. The first Texans played in the NFL for one season in 1952. The second Texans were one of the eight original teams of the AFL in 1960, and played under that name through the 1962 season, after which they moved to Kansas City, Missouri and began play under their current name of Kansas City Chiefs.
  15. ^ The Oakland Raiders called Oakland home from 1960 until 1982 and again from 1995 until 2019 before relocating to Las Vegas becoming the Las Vegas Raiders.
  16. ^ a b c The Oakland Athletics played in Oakland from 1968 until 2024, before temporarily relocating to West Sacramento, California for the 2025–27 seasons, while awaiting the opening of their permanent new ballpark in Las Vegas, currently planned for 2028.
  17. ^ The California Golden Seals were an NHL expansion team which played in Oakland from 1967–76, when they moved to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Barons.
  18. ^ Miami Fusion F.C. was an MLS club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that played from 1998 to 2001 when they folded.[10]
  19. ^ The Frankford Yellow Jackets played from 1924-1931.
  20. ^ The Athletics played in the National League's inaugural season in 1876, before being expelled from the league. Another Athletics team was established in the American League in 1901 and played until 1954, when the team moved to Kansas City.
  21. ^ The Philadelphia Warriors played from 1946-1962.
  22. ^ The Quakers played in the NHL for the 1930-1931 season. Afterwards, the team suspended operations for the next five years before officially announcing their dissolution in 1936.
  23. ^ The Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets played in the NFL from 1921-1924 and again from 1929-1930.
  24. ^ The Minneapolis Lakers played in the NBA (formerly BAA) from 1947 to 1960, when the team moved to Los Angeles to become the Los Angeles Lakers.
  25. ^ The Minnesota North Stars were an NHL expansion team that played in Bloomington from 1967 to 1993, when the team moved to Dallas and became the Dallas Stars.
  26. ^ The Denver Nuggets joined the NBA in 1949 as a result of the BAA's merger with the NBL, but dissolved following their first NBA season; the current Denver Nuggets joined the NBA as part of the ABA–NBA merger of 1976 and are not related to the original Nuggets.
  27. ^ The Kansas City Scouts relocated to become the Colorado Rockies in 1976, but subsequently moved again and were renamed the New Jersey Devils in 1982. The current Colorado Avalanche were established when the Quebec Nordiques relocated from Quebec City in 1995.
  28. ^ Detroit was home to the NFL (then APFA) Detroit Heralds/Tigers from 1920-1921, the Detroit Panthers from 1925-1926, and finally the Detroit Wolverines in 1928.
  29. ^ The Detroit Wolverines played in the National League from 1881 until the team disbanded in 1888.
  30. ^ The Detroit Falcons played in the inaugural season of what would become the NBA, but disbanded following that season.
  31. ^ While Toronto has not had an NFL franchise, the Buffalo Bills did host one of the team's regular season games each year and a number of pre-season games at the Rogers Centre from 2008 to 2013 as part of the Bills Toronto Series.
  32. ^ The Toronto Huskies played in the inaugural season of what would become the NBA, before dissolving. The Buffalo Braves were an NBA team that played a total of 16 home games in Toronto from 1971 to 1975.[11]
  33. ^ The Hamilton Tigers played in the NHL from 1920 to 1925 before relocating to New York City to become the New York Americans; that team folded in 1946.
  34. ^ Houston hosted the Houston Oilers from 1960 (where they played in the AFL until its merger with the NFL in 1970) through 1996 when the team moved to Tennessee—initially being called the Tennessee Oilers in its first season in Memphis and its second season in Nashville until ultimately being renamed the Tennessee Titans upon the opening of the team's current Nashville stadium in 1999.
  35. ^ The NHL expanded to Atlanta in 1972 with the Atlanta Flames, but the team departed for Calgary, Alberta in 1980 to become the Calgary Flames. In 1999 another expansion franchise, the Atlanta Thrashers, was established, but this team moved to Winnipeg and became the current Winnipeg Jets in 2011.
  36. ^ The Seattle Pilots played one season in 1969, before moving to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers.
