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((Short description|none))
[[File:RFK Stadium aerial photo, 1988.JPEG|thumb|right|250px|[[Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|RFK Stadium]] has been home to at least 10 professional teams (including [[D.C. United]] of MLS).]]
[[File:MCI Center.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Capital One Arena]] is home to the [[Washington Wizards|Wizards]], the [[Washington Capitals|Capitals]], and the [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball]] team.]]

[[Washington, D.C.]], has major league sports teams, popular college sports teams, and a variety of other team and individual sports. The [[Washington metropolitan area]] is also home to several major sports venues including [[Capital One Arena]], [[Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|RFK Stadium]], [[Commanders Field]], [[Audi Field]], and [[Nationals Park]].

The [[National Football League|NFL's]] [[Washington Commanders]] were among the most successful professional sports teams in North America throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, making four [[Super Bowl]] appearances and winning three in a ten-year period ending in 1992. The sports of this region would then fall into a period of irrelevance; after the [[National Hockey League|NHL's]] [[Washington Capitals]] reached the [[1998 Stanley Cup Finals]], none of the [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|"Big Four"]] teams in the area (the Commanders, the Capitals, the [[National Basketball Association|NBA's]] [[Washington Wizards]] and [[Major League Baseball|MLB's]] [[Washington Nationals]]) would reach its league's semifinal round for several years. The Commanders and Wizards often struggled in their respective regular seasons, while the Capitals and Nationals were known for having spectacular regular seasons followed by demoralizing playoff losses. (However, [[D.C. United]] of [[Major League Soccer]] would win several league championships during the late 1990s and early 2000s.)

In 2018, the Big Four drought was broken when the Capitals defeated the [[Vegas Golden Knights]] in the [[2018 Stanley Cup Finals]]. The following year, the Nationals defeated the [[Houston Astros]] in the [[2019 World Series]]. Outside of the Big Four, the [[Washington Mystics]] defeated the [[Connecticut Sun]] in the [[2019 WNBA Finals]], and the [[Washington Spirit]] won their first [[NWSL Playoffs|NWSL Championship]] when they defeated the [[Chicago Red Stars]] in 2021.

Popular collegiate teams include the [[Georgetown Hoyas]] and [[Maryland Terrapins]]; both schools have each won an [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I men's basketball championship]] (Georgetown in [[1984 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game|1984]], Maryland in [[2002 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game|2002]]). The region is also home to two regional sports television networks: [[Monumental Sports Network]], based in Washington, D.C., and [[Mid-Atlantic Sports Network]] (MASN), based in [[Baltimore, Maryland]].

==Professional sports==
The following table shows the major league sports teams in the Washington area sorted by attendance.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Club !! Sport !! League !! Founded !! Venue !! Attendance !! Major honors
|-
| [[Washington Commanders]] || [[American Football]] || align=center|[[National Football League|NFL]] || 1937((efn|group=o|name=moved|Year team moved to Washington area)) || [[FedExField|Commanders Field]]|| align=center | 63,950<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/attendance/_/year/2023 |title=NFL Attendance – 2023 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=Jan 8, 2024))</ref> || '''[[List of NFL champions (1920–1969)|Pre-1966 NFL champions]]:''' 1937, 1942<br>'''[[Super Bowl|Super Bowl champions]]:''' 1982, 1987, 1991<br>
|-
| [[Washington Nationals]] || [[Baseball]] || align=center|[[Major League Baseball|MLB]] || 2005((efn|group=o|name=moved)) || [[Nationals Park]] || align=center | 23,034<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance/_/year/2023 |title=MLB Attendance Report – 2023 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=Jan 8, 2024))</ref> || '''[[World Series|World Series champions]]:''' 2019<br>
|-
| [[Washington Capitals]] || [[Ice hockey]] || align=center|[[National Hockey League|NHL]] || 1974 || [[Capital One Arena]] || align=center | 18,573<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=NHL1927&sid=2023 |title=NHL 2022-23 team attendance at hockeydb.com |website=hockeydb.com |access-date=Jun 10, 2023))</ref> ||'''[[Stanley Cup|Stanley Cup champions]]:''' 2018<br>'''[[Presidents' Trophy]]:''' 2010, 2016, 2017<br>
|-
| [[Washington Wizards]] || Men's [[Basketball]] || align=center|[[National Basketball Association|NBA]] || 1973((efn|group=o|name=moved)) || [[Capital One Arena]] || align=center | 17,328<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/nba/attendance/_/year/2023 |title=NBA Attendance Report – 2022–23 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=Jun 10, 2023))</ref> ||'''[[NBA Finals|NBA champions]]:''' 1978<br>
|-
| [[D.C. United]] || Men's [[Association football|Soccer]] || align=center | [[Major League Soccer|MLS]] || 1996 || [[Audi Field]] || align=center | 16,256<ref>((cite web|url=https://soccerstadiumdigest.com/2022-mls-attendance/ |title=2022 MLS Attendance |website=Soccer Stadium Digest |date=October 11, 2022 |access-date=Jun 10, 2023))</ref> || '''[[MLS Cup|MLS Cup champions]]:''' 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004<br>'''[[Supporters' Shield]]:''' 1997, 1999, 2006, 2007<br>'''[[CONCACAF Champions Cup]]:''' 1998((efn|group=o|Other D.C. United honors include the [[Copa Interamericana]]: 1998; and [[U.S. Open Cup|Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup]]: 1996, 2008, 2013.))<br>
|-
| [[DC Defenders]] || American Football || align=center|[[United Football League (2024)|UFL]] || 2018 || [[Audi Field]] || align=center | 14,269<ref>((cite web|url=https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-2023-season-attendance-recap-the-ups-and-downs/ |title=XFL 2023 Season Attendance Recap: The Ups and Downs |website=xflnewshub.com |date=April 24, 2023 |access-date=Jun 10, 2023))</ref> ||  '''League runners-up:''' 2023<br>
|-
| [[Washington Spirit]] || Women's Soccer || align=center | [[National Women's Soccer League|NWSL]] || 2011((efn|group=o|Founded as [[D.C. United Women]]; rebranded as Washington Spirit in 2012 and started NWSL play in 2013.))  || [[Audi Field]] || align=center | 5,955<ref>((cite web|title=2022 NWSL Attendance|url=https://soccerstadiumdigest.com/2022-nwsl-attendance/ |website=Soccer Stadium Digest |date=October 3, 2022 |access-date=Jun 10, 2023))</ref> ||'''[[NWSL Playoffs|NWSL champions]]:''' 2021<br>
|-
| [[Washington Mystics]] || Women's Basketball || align=center|[[WNBA]] || 1998 || [[Entertainment and Sports Arena]] || align=center | 3,983<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1236749/wnba-team-attendance/ |title=WNBA average attendance by team 2022 |website=Statistica |access-date=Jun 10, 2023))</ref> || '''[[WNBA Finals|WNBA champions]]:''' 2019<br>
|}
((notelist|group=o))
===Map of major league teams and sports stadiums in Washington, D.C.===
((Location map+|Washington, D.C.|float=left|width=435|caption=Current location of major league teams in Washington, D.C. (the Commanders play in [[Landover, Maryland]])|places=
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.907778|long=-76.919|label=[[Washington Commanders|Commanders]]|position=bottom|mark=Pfeil rechts.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.898056|long=-77.020833|label=[[Washington Wizards|Wizards]]|position=right|mark = Green pog.svg ))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.898056|long=-77.020833|label=[[Washington Capitals|Capitals]]|position=left|mark = Green pog.svg ))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.872778|long=-77.0075|label=[[Washington Nationals|Nationals]]|position=right|mark = Green pog.svg ))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.868411|long=-77.012869|label=[[D.C. United]]|position=left|mark = Green pog.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.868411|long=-77.012869|label=[[DC Defenders]]|position=right|mark = Green pog.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.868411|long=-77.012869|label=[[Washington Spirit|Spirit]]|position=top|mark = Green pog.svg ))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.846574|long=-76.991534|label=[[Washington Mystics|Mystics]]|position=left|mark = Green pog.svg))
))
((Location map+|Washington, D.C.|float=center|width=435|caption=Location of current (green dot) and former (red dot) professional sports stadiums in Washington, D.C.|places=
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.907778|long=-76.919|label=[[FedEx Field]]|position=bottom|mark=Pfeil rechts.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.907778|long=-76.919|label=[[Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)|Capital Centre]]|position=top|mark=Pfeil rechts.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.898056|long=-77.020833|label=[[Capital One Arena]]|position=left|mark = Green pog.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.872778|long=-77.0075|label=[[Nationals Park]]|position=right|mark = Green pog.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.868411|long=-77.012869|label=[[Audi Field]]|position=left|mark = Green pog.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.846574|long=-76.991534|label=[[Entertainment and Sports Arena]]|position=left|mark = Green pog.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.914778|long=-77.024361|label=[[Athletic Park (Washington)|Athletic Park]]|position=left))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.892778|long=-77.006944|label=[[Capitol Grounds]]|position=bottom))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.8973|long=-77.0075|label=[[Swampoodle Grounds]]|position=right))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.9175|long=-77.020278|label=[[Griffith Stadium]]|position=top))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.89|long=-76.972|label=[[RFK Stadium]]|position=right))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.954415|long=-77.037353|label=[[William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center]]|position=right|mark = Green pog.svg))
((Location map~|Washington, D.C.|lat=38.905|long=-77.003056|label=[[Uline Arena]]|position=top))))

