Overview of sports traditions and activities in the U.S. State of Colorado
The location of the State of Colorado United States of America This list of sports in the U.S. State of Colorado includes professional teams, college sports, and individual sports from the Denver Metropolitan Area and other cities.
Professional sports teams
Coors Field , home of the Colorado Rockies .Empower Field at Mile High , home of the Denver Broncos .Ball Arena , home of the Denver Nuggets , the Colorado Avalanche , and the Colorado Mammoth .Dick's Sporting Goods Park , home of the Colorado Rapids .Colorado is the least populous state with a franchise in each of the major professional sports leagues . The state is able to support the teams because it contains a large metropolitan area 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.[1]
Club
Home
First game
Sport
League
Denver Broncos
Denver
September 9, 1960
Football
National Football League
Denver Nuggets
Denver
September 27, 1967
Basketball
National Basketball Association
Colorado Rockies
Denver
April 5, 1993
Baseball
Major League Baseball
Colorado Avalanche
Denver
October 6, 1995
Ice hockey
National Hockey League
Colorado Rapids
Commerce City
April 13, 1996
Soccer
Major League Soccer
Denver Outlaws
Denver
2024
field lacrosse
Premier Lacrosse League
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Colorado Springs
March 28, 2015
Soccer
USL Championship
Denver Bulldogs
Denver
Australian rules football
USAFL
Colorado Mammoth
Denver
January 3, 2003
Lacrosse
National Lacrosse League
Colorado Eagles
Loveland
October 17, 2003
Ice hockey
American Hockey League
Rocky Mountain Rollergirls
Denver
July 2005
Roller derby
Women's Flat Track Derby Association
Denver Roller Derby
Denver
December 2007
Roller derby
Women's Flat Track Derby Association
Boulder County Bombers
Boulder
November 2011
Roller derby
Women's Flat Track Derby Association
Denver Barbarians
Denver
Rugby union
Rugby Super League
American Raptors
Glendale
Spring 2007
Rugby union
Super Rugby Americas
Grand Junction Jackalopes
Grand Junction
June 18, 2012
Baseball
Pioneer League (Rookie , Minor League Baseball )
Rocky Mountain Vibes
Colorado Springs
June 2019
Baseball
Pioneer League (Rookie , Minor League Baseball )
Former professional sports teams
Club
Sport
League
Aurora Cavalry
Basketball
International Basketball League
Colorado 14ers (won championship in their final season of 2008–09; moved to Frisco, Texas , went on hiatus in 2009–10, and resumed play in 2010–11 as the Texas Legends )
Basketball
NBA Development League [a]
Colorado Chill (folded along with the NWBL)
Basketball
National Women's Basketball League
Colorado Crossover
Basketball
International Basketball League
Colorado Crush (suspended operations with the AFL in 2009, and did not return after league's hiatus ended)
Arena football
Arena Football League
Colorado Rapids U23's
Soccer
USL Premier Development League
Colorado Raptors (Reformed as American Raptors, playing in Super Rugby Americas)
Rugby union
Major League Rugby
Colorado Rockies (NHL) (moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey , and became the New Jersey Devils )
Ice hockey
National Hockey League
Colorado Xplosion (won the Western Conference Championship in inaugural season)
Women's Basketball
American Basketball League (1996–1998)
Colorado Springs Blizzard
Soccer
USL Premier Development League
Colorado Springs Sky Sox (relocated to San Antonio after the 2018 season as the San Antonio Missions )
Baseball
Pacific Coast League (Triple-A , Minor League Baseball )
Denver Grizzlies (moved to Salt Lake City, Utah , later moved to Cleveland, Ohio , and became the Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters )
Ice hockey
International Hockey League (1945–2001)
Denver Spurs (moved to Ottawa, Ontario and became the Ottawa Civics for the rest of the team's existence)
Ice hockey
World Hockey Association /Central Hockey League /Western Hockey League
Denver Cutthroats
Ice hockey
Central Hockey League
Denver Dynamite (Inaugural AFL member; folded after four seasons)
Arena football
Arena Football League
Denver Gold (United States Football League member, 1983–1985)
Football
United States Football League
Denver Bears /Denver Zephyrs (moved to New Orleans and became the New Orleans Zephyrs; now playing as the New Orleans Baby Cakes in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, Louisiana )
Baseball
American Association /Pacific Coast League
Denver Outlaws
Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse
Denver Racquets 1974 Champions (moved to Phoenix 1975)
Tennis
World Team Tennis
Denver Stampede
Rugby union
PRO Rugby
Rocky Mountain Rage
Ice hockey
Central Hockey League
Colorado Springs Snow Sox
Baseball
Pecos League
Colorado Rumble FC
Denver
Indoor soccer
Major Arena Soccer League 2
^ Now known as the NBA G League.
College athletics
Colorado is home to five NCAA Division I schools, plus a number of additional schools competing at lower levels. One school that competes at the lowest NCAA level, Division III , operates two Division I teams.
Other sports
The Unser family includes Al Unser , Al Unser Jr. , Bobby Unser , Robby Unser and Louis Unser , and have won the Indianapolis 500 among other motorsports events.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a major motorsports event held at the Pikes Peak roads. Notable drivers include Mario Andretti , Michèle Mouton , Walter Röhrl , Ari Vatanen , Nobuhiro Tajima , Stig Blomqvist , Sébastien Loeb and Romain Dumas in addition to the Unsers.
Meanwhile, the Pikes Peak International Raceway has hosted motorsport events including IndyCar Series , NASCAR Busch Series , NASCAR Truck Series , AMA Superbike Championship and USAC Silver Crown Series .
The Cherry Hills Country Club has hosted professional golf tournaments such as the U.S. Open , U.S. Senior Open , U.S. Women's Open and PGA Championship .