  37. ^ The Seattle SuperSonics began play in 1967, but in 2008 was moved to Oklahoma City and was renamed as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
  38. ^ The Arizona Coyotes played from 1996 to 2024, when the franchise was declared inactive and its assets acquired by an expansion team in Salt Lake City due to the lack of a suitable home arena. The franchise subsequently ceased operations after failing to secure a new arena.
  39. ^ The Toronto Raptors temporarily played in Tampa in Amalie Arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21.
  40. ^ The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of MLS in 1996. However, the franchise folded in 2001.[10]
  41. ^ Five other NFL teams have played in the Cleveland area: the Tigers (1920-1922; the team suspended operations and could not pay an annual guarantee), the Indians/Bulldogs (1923-1927, when the team moved to Detroit and became the Wolverines), the Indians (1931), the Rams (1937-1946; moved to Los Angeles) and the original Browns (1950-1995). The original Browns' owner Art Modell had planned to move the Browns to Baltimore but was threatened by legal action from both Cleveland and Browns fans; the dispute was resolved when Modell was given an expansion franchise in Baltimore using existing Browns personnel, while the city of Cleveland was allowed to retain the team's intellectual property for a new Browns franchise.
  42. ^ 2 former baseball teams played in the National League: the Blues (1879-1884, when the teams was folded into the Brooklyn Grays) and the Spiders (1889-1899, when the team was contracted from the league). The Guardians were known as the Indians from 1914 to 2021.
  43. ^ The Cleveland Rebels played in the inaugural season of the NBA's predecessor, the BAA, before dissolving.
  44. ^ The California Golden Seals of the NHL relocated to Cleveland for the 1976–77 season and were renamed the Barons. However, the team was merged into the Minnesota North Stars following the 1977–78 season.
  45. ^ Pittsburgh had one of the founding members of what became the NBA: the Pittsburgh Ironmen. However, they only played a single season (1946–47) before folding.
  46. ^ The Pirates played in the NHL from 1925 until the team moved to Philadelphia in 1930 due to the effects of the Great Depression.
  47. ^ The original Hornets franchise played in the NBA from 1988 to 2002, before moving to New Orleans. The current Hornets were established in 2004 as the Charlotte Bobcats, but re-assumed the Hornets name in 2014, after the New Orleans Hornets renamed themselves the Pelicans and transferred their records and statistics from their time as the original Hornets to the current Charlotte franchise.
  48. ^ St. Louis has hosted four NFL teams: the St. Louis All-Stars in 1923, the St. Louis Gunners who played the last 3 games of the 1934 season, the St. Louis Cardinals who played from 1960 to 1988 before moving to Phoenix, Arizona, and the St. Louis Rams who played from 1995 to 2015, before moving back to Los Angeles.
  49. ^ Before the Cardinals joined the National League from the defunct American Association in 1892, St. Louis had been home to two NL teams: the St. Louis Brown Stockings, which dissolved in 1877, and the Maroons, which joined the NL in 1885 from the defunct Union Association and moved to Indianapolis in 1887. In addition, the Browns played in the American League from 1901 until it moved to Baltimore in 1954.
  50. ^ St. Louis has been home to two NBA teams: the St. Louis Hawks, who moved to Atlanta and became the Atlanta Hawks in 1968 and the St. Louis Bombers, who folded in 1950. St. Louis was also home to the American Basketball Association (ABA)'s Spirits of St. Louis before the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.
  51. ^ The Eagles, a relocation of the Ottawa Senators, played in the NHL for the 1934-1935 season; after a request to suspend operations for the following season was rejected by the NHL, the team was disbanded and its players dispersed among the league's remaining teams.
  52. ^ Kansas City was home to the Kansas City Blues/Cowboys from 1924-1926.
  53. ^ Kansas City was home to the National League Kansas City Cowboys in 1886 and the American League's Kansas City Athletics from 1955 until it moved to Oakland in 1968.
  54. ^ Kansas City had an NBA team from 1972 to 1985, having moved from Cincinnati, Ohio where they were known as the Cincinnati Royals. The team was known as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings from 1972 to 1975 because it played home games in both Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska. Starting with the 1975–76 season, the team played exclusively in Kansas City and was known as the Kansas City Kings. The Kings moved to Sacramento, California in 1985.