===Soccer===
====Historic teams====
Washington has had several professional soccer teams over the years. The [[Washington Whips]] played in the [[United Soccer Association]] between 1967 and 1968, playing their games at [[RFK Stadium]], when it was known as D.C. Stadium. The [[Washington Darts]] played in the [[American Soccer League (1933–1983)|American Soccer League]] from 1976 to 1969 and then in the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] (NASL) in 1970 and 1971. The [[Washington Diplomats]] played in the NASL from 1974 to 1981, and had a record attendance of 53,351 in a match against the [[New York Cosmos (1970–1985)|New York Cosmos]] in 1980.<ref>((Cite web |last=Goff |first=Steven |date=2012-05-31 |title=U.S. vs. Brazil friendly at FedEx Field ranks third in attendance in Washington area, first for a national team match |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/post/us-vs-brazil-friendly-at-fedex-field-ranks-third-in-attendance-in-washington-area-first-for-a-national-team-match/2012/05/31/gJQA9Jfi4U_blog.html |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=Washington Post |language=en-US))</ref> [[Team America (soccer)|Team America]] played in the NASL for one season in 1983, playing their home games at RFK Stadium.

Washington also has a history of women's professional soccer. The [[Washington Freedom]] were a professional women's team playing in the Washington area from 2001 until 2011. The team first played in the now-defunct [[Women's United Soccer Association]] (WUSA) between 2001 and 2003. The Freedom played at RFK for the three years of the league's existence and won the league championship in 2003, the WUSA's final year. Following the WUSA's demise, the team continued as an associate member of the [[USL W-League (1995–2015)|W-League]], playing their home games at the [[Maryland SoccerPlex]] in [[Germantown, Maryland|Germantown]]. In 2009, the team joined the [[Women's Professional Soccer]] (WPS) league. In 2011, the franchise relocated to [[Boca Raton, Florida]].

====Current teams====
[[File:Audi Field, June 29 2019.jpg|thumb|right|280px|[[D.C. United]] match at [[Audi Field]] in 2019]]
[[File:D.C. United trophy case.jpg|thumb|[[D.C. United]] trophy collection]]
Washington is home to an original [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS) club, [[D.C. United]], which began play at RFK Stadium in 1996. One of [[Major League Soccer records and statistics#Most successful MLS clubs overall .281996 – present.29|the most successful]] MLS teams (with [[D.C. United#Honors|twelve major trophies]], won domestically and at an international level), United has won four [[MLS Cup]]s, including three of the first four played. They also won the [[Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup|U.S. Open Cup]] in their first year, in 2008, and again in 2013. In addition, United have captured four [[MLS Supporters Shield]]s, the most out of any MLS club in the region. D.C. United's [[MLS Cup 1997|1997 MLS Cup]] victory at RFK Stadium was the only time a Washington team has won a championship within the District.<ref>[http://web.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20070925&content_id=119165&vkey=news_dcu&fext=.jsp&team=t103 "United have RFK all to themselves"]. MLSnet.com. 2007-09-25.</ref> United is also the first American team to win the continental [[CONCACAF Champions Cup]], which they won in [[1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup|1998]]. United moved to their new home, [[Audi Field]], in 2018.

The [[Washington Spirit]] began play as a women's professional soccer team in 2011 under the name [[D.C. United Women]]. In December 2012, the franchise rebranded as the Washington Spirit. During its early years, the team played at the Maryland SoccerPlex, but in 2019 it moved select games to Audi Field. In 2020, the Spirit began transitioning away from the SoccerPlex, playing four home games at each of three venues: the SoccerPlex, Audi Field, and [[Segra Field]] in [[Leesburg, Virginia]]. Then in 2021, the team left the SoccerPlex entirely, splitting home games between Audi Field and Segra Field. Beginning in 2023, the team moved all of its home games to Audi Field. The team is one of the eight charter members of the [[National Women's Soccer League]] (NWSL), a professional league launched by the [[United States Soccer Federation]] in [[2013 National Women's Soccer League season|2013]]. The Spirit won the 2021 [[NWSL Playoffs|NWSL Championship]].

Since 2019, the area has been represented in the second tier of U.S. men's soccer, the [[USL Championship]], by [[Loudoun United FC]], owned and operated by D.C. United as their official reserve side. Loudoun United started play at Audi Field, moving to their permanent home of Segra Field during their first season.

====Other information====
RFK Stadium has hosted two more MLS Cup championships. [[MLS Cup 2000|In 2000]], the [[2000 Kansas City Wizards season|Kansas City Wizards]] (now known as [[Sporting Kansas City]]) won their first championship with a 1&ndash;0 win over the [[Chicago Fire FC|Chicago Fire]]. In the [[MLS Cup 2007|2007 MLS Cup]], the [[2007 Houston Dynamo season|Houston Dynamo]] defeated the [[New England Revolution]] 2&ndash;1. RFK Memorial Stadium also served as a soccer venue in the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]] and the [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Summer Olympics]]. FedExField has also hosted several prominent soccer games, including six matches in the [[1999 FIFA Women's World Cup]]. In July 2011, a match between [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] at FedExField drew a crowd of 81,807, a record soccer attendance for the D.C. metropolitan area.<ref>Attendance Records, Largest Crowds in the United States, ((cite web |url=http://www.ussoccer.com/teams/us-men/records/attendance-records/largest-crowds-in-us.aspx |title=Attendance Records - U.S. Soccer |access-date=2013-01-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313210110/http://www.ussoccer.com/Teams/US-Men/Records/Attendance-Records/Largest-Crowds-in-US.aspx |archive-date=2013-03-13 ))</ref>

DC United has hosted three [[MLS All-Star Game]]s. It hosted the [[2002 MLS All-Star Game|2002]] and [[2004 MLS All-Star Game|2004]] games at RFK Stadium. The team hosted the [[2023 MLS All-Star Game]] at Audi Field on July 19, 2023.

===American football===
((see also|History of the Washington Commanders))
====Historic teams====
In the early years of professional football, teams were focused mostly in the northeast of the US, with [[Philadelphia]] typically being the southern end of the highest professional circuit. However, Washington, D.C. had a very successful professional football team in the city during the early 1900s. The [[Washington Vigilants]] dominated the [[mid-Atlantic (United States)|mid-Atlantic]] professional football landscape. From 1907 until 1914, they were an independent football team and were not affiliated with any league. During their existence, they played against several semi-professional and amateur football teams from Washington, D.C., including the Washington Potomacs, Washington Engineers, and Washington All-Stars. In the 1915 season, they were affiliated with the [[Ohio League]], though the only team from that league they played against were the [[Youngstown Patricians]]. The team folded after the 1915 season.

The first professional football team in Washington, D.C. to compete in a country-wide football league were the [[Washington Senators (NFL)|Washington Senators]]. The team was founded in 1921, and played the [[1921 APFA season|1921 season]] in the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which was renamed the [[National Football League]] (NFL) the next year. Following that one season, the team left the APFA and continued playing as an independent professional football team until 1941, when they folded. The team was also known as the Washington Pros and Washington Presidents during its existence. They practiced and played their home games at [[American League Park]].

====Washington Redskins / Commanders====
[[File:Sammy Baugh Sept 11 1937.tif|thumb|[[Sammy Baugh]] was among the NFL's early pioneers and among football's greatest ever players.]]
The NFL's [[Washington Commanders]] (known as the Washington Redskins until 2020) have played professional football in the [[Washington, D.C. area]] since 1937, when the team moved from Boston, where it was founded in 1932. Believing the team would find greater financial success in the nation's capital, the team's owner, [[George Preston Marshall]] moved the team to Washington, where they played at [[Griffith Stadium]] until 1960. Upon arriving in Washington, the team found immediate success, winning the [[1937 NFL Championship]] over the [[Chicago Bears]], with a final score of 28-21. The Redskins were led by [[Sammy Baugh]], who is widely considered to be one of the best and most important football players in the early years of the NFL. Baugh played multiple positions, including [[quarterback]], [[defensive back]], and [[punter (football)|punter]]. He was the first quarterback to popularize the [[forward pass]], and threw the ball down field with greater success than any quarterback before. The Redskins lost the [[1940 NFL Championship]] game 73-0 to the Bears, in what remains the most lopsided final score in NFL history. It is believed that the team performed so poorly in that game as a form of protest against the team's ownership. Sammy Baugh led the Redskins to their second [[1942 NFL Championship|championship in 1942]] as well, defeating the Bears 14-6 in the championship game, which was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington. The Redskins lost the [[1943 NFL Championship]] 41-21 to the Chicago Bears and lost the [[1945 NFL Championship]] by a score of 15-14 to the [[Cleveland Rams]].

From that final NFL Championship game appearance in 1945 to the 1970s, the Redskins were perennially among the worst teams in the league, even when [[Sonny Jurgenson]] took over as the team's quarterback in the 1960s. Jurgenson was widely considered to be among the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history during his time. Legendary NFL coach [[Vince Lombardi]] coached the Redskins for one season in [[1969 Washington Redskins season|1969]], before dying of cancer. That was the first season the Redskins finished with a winning record since [[1955 Washington Redskins season|1955]]. [[George Allen (American football coach)|George Allen]] coached the team to [[Super Bowl VII]] in [[1972 Washington Redskins season|1972]], where they lost to the undefeated [[1972 Miami Dolphins|Miami Dolphins]], 14-7. 

[[File:Joe Gibbs at Dept of Education event, cropped.jpg|thumb|[[Joe Gibbs]] coached Washington to four Super Bowl appearances and three victories in a span of nine years from 1982 to 1991. He is the only [[NFL]] head coach to win Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.]]
In 1981, the team's owner [[Jack Kent Cooke]] hired [[Joe Gibbs]] to be the new head coach. Gibbs led the Redskins to four Super Bowl appearances and three victories. The team won [[Super Bowl XVII]] in 1982, lost [[Super Bowl XVIII]] in 1983, won [[Super Bowl XXII]] in 1987, and won [[Super Bowl XXVI]] in 1991.<ref>[http://www.redskins.com/team/history-history.jsp History by Decades] ((webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702013207/http://www.redskins.com/team/history-history.jsp |date=2008-07-02 )). Washington Redskins.</ref> Gibbs is considered to be among the greatest coaches in the history of professional football,((cn|date=September 2023)) and is the only coach to win Super Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks. The 1982 Super Bowl was won with [[Joe Theismann]], the 1987 Super Bowl was won with [[Doug Williams (quarterback)|Doug Williams]]—who became the first Black quarterback to start in and win a Super Bowl—and the 1991 Super Bowl was won with [[Mark Rypien]] as quarterback. 

The success of the Redskins in the 1980s and early 1990s vaulted the team to become one of the most important and widely supported sports franchises in the country. In the D.C. area, the Redskins were perhaps the most important cultural entity, as stores would close and people would return to their homes or go to bars to watch Redskins games. The team's valuation increased to being the second highest valued sports team in the world by the time [[Daniel Snyder]] purchased the team in 1999. 

In 1997, the team moved to a new stadium in [[Landover, Maryland]], an eastern suburb of Washington.<ref>[http://www.stadiumsofprofootball.com/comparisons.htm||Stadiums of the NFL]</ref> This marked the first time the team played its home games outside the District of Columbia since moving there in 1937. From 1961 through 1997, the team played their home games at [[RFK Stadium]], which had become among the country's most iconic sports and football venues. 

In the years since Gibbs' retirement in 1993, the team's move to [[FedExField]] in Landover, and Snyder's purchase of the team, the glory years have faded and the team's success has dried up. Although Gibbs returned to coach the team from 2004 to 2007, the success of his earlier stint as head coach was not re-lived.

In 2020, following [[Washington Redskins name controversy|decades of controversy regarding the team's Native American name]], and decisions by several of the team's largest sponsors to stop financing the team until they changed their name, the organization announced that they were dropping the name ''Redskins'', and would pick up the temporary name ''Washington Football Team'' until a new name could be determined. After a two-year process, the team announced in 2022 that their permanent name moving forward would be the ''Washington Commanders''. 

In 2023, Daniel Snyder, whose ownership of the team had been [[Daniel Snyder#Criticism and controversies|mired in controversy]] amid a lack of on-field success since buying it in [[1999 Washington Redskins season|1999]], sold the team to an investment group led by [[Josh Harris (businessman)|Josh Harris]], owner of the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] and [[New Jersey Devils]], for $6.05 billion.<ref name="Sale">((cite news |last1=Maske |first1=Mark |last2=Jhabvala |first2=Nicki |title=NFL owners approve sale of Commanders from Daniel Snyder to Josh Harris |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/20/washington-commanders-sale/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=July 21, 2023 |date=July 20, 2023))</ref> In addition to Harris, the group has 20 limited partners worth a combined $100 billion, including [[Danaher Corporation|Danaher]] founder and art collector [[Mitchell Rales]], [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|Basketball Hall of Famer]] [[Magic Johnson]], 76ers and Devils co-owner [[David Blitzer]], venture capitalist and [[Washington Kastles]] owner [[Mark Ein]], [[Maverick Capital]] founder [[Lee Ainslie]], [[Blue Owl Capital]] founders Marc Lipschultz and Doug Ostrover, financier [[Alejandro Santo Domingo]] and [[Santo Domingo family|his family]], [[ProShares]] founder Michael Sapir, former [[Google]] CEO [[Eric Schmidt]], and [[Cambridge Information Group]] CEO Andy Snyder.<ref name="LPs">((cite web |last1=Perez |first1=A. J. |title=Commanders' Sale to Josh Harris, 20 Limited Partners Remains On Course |url=https://frontofficesports.com/commanders-sale-to-josh-harris-20-limited-partners-remains-on-course/ |website=Front Office Sports |date=26 May 2023 |access-date=May 29, 2023 |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529211930/https://frontofficesports.com/commanders-sale-to-josh-harris-20-limited-partners-remains-on-course/ |url-status=live ))</ref><ref>((cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=Josh Harris Announces Acquisition of Washington Commanders |url=https://www.commanders.com/news/josh-harris-announces-acquisition-of-washington-commanders |location= |publisher=Washington Commanders |agency= |date=July 21, 2023 |access-date=July 21, 2023))</ref> The deal was the highest price ever paid for a sports team.<ref>((cite news |last1=Jhabvala |first1=Nicki |title=The Commanders sale was so complicated, it was 'like 20 deals in one' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/20/josh-harris-rales-commanders-owners/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=July 23, 2023 |date=July 20, 2023))</ref>

====Other teams====
Two other professional football leagues to have had teams in Washington include the indoor [[Arena Football League]] (AFL) and [[XFL (2020)|XFL]], which merged with the [[United States Football League (2022)|USFL]] to form the [[United Football League (2024)|United Football League (UFL)]].

The [[Washington Commandos]] competed in the Arena League in 1987, 1989, and 1990. In 1987 and 1989, the team played their home games at the [[Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)|Capital Centre]] in the suburb of Landover, Maryland. In 1989, the team was known as the Maryland Commandos. In 1990, they played their home games at the [[Patriot Center]] in [[Fairfax, Virginia]], and returned to being called the Washington Commandos.

The [[Washington Valor]] competed in the AFL from 2017 to 2019. As an indoor football league that competes on a smaller playing surface than traditional football, the team played their home games in [[Capital One Arena]]. Although the team finished with an overall regular season record of 12-26 and an overall postseason record of 2-3, they won [[ArenaBowl XXXI]] in 2018 by a score of 69-55 against the [[Baltimore Brigade]]. Following the 2019 season, the AFL was suspended indefinitely, and the Valor have not played since.

The [[DC Defenders]] competed in the XFL from 2020 until 2023. They play their home games at [[Audi Field]]. In the 2023 season, the Defenders finished with a league-best record of 9-1 in the regular season and were the heavy favorites going into the playoffs. However, they lost the [[2023 XFL Championship Game]] to the [[Arlington Renegades]], 35-26. Following the 2023 XFL and USFL merger, the Defenders became part of the UFL, where they currently compete.

The [[D.C. Divas]] of the [[Women's Football Alliance]] are a [[women's gridiron football|women's tackle football]] team based in the Washington area. They've competed since 2000, and won the championship in 2006, 2015, and 2016.

====Other information====
The headquarters of the [[National Football League Players Association]] (NFLPA), which is the labor union representing the players of the NFL, is located in the Upshaw Place building on 20th Street in [[Northwest Washington]]. 

The [[1941 NFL Draft]] was held at the [[Willard Hotel]] in Washington.