  55. ^ In 1974 the Kansas City Scouts were granted an NHL expansion franchise. However, the franchise became the Colorado Rockies in 1976.
  56. ^ Cincinnati was home to the NFL (then APFA) Cincinnati Celts in 1921 and later the Cincinnati Reds from 1933-1934.
  57. ^ The Red Stockings, informally known as the "Reds", played in the National League from 1876 until it was expelled in 1880 for violating league rules. The current Reds joined the NL in 1890 from the AA.
  58. ^ The Cincinnati Royals were an NBA team founded as the Rochester Royals in 1948, before moving to Cincinnati in 1957. Upon moving to Kansas City, Missouri in 1972, the team was renamed as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings.
  59. ^ Las Vegas has never had an NBA team, but the Utah Jazz played 11 home games in Las Vegas during the 1983-1984 season.
  60. ^ The Las Vegas Posse was a CFL expansion franchise that existed for only the 1994 season.
  61. ^ The Sacramento Gold Miners were a CFL expansion team based in Sacramento, California for two years before relocating to become the San Antonio Texans.
  62. ^ The Indianapolis Blues played in the National League for the 1878 season, while the St. Louis Maroons moved to Indianapolis and played as the Hoosiers from 1887 until the team dissolved in 1889. A second Indianapolis Hoosiers team took the field in 1914, and won the championship of the new Federal League, which is officially considered to be a major league. The franchise moved to Newark, New Jersey for the league's second and final season.
  63. ^ Before the Pacers joined the NBA in 1976 as a result of the ABA–NBA merger, two NBA teams had played in Indianapolis: the Indianapolis Jets of the NBL joined the BAA (the NBA's immediate predecessor) in 1948, but dissolved the following year when the NBL merged with the BAA, in favor of the NBL's Indianapolis Olympians. The Olympians would disband in 1953.
  64. ^ Milwaukee had an NFL franchise from 1922-1926 called the Milwaukee Badgers. A few years after the Badgers folded, the Green Bay Packers would play a portion of their home schedule in Milwaukee on a regular basis from 1933 until 1994.
  65. ^ Prior to the Brewers, three MLB teams have played in Milwaukee. In the National League, the Grays played in the 1878 NL season, while the Braves played in the city from 1953 until it moved to Atlanta in 1965. The original Brewers played in the American League's inaugural season in 1901 before moving to St. Louis and becoming the Browns.
  66. ^ Milwaukee was home to the Milwaukee Hawks from 1951-1955.
  67. ^ Before the Bills joined the NFL as a result of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, two other NFL teams played in the Buffalo area. The All-Americans/Bisons/Rangers/Bisons played in the city under several different owners until 1929 (not playing the 1928 season), while the Tonawanda Kardex Lumbermen played in Tonawanda in the 1921 season, but disbanded after a lopsided loss in their sole NFL game. From the 2008 to 2013 seasons, the Bills hosted one of their regular season games and a number of preseason games at Toronto's Rogers Centre as part of the Bills Toronto Series.
  68. ^ The Bisons played in the National League from 1879 until it left the league in 1885; the Bisons have played in the minor leagues in one form or another since. In addition, the Toronto Blue Jays played a majority of their home games in Buffalo during the 2020 season due to COVID-19-related issues preventing the Blue Jays from playing in Toronto.
  69. ^ The Buffalo Braves were an NBA team that moved to San Diego, California in 1978 to become the San Diego Clippers.
  70. ^ The New Orleans Jazz played in the NBA in 1974 before moving to Salt Lake City in 1979. The Pelicans themselves (not related to the Jazz) were formerly a relocation of the Charlotte Hornets, but in 2013 the renamed Pelicans transferred its records and statistics from their time in Charlotte to the Charlotte Bobcats, who were about to reassume the Hornets name. The Pelicans are now considered an expansion team starting play in 2002 as the New Orleans Hornets, then renaming themselves as the Pelicans in 2013.
  71. ^ Montreal was home to a Major League Baseball team, the Montreal Expos, beginning in 1969. However, the team moved to Washington, D.C., in 2005, where it was renamed as the Washington Nationals.[12][13][14]
  72. ^ Montreal was home to two other NHL clubs. The Montreal Wanderers who played a portion of the NHL's inaugural 1917/18 season, and the Montreal Maroons who played in the NHL from 1924-1938.