===Baseball===
((refimprove section|date=February 2014))
((see also|History of Washington, D.C. professional baseball|History of the Washington Nationals))
[[File:1924WorldSeries.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Washington Senators (1901–1960)|Washington Senators]] manager [[Bucky Harris]] presents President [[Calvin Coolidge]] with the ball used to open the [[1924 World Series]].]]
====Historic teams====
Washington's first professional baseball team was the [[Washington Olympics]], which played in Washington, D.C. in [[1871 Washington Olympics season|1871]] and [[1872 Washington Olympics season|1872]]. A new team known as the [[Washington Senators (1891-1899)|Washington Senators]] played in the [[American Association (1882–1891)|American Association]] in 1891, after which it played in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) for the duration of its existence. After this Senators franchise folded in 1899, another [[Washington Senators (1901-1960)|Washington Senators]] team was founded in 1901 and played in the [[American League]] (AL). This franchise was officially called the Washington Nationals from 1905 to 1955, but was commonly called the "Senators" during its time in Washington. The team played from 1911 onwards at [[Griffith Stadium]] in [[Northwest Washington]]. The Senators won the [[1924 World Series]] in seven games against the [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]], with game seven at Griffith Stadium ending in the bottom of the 12th inning. The team also won the 1925 and 1933 AL Pennants. This team left for [[Minnesota Twins|Minnesota]] in 1960 and became the Minnesota Twins. The very next season, an expansion [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Washington Senators]] franchise was founded in the city, and played in Washington from 1961 to 1971. Following the [[1971 Washington Senators season|1971 season]], the team moved to Dallas and became the Texas Rangers. 

The [[ceremonial first pitch]], which is now common across baseball, began in Washington in 1910 when President [[William Howard Taft]] threw out the first pitch at the Senators' [[Opening Day]] game.

Several [[Negro league baseball]] teams played in Washington including the [[Washington Black Senators|Black Senators]] and the [[Washington Elite Giants|Elite Giants]]. The longest lasting was the [[Homestead Grays]], which played some home games in Washington from 1940 to 1950. Though officially based in the [[Pittsburgh]] area, the Grays played a number of home games at their "home away from home", [[Griffith Stadium]] in Washington, and were often referred to as the Washington Grays. The Grays won the [[Negro League World Series]] in 1943, 1944, and 1948.

====Current team====
[[File:Nationals Park, baseball stadium, Washington, D.C LCCN2010630934.tif|thumb|right|250px|[[Nationals Park]] is the current home of the [[Washington Nationals]].]]
Washington was without a professional baseball team for over three decades until [[Major League Baseball]] relocated the [[Montreal Expos]] to the city for the [[2005 Major League Baseball season|2005 season]], becoming the [[Washington Nationals]]. In the interim, the [[Baltimore Orioles]] served as Washington's home team. Orioles ownership marketed the team heavily to Washington baseball fans, even removing "Baltimore" from the team's uniform (however, since the return of baseball to the D.C. area, "Baltimore" is now on the uniform again). The Orioles' reliance on the Washington market became a hindrance to Washington's efforts to gain their own baseball team as Orioles ownership lobbied Major League Baseball to keep a professional team out of Washington. Eventually, baseball's owners, burdened with a poorly performing Montreal franchise, were convinced to move the team to Washington with the promise of a brand new stadium fully financed by the D.C. government. Orioles' owner [[Peter Angelos]] cast the lone dissenting vote in the 28&ndash;1 decision. After spending their first three seasons at RFK Stadium, the Nationals began playing at [[Nationals Park]] in the [[Navy Yard (Washington, D.C.)|Navy Yard]] neighborhood in 2008. The Nationals won their [[2019 World Series|first-ever World Series pennant in 2019]], beating the [[Houston Astros]] in seven games.

====Other information====
Washington, D.C. has hosted five [[Major League Baseball All-Star Games]]. The Washington Senators hosted the [[1937 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1937]] and [[1956 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1956 All-Star Games]] at Griffith Stadium. The [[1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1962]] and [[1969 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1969 Games]] were hosted by the next Washington Senators franchise and were played at RFK Stadium. The [[2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2018 All-Star Game]] was hosted by the Nationals at Nationals Park.

===Basketball===
====Historic teams====
Washington's first professional basketball team was the [[Washington Capitols]], which played in the inaugural season of the [[Basketball Association of America]] (BAA) (the precursor to the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA)). The team played their home games at [[Uline Arena]]. In 1946, their first year, the Capitols had a .817 winning percentage, and had a 17-game winning streak at one point during the season. The team began the [[1948–49 BAA season|1948&ndash;49 season]] with a 15-game winning streak.<ref>((cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/records/regular_miscellaneous.html | title=Regular Season Records: Miscellaneous |publisher=NBA |access-date=April 26, 2010))</ref> The Capitols continued playing in the BAA until halting operations on January 9, 1951.

There were no professional basketball teams in Washington until the [[Oakland Oaks (ABA)|Oakland Oaks]] moved to Washington in 1969 and formed the [[Washington Caps]]. The Caps played as part of the [[American Basketball Association]] (ABA). They played their home games in Uline Arena, which was then known as the Washington Coliseum. The team only played two seasons in Washington, before moving to [[Norfolk, Virginia]] in 1970 to become the [[Virginia Squires]].
====Current teams====
On December 2, 1973, the NBA's Baltimore Bullets moved to the Washington area and played their first home game at the newly built [[Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)|Capital Centre]] in [[Landover, Maryland]]. The team changed their name to the ''Capital Bullets'' during their first year in the Washington area. Their second year, they changed their city designation and became the [[Washington Bullets]]. Despite the name change, the team continued to play many of their home games in Baltimore at the [[Royal Farms Arena|Baltimore Civic Center]]. The [[1974–75 Washington Bullets season|Bullets]] went to the [[1975 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] in [[1975 NBA Playoffs|1975]], where they were swept in four games by the [[1974–75 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]].

The [[1977–78 Washington Bullets season|Bullets']] next appearance in the [[1978 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] happened in [[1978 NBA Playoffs|1978]], when they beat the heavily favored [[Seattle SuperSonics]] in seven games. To date, this is the franchise's only league title. The two teams met again in the [[1979 NBA Finals]], with the [[1978–79 Seattle SuperSonics season|Sonics]] winning 4 games to 1.
[[File:Capital One Arena interior 2017-04-19.jpg|thumb|right|The NBA's [[Washington Wizards]] play at Capital One Arena.]]

In 1995, team owner [[Abe Pollin]] announced the Bullets would change their name out of sensitivity to the high rate of [[Crime in Washington, D. C.|gun violence in Washington, D.C.]] Following a fan vote, the team became known as the [[Washington Wizards]] on May 15, 1997. Later that year, the Wizards moved to D.C. to play in the newly constructed [[MCI Center]], now known as Capital One Arena. This new arena was constructed by Pollin. Since the 1980s, the team has suffered from many losing seasons, and did not win a playoff series for 23 years until [[2005 NBA Playoffs|2005]]. They followed up this season by making the playoffs the next four years under the leadership of star [[point guard]], [[Gilbert Arenas]].

Following the departure of star players like Arenas, [[Antawn Jamison]], and [[Caron Butler]], the Wizards finished with the 5th worst record in the [[2009-10 NBA season]]. The team subsequently won the 2010 Draft Lottery and selected Kentucky point guard [[John Wall]] with the first pick, whom new owner [[Ted Leonsis]] and team president [[Ernie Grunfeld]] would build the team around in the years to come. Despite this, success remained mediocre, and attendance has flat-lined as the team continues to struggle perennially.

Women's basketball has also played an important part in Washington's basketball history. In 1998, soon after the opening of the new MCI Center, an expansion team in the [[Women's National Basketball Association]] (WNBA), the [[Washington Mystics]], began playing their home games there. Despite having only two winning seasons and a mere four playoff wins in their early years, the Mystics led the league in attendance from 1998 through 2000 and again from 2002 through 2004. The team hung six banners in their home arena, touting themselves as "Attendance Champions". These banners were frequently criticized and in 2010 the new owner of the team and arena, [[Ted Leonsis]], ordered them removed.<ref>((cite news |title=With Leonsis' OK, Mystics attendance banners removed |date=May 7, 2010 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/wnba/mystics/2010-05-07-attendance-banners-leonsis_N.htm |work=USA Today))</ref> 

The Mystics moved to the newly constructed [[Entertainment and Sports Arena]] (ESA) in [[Southeast D.C.]] in 2019. The arena hosts the Wizards' practice facility as well. Their [[2019 Washington Mystics season|first season in the new arena]] saw the Mystics claim their [[2019 WNBA Finals|first WNBA title]], with the team's star player, [[Elena Delle Donne]], being named [[WNBA Most Valuable Player Award|season MVP]] on the strength of the first [[50–40–90 club|50–40–90]] season in league history, and [[Emma Meesseman]] earning [[WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|Finals MVP]] honors.

The 2018–19 season marked the debut of the [[Capital City Go-Go]], a team owned by the Wizards that plays in the NBA's official minor league, the [[NBA G League]]. The Go-Go play at ESA.

====Other information====
Washington, D.C. hosted the [[NBA All-Star Game]] once at the MCI Center (now Capital One Arena) in [[2001 NBA All-Star Game|2001]]. The same arena has hosted two [[WNBA All-Star Game]]s, one in [[2002 WNBA All-Star Game|2002]] and another in [[2007 WNBA All-Star Game|2007]].

===Ice hockey===
((refimprove section|date=February 2014))
====Historic teams====
From 1939 through 1942, the [[Washington Eagles]] were a minor league hockey team playing in the [[Eastern Hockey League]], which was a minor league made up of teams focused mostly on the eastern United States. They won the league championship in 1940-41. The next season, the team competed for fans with the newly established [[Washington Lions]] of the [[American Hockey League]], which was another minor league. Ultimately, the Lions succeeded in getting a larger fanbase than the Eagles, leading the Eagles to stop operations in 1942. The Lions played initially in Washington from 1941 to 1943 and then again from 1947 to 1949. They played their homes games at [[Washington Coliseum|Uline Ice Arena]] in [[Northeast D.C.]] In 1949, the team moved to Cincinnati and became the [[Cincinnati Mohawks]]. The team returned to Washington in 1951, again with the name ''Washington Lions''. This time, however, the team was a part of the Eastern Hockey League. In an effort to rebrand and increase its fanbase, the team changed its name in 1957 to the ''Washington Presidents''. Despite its attempt to rebrand, the team was financially unstable and ended up folding in 1960. 
[[File:Caps-Habs (April 15, 2010) - 6 (4526725189).jpg|thumb|The NHL's [[Washington Capitals]] play their homes games at [[Capital One Arena]].]]
====Current team====
Following many years without professional ice hockey in Washington, businessman and sports team owner [[Abe Pollin]] decided to purchase an expansion team in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) for Washington, D.C. The new hockey team for Washington was created as part of the NHL's [[1974–75 NHL season|1974 expansion]]. Pollin offered fans the opportunity to send in suggestions for the team's new name. Ultimately, he chose to call the new hockey team the [[Washington Capitals]], often shortened to ''Caps''.

Their [[1974–75 NHL season|first season]], the [[1974–75 Washington Capitals season|Capitals]] only won eight games, which earned them an NHL-record low .131 winning percentage. The team found greater success through the 1980s and 1990s. From the [[1982-83 NHL season|1982-83 season]] through the [[1995-96 NHL season|1995-96 season]], the Caps made the playoffs every year and won the division in [[1988-89 NHL season|1988-89]].

After spending their first 23 seasons playing in the [[Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)|Capital Centre]] in [[Landover, Maryland]], the Caps moved into D.C. to play in the newly constructed [[MCI Center]] (now known as Capital One Arena) located in [[Chinatown (Washington, D.C.)|Chinatown]] in 1997. A competitive high point for the team came in their first [[1997–98 NHL season|season]] in the new arena, when they defeated the [[Buffalo Sabres]] in the [[NHL Conference Finals|Eastern Conference Finals]], earning a trip to the [[1998 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]], where they were swept in four games by the [[1997–98 Detroit Red Wings season|Detroit Red Wings]]. In 1999, the team was purchased by local businessman [[Ted Leonsis]].

[[File:Alex Ovechkin with Stanley Cup.jpg|thumb|[[Alexander Ovechkin]] celebrating the Capitals' [[2018 Stanley Cup]] championship.]]
For many years after the Cup Finals appearance, the team struggled mightily on the ice. In 2004, the Capitals drafted Russian [[winger (hockey)|winger]] [[Alexander Ovechkin]] with the [[2004 NHL draft|first overall draft pick]]. The team made the playoffs in [[2007-08 NHL season|2007-08]], which was the beginning of a long stretch during which the team was consistently among the best in the league. Despite the many regular season successes during this time, including seven division titles and three [[Presidents' Trophy]] wins between 2007 and 2017, the team struggled to achieve playoff success, and failed to make it past the second round. 

This playoff disappointment ended when [[Evgeny Kuznetsov]] lifted the Capitals over the rival [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] in overtime of Game 6 in the second round of the [[2018 Stanley Cup playoffs]] to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years. Led by their captain Alexander Ovechkin, the Capitals went on to defeat the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]] in seven games to claim the title as [[2017–18 NHL season|2017–18]] Eastern Conference champions, the second title in franchise history. On June 7, 2018, the Capitals defeated the [[Vegas Golden Knights]] in five games to win their first [[2018 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup]] in franchise history. Among the most important members of this team were Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, goalie [[Braden Holtby]], defensman [[John Carlson (ice hockey)|John Carlson]], and center [[Nicklas Backstrom]]. The team was coached by [[Barry Trotz]].

In addition to their Stanley Cup championship and two Eastern Conference championships, the Capitals have won three Presidents' Trophies for having the best regular season record and have claimed 13 division titles. The team won four straight division championships as members of the [[Southeast Division (NHL)|Southeast Division]] between the 2007 and 2010 seasons, and five straight in the current [[Metropolitan Division]], between 2015 and 2020. Four Capitals players have been inducted into the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]]: [[Mike Gartner]], [[Rod Langway]], [[Larry Murphy (ice hockey)|Larry Murphy]], and [[Scott Stevens]]. Ovechkin is widely considered to be among the greatest NHL players in history and is currently chasing [[Wayne Gretzky]]'s record for most career NHL goals.

====Other information====
The Capitals hosted the [[34th National Hockey League All-Star Game|1982 NHL All-Star Game]] at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.

===Tennis===
[[File:2016 Citi Open Citi Open (28181507220).jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Washington Open (tennis)|Washington Open's]] center court.]]
In late July and early August, Washington hosts an annual joint [[ATP Tour]] men's [[tennis]] and [[WTA Tour]] women's tennis event: the [[Washington Open (tennis) | Washington Open]] at the [[William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center]] in [[Rock Creek Park]]. The tournament has been held at the same venue since its founding in 1969. It is an [[ATP 500]] and [[WTA 500]] event, and serves as a popular tune-up tournament prior to the [[US Open (tennis) | US Open]]. It is the first tennis tournament in history to be both an ATP 500 and WTA 500 event, and is one of the few tournaments in the world to host both men and women. The tournament's sponsorship name is the ''[[Mubadala]] [[Citi]] DC Open''.

From 1972 until 1991, Washington hosted the [[Virginia Slims of Washington]], a WTA Tour women's tennis tournament. It was played on indoor [[carpet court]]s from 1972 to 1975 and then again from 1978 to 1990. It was played on indoor hard courts from 1976 to 1977, and was played on outdoor hard courts during its final year in 1991. The most successful champion at the tournament was [[Martina Navratilova]], who won the singles title nine times.

In July 2008, the [[Washington Kastles]], a [[World TeamTennis]] (WTT) team founded by [[Mark Ein]], played their first season in a temporary stadium in [[downtown Washington, D.C.]] finishing with a 6–8 record. In 2009, despite losing their first four matches, the Kastles won the WTT championship.<ref>((cite news |publisher=AP |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h_acLuEwUqFV3FocomuI97efkcjgD99MG2084 |title=Paes leads Washington to 1st WTT championship |date=July 26, 2009 ))</ref> The Kastles were 8–6 and just missed the playoffs in [[2010 World TeamTennis season|2010]]. In [[2011 World TeamTennis season|2011]], the Kastles moved to Kastles Stadium at the Wharf at 800 Water Street, SW in Washington right off Maine Avenue. The Kastles played the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons there. In 2011, the Kastles posted a perfect season of 16–0 and won the WTT Championship. The 2011 season was the 36th for World Team Tennis, and the Kastles became the first team to accomplish the feat of a perfect season. They posted a second perfect season of 16–0 in [[2012 World TeamTennis season|2012]], and won another WTT Championship, becoming the only professional sports team to have back-to-back undefeated seasons. In [[2013 World TeamTennis season|2013]], the Kastles won their first match of the season to post a record of 33 straight wins, equaling the 33 games winning streak of the [[1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers season|1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]. The Kastles won the second match of the season to set a new record of 34 straight wins by a top-tier professional sports team. Even though the Kastles lost the third and fourth matches of the 2013 season, they went undefeated for the remainder of the season to finish with a 14–2 record and won their third consecutive WTT Championship. In [[2014 Washington Kastles season|2014]], the Kastles moved to [[Kastles Stadium at the Charles E. Smith Center]] on the campus of [[George Washington University]] and won their fourth consecutive WTT Championship with an overall record of 12–4.<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.wtt.com/page.aspx?article_id=4622|title=Washington Kastles Four-Peat as Mylan WTT Champions|work=[[World TeamTennis]]|date=July 27, 2014|access-date=May 14, 2015))</ref> In the first seven years of the franchise, the Kastles won five WTT titles.