  73. ^ The expansion Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA began play in 1995. However, in 2001 the team moved to Memphis, Tennessee and was renamed as the Memphis Grizzlies.
  74. ^ Columbus had an NFL team called the Columbus Panhandles that played from 1920-1926.
  75. ^ The Elks were known as the Eskimos from 1949 until 2020, then temporarily calling themselves the Edmonton Football Team before adopting the Elks name in 2021.
  76. ^ An earlier Ottawa Senators played in the NHL from 1917-1934.
  77. ^ Two CFL teams have previously played in the Ottawa area: The Rough Riders, who existed from 1876 to 1996 and the Renegades, who played from 2002 to 2006.
  78. ^ The original Winnipeg Jets relocated to become the Phoenix Coyotes (known as the Arizona Coyotes since 2014) in 1996. The current Winnipeg Jets were established by the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2011.
  79. ^ San Diego hosted the San Diego Chargers from 1961 (where they initially played in the AFL until the league's merger with the NFL in 1970) through 2016, at which point the team moved back to its original city of Los Angeles for the 2017 season.
  80. ^ San Diego has had two NBA franchises: the San Diego Rockets and the San Diego Clippers. The Rockets represented San Diego from 1967 until 1971 when they moved to Houston, Texas to become the Houston Rockets. Seven years later, the Buffalo Braves moved to town and were renamed the San Diego Clippers, where they played until 1984, when the team relocated to Los Angeles and became the Los Angeles Clippers.
  81. ^ a b San Diego FC, an MLS expansion team, is scheduled to begin play in 2025.
  82. ^ San Antonio served as a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints during the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
  83. ^ The San Antonio Texans were a CFL team that played in 1995 CFL season, having relocated from Sacramento, California, where the team had been called the Sacramento Gold Miners, but folded after a single season.
  84. ^ The NFL's Houston Oilers relocated to Memphis for one season (as the Tennessee Oilers) in 1997 before moving to Nashville to become the Tennessee Titans.
  85. ^ The Memphis Mad Dogs were a CFL expansion franchise that existed for only the 1995 season.
  86. ^ Oklahoma City served as a temporary home for the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Teams by state/province/district

[edit]
Big 6 sports teams
Big 6 sports teams
State
Province
District 		Pop. rank[note 1] Big four
teams (B4) 		NFL[2] MLB[3] NBA[4] NHL[5] Big six
teams (B6) 		MLS[6] CFL[7]
United States California 1 15 Chargers
Rams
49ers 		Angels
Dodgers
Athletics
Padres
Giants 		Warriors
Clippers
Lakers
Kings 		Ducks
Kings
Sharks 		18 Galaxy
Los Angeles FC
Earthquakes 		—
United States Florida 3 9 Jaguars
Dolphins
Buccaneers 		Marlins
Rays 		Heat
Magic 		Panthers
Lightning 		11 Orlando City SC
Inter Miami CF 		—
United States Texas 2 8 Cowboys
Texans 		Astros
Rangers 		Mavericks
Rockets
Spurs 		Stars 11 Dynamo
FC Dallas
Austin FC 		—
United States New York 4 8 Bills[note 2] [note 3] Mets
Yankees 		Nets
Knicks 		Sabres
Islanders
Rangers 		9 New York City FC[note 4] —
United States Pennsylvania 6 7 Eagles
Steelers 		Phillies
Pirates 		76ers Flyers
Penguins 		8 Union —
United States Ohio 8 6 Bengals
Browns 		Reds
Guardians 		Cavaliers Blue Jackets 8 Crew
FC Cincinnati 		—
United States Illinois 7 5 Bears Cubs
White Sox 		Bulls Blackhawks 6 Fire —
Canada Ontario 5 4 —[note 2] Blue Jays Raptors Senators
Maple Leafs 		8 Toronto FC Tiger-Cats
Redblacks
Argonauts
United States Massachusetts 17 4 Patriots Red Sox Celtics Bruins 5 Revolution —
United States Colorado 23 4 Broncos Rockies Nuggets Avalanche 5 Rapids —
United States Minnesota 24 4 Vikings Twins Timberwolves Wild 5 United FC —
United States Missouri 21 4 Chiefs Royals
Cardinals 		— Blues 5 St. Louis City SC —
United States Michigan 11 4 Lions Tigers Pistons Red Wings 4 — —
United States New Jersey 12 3 Giants[note 3]