===Golf===
The wider Washington region has hosted multiple professional golf tournaments, including [[Men's major golf championships|men's]] and [[Women's major golf championships|women's majors]]. The [[1921 U.S. Open (golf)|1921 U.S. Open]] was played at [[Columbia Country Club]] in [[Chevy Chase, Maryland]], just north of the city's borders. The [[1964 U.S. Open (golf)|1964]], [[1997 U.S. Open (golf)|1997]], and [[2011 U.S. Open (golf)|2011]] [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]s were played at [[Congressional Country Club]] in [[Bethesda, Maryland]]. Congressional also served as the location for the [[1976 PGA Championship]]. The [[1994 U.S. Women's Open]] was played at the [[Country Club at Woodmore|Prince George's Golf and Country Club]] in [[Landover, Maryland]]. Congressional hosted the [[2022 Women's PGA Championship]]. The 2027 Women's PGA Championship and 2031 Men's PGA Championship are scheduled to be played at Congressional.

Congressional also served as the home for the [[PGA Tour]]'s [[Kemper Open]] from 1980 through 1986, and again in 2005. The course also hosted [[The National (golf)|The National]], which was [[Tiger Woods]]' tournament, from 2007 to 2009, again from 2012 to 2014, and one final time in 2016. Woods' tournament was played at the [[Robert Trent Jones Golf Club]] in the D.C. suburb of [[Gainesville, Virginia]] in 2015 and at [[TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm]] in suburban [[Potomac, Maryland]] in 2017 and 2018. TPC Potomac also hosted the tournament originally known as the Kemper Open from 1987 to 2004 and again in 2006. It also hosted the [[Wells Fargo Championship]] in 2022. 

The [[Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C.]], located in [[Sterling, Virginia]], hosted a [[LIV Golf]] tournament in May 2023. It was the final LIV Golf tournament to be played before the tour merged with the PGA Tour.

===Fighting, boxing, and wrestling===
Washington has hosted numerous [[WWE]] events, as well as the final four editions of [[WCW]]'s [[Starrcade]]. Capital One Arena has hosted [[WWE Backlash|Backlash]] in [[Backlash (2000)|2000]], [[SummerSlam]] in [[SummerSlam (2005)|2005]], [[WWE Cyber Sunday|Cyber Sunday]] in [[Cyber Sunday (2007)|2007]], [[Survivor Series]] in [[Survivor Series (2009)|2009]], [[WWE Capitol Punishment|Capitol Punishment]] in 2011, and [[WWE Battleground|Battleground]] in [[Battleground (2016)|2016]]. The arena frequently hosts ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]'' and ''[[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown]]'' shows as well. 

Capital One Arena was also home to [[Mike Tyson]]'s final fight ([[Mike Tyson vs. Kevin McBride]]) on June 11, 2005.<ref>((Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Chuck |date=June 11, 2005 |title=Tyson announces retirement after quitting vs. McBride |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2005-06-11-tyson-mcbride_x.htm |access-date=September 5, 2023 |website=USA Today))</ref> On October 1, 2011, [[UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson]] was held at the arena.<ref>((cite web|url=http://mmajunkie.com/news/25493/ufc-on-versus-6-sets-event-series-attendance-and-live-gate-records.mma|title=UFC on Versus 6 sets event series' attendance and live-gate records|work=[[MMAjunkie.com]]|date=October 2, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510195055/http://mmajunkie.com/news/25493/ufc-on-versus-6-sets-event-series-attendance-and-live-gate-records.mma|archive-date=May 10, 2012))</ref>

On December 7, 2019, [[UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik]] was held at Capital One Arena.

On October 2, 2019, Capital One Arena hosted ''[[AEW Dynamite]]'', the first televised professional wrestling event by [[All Elite Wrestling]]. It was broadcast on [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] in the United States of America and on [[ITV4]] in the United Kingdom.<ref>((cite news |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=July 24, 2019 |title=All Elite Wrestling to Launch on TNT Wednesdays in October |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/aew-tnt-premiere-date-1203277974 |access-date=September 5, 2023))</ref><ref>((cite news |title=AEW Confirms UK TV Deal, Weekly Show To Air On ITV |work=WrestleTalk |url=https://wrestletalk.com/news/aew-confirms-uk-tv-deal-weekly-show-to-air-on-itv |access-date=September 5, 2023))</ref>

==Collegiate sports==
The following schools are located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area:

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 100%;"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center"
! School
! Nickname
! Conference
! Division
|-
| [[American University]]
| [[American Eagles|Eagles]]
| [[Patriot League]]
| [[NCAA Division I]]
|-
| ((sort|George Washington|[[The George Washington University]]))
| [[George Washington Revolutionaries|Revolutionaries]]
| [[Atlantic 10 Conference|Atlantic 10]]
| [[NCAA Division I]]
|-
| [[Georgetown University]]
| [[Georgetown Hoyas|Hoyas]]
| [[Big East Conference|Big East]]<br>[[Patriot League]] (football)
| [[NCAA Division I]]
|-
| [[George Mason University]]<br>([[Fairfax, Virginia]])
| [[George Mason Patriots|Patriots]]
| [[Atlantic 10 Conference|Atlantic 10]] 
| [[NCAA Division I]]
|-
| [[Howard University]]
| [[Howard Bison and Lady Bison|Bison]]
| [[Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference|MEAC]]
| [[NCAA Division I]]
|-
| ((sort|Maryland|[[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]]))<br>([[College Park, Maryland]])
| [[Maryland Terrapins|Terrapins]]
| [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]] 
| [[NCAA Division I]]
|-
| [[Mount St. Mary's University]]<br>([[Emmitsburg, Maryland]])
| [[Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers|Mountaineers]]
| [[Northeast Conference|Northeast]] 
| [[NCAA Division I]]
|-
| [[Bowie State University]]<br>([[Bowie, Maryland]])
| [[Bowie State Bulldogs|Bulldogs]]
| [[Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association|CIAA]]
| [[NCAA Division II]]
|-
| ((sort|District|[[University of the District of Columbia]]))
| [[District of Columbia Firebirds|Firebirds]]
| [[NCAA Division II independent schools|Independent]]<br>[[East Coast Conference|ECC]] (tennis)
| [[NCAA Division II]]
|-
| [[Shepherd University]]<br>([[Shepherdstown, West Virginia]])
| [[Shepherd Rams|Rams]]
| [[Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference|PSAC]]
| [[NCAA Division II]]
|-
| ((sort|Catholic|[[The Catholic University of America]]))
| [[Catholic University Cardinals|Cardinals]]
| [[Landmark Conference|Landmark]]<br>[[New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference|NEWMAC]] (football)
| [[NCAA Division III]]
|-
| [[Gallaudet University]]
| [[Gallaudet University#Athletics|Bison]]
| [[North Eastern Athletic Conference|NEAC]]<br>[[Eastern Collegiate Football Conference|ECFC]] (football)
| [[NCAA Division III]]
|-
| [[Hood College]]<br>([[Frederick, Maryland]])
| [[Hood College#Athletics|Blazers]]
| [[Middle Atlantic Conferences|MAC]] [[MAC Commonwealth Conference|Commonwealth]]((efn|The Middle Atlantic Conferences is an umbrella organization that operates three separate leagues. All MAC schools are members of either the MAC Commonwealth or [[MAC Freedom Conference|MAC Freedom]], leagues that sponsor competition in the same set of 14 sports, including men's and women's basketball, but not football. The MAC sponsors 13 additional sports, including football, through its Middle Atlantic ''Conference'' (singular).))
| [[NCAA Division III]]
|-
| ((sort|Mary Washington|[[University of Mary Washington]]))<br>([[Fredericksburg, Virginia]])
| [[Mary Washington Eagles|Eagles]]
| [[Capital Athletic Conference|CAC]] 
| [[NCAA Division III]]
|-
| [[Marymount University]]<br>([[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington, Virginia]])
| [[Marymount Saints|Saints]]
| [[Atlantic East Conference|Atlantic East]]
| [[NCAA Division III]]
|-
| [[Trinity Washington University]]
| [[Trinity Washington University#Athletics|Tigers]]
| [[NCAA Division III independent schools|Independent]]
| [[NCAA Division III]]
|}

((notelist|group=cs))

On December 20, 2008, Washington hosted its first college bowl game, the [[Military Bowl|EagleBank Bowl]], at RFK Stadium. The [[2008 EagleBank Bowl|first match-up]] saw [[2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team|Wake Forest]] defeat [[2008 Navy Midshipmen football team|Navy]], 29&ndash;19.<ref>((cite news |newspaper=Washington Post |title=A D.C. Bowl Worthy of Its Players |first=John |last=Feinstein |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/21/AR2008122101444.html |page=A21 |date=December 22, 2008 ))</ref> After the sponsorship deal between the bowl organizers and EagleBank expired following the [[2009 EagleBank Bowl|2009 edition]], the game was renamed the [[Military Bowl]], thanks to a new sponsorship deal with a major defense contractor. The game left the Washington metropolitan area after its 2012 edition; it has since been played at [[Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium]] in [[Annapolis, Maryland]], which lies within the [[Baltimore metropolitan area]].

===Georgetown basketball===
[[Georgetown University]] began fielding a basketball team in 1907. The [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown Hoyas]] compete in the [[Big East Conference]]. They have won eight [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]] tournament championships and ten Big East regular season championships. They have appeared the NCAA Final Four five times, winning the [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|national championship]] in [[1984 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1984]]; that team was coached by [[John Thompson (basketball)|John Thompson]].
Several NBA players got their start playing for Georgetown including [[Patrick Ewing]], [[Allen Iverson]], [[Alonzo Mourning]], [[Dikembe Mutombo]], and [[Reggie Williams (basketball, born 1964)|Reggie Williams]]. The Hoyas play their home games at Capital One Arena.

===Maryland basketball===
The [[University of Maryland]] [[Maryland Terrapins men's basketball|men's basketball]] team, which plays at the [[Xfinity Center (College Park, Maryland)|Xfinity Center]] in [[College Park, Maryland]] just northeast of the city's border, won the [[2002 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2001 NCAA men's basketball tournament]] and made the Final Four in 2001 and 2002. They qualified for the Elite Eight in 1973, 1975, 2001, and 2002. The 2001 championship team was coached by [[Gary Williams]].

===Hosting collegiate sporting events===
Capital One Arena has hosted games in the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]] numerous times over the years. The city hosted first and second round games in 1998, 2002, 2008, and 2011, and hosted the regional finals (sweet sixteen and elite eight) in 2006, 2013, and 2019.<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/Georgetown-University-Verizon-Center-to-Host-2019-NCAA-March-Madness-Games-419781573.html|title = Georgetown University, Verizon Center to Host 2019 NCAA March Madness Games|website=Nbcwashington.com| date=19 April 2017 ))</ref> The [[2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team]] from neighboring [[Fairfax, Virginia]] advanced to the Final Four in the Washington, D.C. region of the NCAA bracket, and played their sweet sixteen and elite eight games at Capital One Arena in 2006. The arena also hosted the [[Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament]] in 2018 and 2022. It hosted the [[ACC men's basketball tournament]] in 2005, 2016, and 2024. In 2017, the arena hosted the [[2017 Big Ten men's basketball tournament|Big Ten Men's basketball tournament]].

Capital One Arena also hosted the 2009 [[NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament|"Frozen Four,"]] the final two rounds of the [[2009 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament]].

FedExField in Landover, Maryland has served as a neutral site for numerous college football games over the years. Among the most prominent was the 112th [[Army-Navy game]], played in 2011.

==Other sports==

===Flag football===
Washington, D.C. is home to 22 [[flag football]] teams that play under the [[DC Gay Flag Football League]] which is part of the [[National Gay Flag Football League]]. In 1994, the DC League formed as an organized unit.<ref name=":12">((Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-gay-flag-football-league-builds-community-camaraderie/2013/09/19/85a8b792-1ef2-11e3-b7d1-7153ad47b549_story.html|title=D.C. gay flag football league builds community, camaraderie|last=Lanyi|first=Bettina|date=2013-09-19|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2018-06-03|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286))</ref> The DCGFFL won the [[Gay Bowl]] in 2003 and 2004.<ref name=":3">((Cite news|url=https://www.outsports.com/2016/8/16/12504266/gay-calendar-hot-men-football#0|title=DC Gay Flag Football League produces 2017 calendar|last=Zeigler|first=Cyd|date=2016-09-16|work=Outsports|access-date=2018-06-05|author-link=Cyd Zeigler))</ref> In September 2010, DCGFFL premiered in its first season as an official league as part of the NGFFL.<ref name=":22">((Cite news|url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/the-scene/events/-DC-Gay-Flag-Footballers-Launch-Calendar-127471298.html|title=DC Gay Flag Footballers Debut Calendar|last=DiMargo|first=Carissa|date=2011-08-10|work=NBC4 Washington|access-date=2018-06-03|language=en))</ref> Washington, D.C. hosted the [[Gay Bowl]] in 2016 on the [[National Mall]].<ref>((Cite news|url=http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2017/10/flag_football_league_brings_annual_gay_bowl_to_boston_area|title=Flag football league brings annual 'Gay Bowl' to Boston area|date=2017-10-07|work=Boston Herald|access-date=2018-06-05|language=en))</ref><ref name=":3" />

===Lacrosse===
[[Fairfax, Virginia]] in the Washington suburbs was home to the [[Chesapeake Bayhawks|Washington Bayhawks]]<ref>[http://www.washingtonbayhawks.com/ washingtonbayhawks.com: Home<!-- Bot generated title -->] ((webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513084214/http://www.washingtonbayhawks.com/ |date=2008-05-13 ))</ref> of [[Major League Lacrosse]] (MLL).<ref>[http://www.majorleaguelacrosse.com/ majorleaguelacrosse.com: Home<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Bayhawks moved to [[George Mason Stadium]], after playing one season at [[Georgetown University]] and six seasons in [[Baltimore]]. The Bayhawks are one of Major League Lacrosse's original six teams, created in 2001 the same year the league started. The Bayhawks have twice won championships in the MLL in 2002 and 2005. The Bayhawks began playing their home games at [[Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium]] in [[Annapolis, Maryland]], which is in the federally defined [[Baltimore Metropolitan Area]], for the 2009 season and changed their name to the Chesapeake Bayhawks in 2010. The [[Washington Power]] were a member of the [[National Lacrosse League]] (NLL), which is a [[box lacrosse]] league, during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. After the inaugural championship in 1987 in Baltimore (as the Thunder) through 1999 and an unsuccessful stint in Pittsburgh (as the CrosseFire), the franchise moved to Washington, D.C. in 2001. They played their first season at the MCI Center (now [[Capital One Arena]]), and their second season at the [[Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)|Capital Centre]] in [[Landover, Maryland]]. After two seasons of low attendance in Washington, the franchise moved, this time to Denver, Colorado, and became the [[Colorado Mammoth]]. In Colorado they have seen success both on and off the field, culminating in 2006, when they had the highest attendance in the league, and also won the Champion's Cup.

===Rugby union===
The Washington, D.C. area has been home to numerous [[rugby union]] teams, including men's, women's, college and high school. Prominent club teams include the [[Potomac Athletic Club RFC|Potomac Athletic Club]], [[Washington Rugby Football Club]], [[Washington Irish R.F.C.]],and the [[Maryland Exiles]]. These two clubs merged in 2014 as the [https://www.potomacexiles.com/about-the-club/ Potomac Exiles Rugby Club] The [[Maryland Terrapins]] rugby team plays in the [[Atlantic Coast Rugby League]] against its traditional ACC rivals. At the high school level, [[Gonzaga College High School|Gonzaga]] fields one of the strongest programs in the country, and Pride rugby (formerly Hyde rugby) gained national attention as the first rugby program at a predominantly African-American school.

In 2018, it was announced that Paul Sheehy, owner and director of used operations for Sheehy Auto Stores, and Chris Dunlavey, president and co-founder of Brailsford & Dunlavey, have secured the right to launch a D.C.-based [[Major League Rugby]] (MLR) team,<ref>((Cite web |title=Two local business leaders may field professional D.C. rugby team|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2018/05/17/two-local-business-leaders-mayfield-professional-d.html |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=www.bizjournals.com))</ref> named [[Old Glory DC]]. The [[Scottish Rugby Union]] has a part ownership of the team. The team is coached by [[Nate Osborne]] in an interim capacity after former head coach [[Andrew Douglas (rugby union)|Andrew Douglas]] departed the club halfway through the 2022 season. Old Glory played an abbreviated schedule of exhibition games in [[2019 Major League Rugby season|2019]] and began regular-season MLR play in [[2020 Major League Rugby season|2020]].

===Rugby league===
The [[Washington, D.C. Slayers]] [[rugby league]] team played in the [[USA Rugby League]] (USARL) from 2003 until 2016, when they folded. They played their home games at Duke Ellington Field, located at 38th St NW and R St NW. The other USARL rugby league team in the Washington, D.C. area, the [[Northern Virginia Eagles]], played in [[Fairfax County, Virginia]] until suspending their operations in 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].

===Australian rules football===
The [[Baltimore Washington Eagles]] played in the [[United States Australian Football League]] (USAFL) from 1998 until 2017. That year, the team split into two separate franchises. The DC Eagles became the team representing Washington and the Baltimore Dockers began representing Baltimore.