Jets[note 3] 		— — Devils 4 Red Bulls[note 4] —
United States Washington, D.C. —[note 5] 3 —[note 6] Nationals Wizards Capitals 4 D.C. United —
United States Georgia 9 3 Falcons Braves Hawks — 4 United FC —
United States Tennessee 18 3 Titans — Grizzlies Predators 4 Nashville SC —
United States Washington 15 3 Seahawks Mariners — Kraken 4 Sounders FC —
United States North Carolina 10 3 Panthers — Hornets Hurricanes 4 Charlotte FC —
United States Arizona 16 3 Cardinals Diamondbacks Suns 3 — —
United States Maryland 20 3 Ravens
Commanders[note 6] 		Orioles — — 3 — —
United States Wisconsin 22 3 Packers Brewers Bucks — 3 — —
Canada Alberta 30 2 — — — Flames
Oilers 		4 — Stampeders
Elks
United States Utah 34 2 — — Jazz Utah HC 3 Real Salt Lake —
United States Indiana 19 2 Colts — Pacers — 2 — —
United States Louisiana 28 2 Saints — Pelicans — 2 — —
United States Nevada 36 2 Raiders —[note 7] — Golden Knights 2 — —
Canada Quebec 14 1 — — — Canadiens 3 CF Montréal Alouettes
Canada British Columbia 27 1 — — — Canucks 3 Whitecaps FC Lions
United States Oregon 31 1 — — Trail Blazers — 2 Timbers —
Canada Manitoba 47 1 — — — Jets 2 — Blue Bombers
United States Oklahoma 32 1 — — Thunder — 1 — —
United States Kansas 39 0 — — — — 1 Sporting Kansas City[note 8] —
Canada Saskatchewan 48 0 — — — — 1 — Roughriders
34 states/
provinces/
districts 		124 32 30 30 32 162 29 9
Notes
  1. ^ U.S. figures are from the 2020 United States census and Canadian figures are from the 2021 Canadian census.
  2. ^ a b The NFL's Buffalo Bills held one of the team's regular season games each year and a number of pre-season games at Toronto's Rogers Centre from 2008 to 2013 as part of the Bills Toronto Series.
  3. ^ a b c The New York Giants and Jets both play their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
  4. ^ a b The New York Red Bulls play their home games in Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
  5. ^ Washington, D.C. would have the 55th largest population if it were a state.
  6. ^ a b The Washington Commanders play their home games at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
  7. ^ The Oakland Athletics are set to move to Las Vegas in 2028, after three seasons playing in West Sacramento, California.
  8. ^ Sporting Kansas City play their home games at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Everson, Darren (May 7, 2009). "The Four Sports Commissioners Weigh In". The Wall Street Journal. p. D9. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "NFL Football Teams". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "MLB Team Contact Information". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Team Index". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Teams". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Clubs". Major League Soccer. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  7. ^ a b "CFL.ca – Official site of the Canadian Football League". Canadian Football League. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  8. ^ "Demographia World Urban Areas – 19th Annual Edition" (PDF). Demographia. August 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  9. ^ "MLS announces new strategy for Los Angeles market, 2015 conference alignment" (Press release). Major League Soccer. October 27, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  10. ^ a b Freedman, Jonah (January 5, 2012). "The Throw-In: Did eliminating Tampa, Miami save MLS?". Major League Soccer. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  11. ^ Buffery, Steve (November 3, 2004). "The road was paved". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^ Bloom, Barry M. (September 29, 2004). "MLB selects D.C. for Expos". MLB.com. Retrieved September 29, 2004.
  13. ^ "Ballpark financing issue may kill deal". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 15, 2004.
  14. ^ "Announcement will come Wednesday". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 28, 2004.
  15. ^ a b Metro population
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