===Running===
Washington is home to two annual marathon races: the [[Marine Corps Marathon]] which is held every autumn and the [[Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon]] held in the spring. The Marine Corps Marathon begun in 1976 is sometimes called "The People's Marathon" because it is the largest marathon without prize money.<ref>"[http://www.marinemarathon.com/history/mcm_story.htm MCM Story]", Marine Corps Marathon.</ref> The [[Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run]] is another annual race that began in 1973 and is conducted as part of the [[National Cherry Blossom Festival]]. The [[Army Ten-Miler]], started in 1985, is the country's largest ten-mile race with over 26,000 participants; it is held each October and its course runs through Washington, D.C. and finishes at [[the Pentagon]].<ref>"[http://www.armytenmiler.com/Info/Racehistory.cfm Army Ten-Miler Complete 10 Miler Race History]"</ref>

===Esports===
The [[Washington Justice]] compete in the [[Overwatch League]] (OWL) as part of the West region. The team was founded in 2018.

The [[Washington Wizards]] host the Wizards District Gaming [[esports]] team as part of the [[NBA 2K League]]. Wizards District Gaming won the 5v5 championship in 2020 and 2021.

==Sports media==
((see also|Media in Washington, D.C.))
The Washington, D.C. area's regional sports television network, [[Monumental Sports Network]], is based in Washington. The Capitals and Wizards air their games on this network. The network also has shows focused on the Commanders.<ref>((cite web|title=NBC Sports Washington is Becoming Monumental Sports Network|url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/nbc-sports-washington-is-becoming-monumental-sports-network/c-344952710|publisher=Washington Capitals|date=June 21, 2023|access-date=June 21, 2023))</ref>

The Nationals play their games on [[MASN]], a network they share with the [[Baltimore Orioles]]. 

The Commanders have a partnership with the classic rock radio station [[WBIG-FM|BIG 100.3]]. 

Local sports talk radio stations include [[WJFK-FM|106.7 The Fan]], [[WTEM|The Team 980]], and [[WSBN|ESPN 630 D.C.]] [[The Sports Junkies]] are among the most popular shows on The Fan, and they have covered local sports and culture in the D.C. area since 1996.

The primary print news source for local sports coverage is ''[[The Washington Post]]'', whose sports section has been written by numerous award-winning journalists over the years.

Washington, D.C. is also home to nationally televised sports shows, including the midnight edition of [[ESPN]]'s ''[[SportsCenter]]'', hosted by [[Scott Van Pelt]], as well as ESPN's ''[[Pardon the Interruption]]'', hosted by former ''Washington Post'' columnists [[Michael Wilbon]] and [[Tony Kornheiser]]. Previously, the city was home to ESPN's ''[[Around the Horn]]'', and production for the show still occurs in ESPN's Washington studio.

==Rivalries==
===New York City===
((See also|Sports in the New York metropolitan area|Commanders–Giants rivalry|Capitals–Rangers rivalry|Capitals–Islanders rivalry|Atlantic Cup (Major League Soccer)))
The rivalries between the sports teams in [[New York City]] and Washington, D.C. have been among the best and most historic in the country. Each city's importance in America's media landscape has helped increase the notoriety of these rivalries, as has the fact that many teams in each city play in the same division.

The rivalry with the longest history between teams in each city is the [[Commanders-Giants rivalry|rivalry]] between the [[New York Giants]] and the [[Washington Commanders]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). Both teams play in the [[NFC East|Eastern division]] of the [[National Football Conference]] (known as the NFC East). The two teams therefore play against each other twice every regular season. Both teams are among the oldest and most successful in professional football, with the rivalry dating back to 1932. This matchup has included some of the game's greatest players and coaches throughout the decades.
[[File:Capitals-Rangers (3471800427).jpg|thumb|The Capitals playing against the New York Rangers in the [[2009 Stanley Cup playoffs]].]]
In the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), strong rivalries exist between the [[Washington Capitals]] and the [[New York Rangers]], as well as the Capitals and the [[New York Islanders]]. All three compete in the [[Metropolitan Division]] of the [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Eastern Conference]]. Both the [[Capitals–Rangers rivalry]] and [[Capitals–Islanders rivalry]] have increased in intensity over the decades as a result of highly competitive playoff matchups, in addition to regular season encounters. Though not as historic and intense as the ones with the two New York-based teams, the [[New Jersey Devils]] also play in the Metropolitan Division and are therefore a division rival for the Capitals.

There is also a rivalry between the [[New York Red Bulls]] and [[D.C. United]] of [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS). The teams are among the oldest and most historic teams in the league. This rivalry dates back to 1996, the league's inaugural season. Both teams play in the [[Eastern Conference (MLS)|Eastern Conference]] and have competed against each other in critical playoff matches over the years. Their rivalry is known as the [[Atlantic Cup (Major League Soccer)|Atlantic Cup]], which is also the name of the trophy awarded to the team that wins the matchup.

The [[Washington Nationals]] and [[New York Mets]] of [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) also share a rivalry. Though this rivalry has not existed for as long as the others between teams based in New York and Washington, the two compete in the [[National League East|NL East]]. This has helped a rivalry develop between the two teams in the years since the Nationals moved to Washington, D.C. in 2005.

===Philadelphia===
((See also|Sports in Philadelphia|Commanders–Eagles rivalry|Capitals–Flyers rivalry|Nationals–Phillies rivalry))
The rivalry between teams in [[Philadelphia]] and Washington, D.C. has been aided by the fact that the two cities have teams in the same division in the [[National Football League|NFL]], [[National Hockey League|NHL]], [[Major League Baseball|MLB]], and [[Major League Soccer|MLS]]. 
[[File:Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles, 2022.jpg|thumb|The Commanders and Eagles playing against each other in 2022.]]
The [[Philadelphia Eagles]] and the Washington Commanders of the NFL have a long and historic [[Commanders–Eagles rivalry|rivalry]], having (almost always) competed in the [[Eastern and Western Conferences (NFL) 1933–69|same division]] since 1933. Currently, both teams play in the [[NFC East]] and therefore play each other twice every regular season.

The [[Philadelphia Flyers]] and the Washington Capitals of the NHL both played in the [[Patrick Division]] during the 1980s and early 1990s, during which time the rivalry was extremely intense. Since 2013, both play in the [[Metropolitan Division]] of the [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Eastern Conference]]. The [[Capitals–Flyers rivalry]] has been intense both during the regular season as well as during the playoffs. The teams have met [[List of Washington Capitals seasons|five times]] in the NHL playoffs. This rivalry dates back to 1974, when the Capitals joined the league.

Since the Nationals moved to Washington, D.C. in 2005, they have had a rivalry with the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], as both compete in the [[National League East|NL East]] of the MLB. The [[Philadelphia Union]] of the MLS have developed an intraconference [[D.C. United#Rivalries|rivalry]] with D.C. United.<ref>((cite news |title=D.C. United fosters a rivalry with expansion Philadelphia Union|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/09/AR2010040904913_pf.html|first=Steven|last=Goff|date=April 10, 2010|page=D2))</ref> The [[Washington Wizards]] and the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] both play in the NBA's [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]], and the two teams met in the NBA playoffs [[List of Washington Wizards seasons|five times]], most recently in 2021. They also met in 1971, when the current Washington franchise was based in [[Baltimore]].

===Baltimore===
((See also|Sports in Baltimore|Beltway Series))
[[File:Pat Valaika Baltimore Orioles vs. Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, August 9, 2020 (All-Pro Reels Photography) (50207861368).jpg|thumb|The Orioles and Nationals playing against each other in 2020.]]
Due to the two cities' proximity to one another, historic and contemporary rivalries have existed between teams from both cities. 

From 1972 to 2004, Washington did not have a baseball team; as a result, many baseball fans in the Washington area supported the nearby [[Baltimore Orioles]], making them the ''de facto'' baseball team for Washington. When Washington was looking for a team, the ownership of the Orioles disapproved of the effort for fear that they would lose the Washington market to the new team. They were the only team to vote against moving the [[Montreal Expos]] to Washington. Therefore, when the Nationals began play in 2005, a natural rivalry was born between the new Washington team and the team that had historic support in the Washington region. This rivalry is known as the [[Beltway Series]], or Battle of the Beltways, due to each city's proximity to the [[Capital Beltway]], a major ring road that circles around Washington and its immediate suburbs. Given that the two teams play in different leagues (the Nationals play in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] and the Orioles play in the [[American League]]), it is a rare interleague rivalry.

The Commanders and [[Baltimore Ravens]] of the NFL have a slight rivalry. Though because the two teams play in different conferences (the Commanders play in the [[National Football Conference]] and the Ravens play in the [[American Football Conference]]), they rarely play against each other in the regular season. However, there generally is a matchup between these two teams every preseason.

==See also==
*[[Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame]]
*[[District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association]]
*[[U.S. cities with teams from four major sports]]

==Notes==
((reflist))

==External links==
((commons category))
*[http://www.dcsec.com/ D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100806081548/http://www.gwsportsalliance.com/ Greater Washington Sports Alliance]

((WashingtonDCSports))
((Sports in the United States))
((District of Columbia))

[[Category:Sports in Washington, D.C.| ]]

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