The Columbus Panhandles football team at Indianola Park in the 1910s.
This page attempts to detail all of Columbus sports history for the college, minor and professional league levels, both for the city and greater metro area.
Note: Teams are listed by sport in chronological order by the year the team formed and in alphabetical order by team name.
**Last Updated: 4/16/2024- Updated multiple team data through 2023.
Australian Rules Football
2000-2009
Columbus Cats
Several teams play under the umbrella of the USAFL in Columbus. The Columbus Cats represent a men’s and women’s team. There are, however, other teams under the names of Jackaroos Blue, Jackaroos White, Jillaroos Black and Jillaroos White, but it’s a little bit unclear how these teams are all structured within the larger league and whether they all have the same level of play.
Home Field: McCoy Park
Level: Professional
Years: 2008-Present
League: United States Australian Football League
League Rank and Record: N/A
Websites:
http://columbusfooty.com/
https://columbusarfc.teamapp.com/?_webpage=v1
Current Status: Active
Baseball
Baseball in the Columbus area may have been played casually in some form as early as the 1840s, but the first known organized teams did not appear until a few decades later. Baseball, rather than football, would be the first organized sports team to carry the name “Buckeyes” in Columbus, and it would be unrelated to Ohio State.
1860-1869
This period in baseball history hasn’t left tons of local records. However, we do know that the Cincinnati Red Stockings, considered the first professional baseball team, played games against Columbus teams prior to organizing professionally in 1869.
It’s been reported that the 1867 team played a Columbus team called the Union Railways, but I haven’t found official records of this. However, the team did come to the city for two games in 1868. On August 3 of that year, the team played either the Union Railways or the “Rail Road” (the exact name of the Columbus team seems lost). The Red Stockings beat the Columbus team 34-15. The following day, on August 4, 1868, Cincinnati played the Columbus Capitols, beating them 43-5. Both games occurred at Olentangy Park, a venue which preceded the later amusement park.
What became of the two Columbus teams or how long they had existed is unclear.
1870-1879
Columbus Buckeyes
This seems to have been the very first Columbus baseball team of a professional level, not counting the potential teams of the 1860s. Although official records have them beginning in 1876, a “Buckeyes” team is clearly playing games in Columbus as early as 1875, as described in this Dispatch article: 9-18-1875 Buckeyes vs. Milfords Game Report
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Minor
Years: 1875-1877
League: Not league affiliated (1875-1876) International Association of Professional Baseball Players (1877)
League Rank and Record
1875-1876: Not league affiliated, record unknown.
1877: 5th of 7 (9-11-2)
Current Status: Defunct. The team folded after the 1877 season.
1880-1889
Ohio State Buckeyes
This is the second baseball team with the name “Buckeyes” and the oldest continuous team at the college level or higher in the city.
Home Field: Trautman Field (1967-1997), Bill Davis Stadium (1997-Present)
Level: College
Years: 1881-Present
Conference: Big 10
Conference Rank and Record
Ohio State Buckeyes Baseball
Website: https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-basebl/
Current Status: Active
April 14, 1883: The Columbus Dispatch mentions the formation of the Columbus Buckeyes team the previous evening. In the news, it mentions that “Work will begin at once, and soon we will have two first class ball clubs in the city…” The other club in reference is unknown.
Columbus Buckeyes
This was the 3rd team to have the “Buckeye” name for baseball, the second professionally. It seems that it had no direct association between the 1877 or 1887 teams, however. This team would occasionally play teams from other nascent leagues at the time, including those from the Northwestern League and the Interstate Association.
Home Field: Recreation Park 1.
Prior to May 1, 1883, Columbus played at what is referred to in archives as “Base Ball Park” on North High Street, though they likely meant the Woodward Avenue Park which was part of the Ohio State Fairgrounds.
Level: Professional
Years: 1883-1884
League: American Association
League Rank and Record
1883: 6th of 8 (32-65)
1884: 2nd of 13 (69-39)
Columbus Buckeyes in 1884.
Current Status: Defunct. The team declared bankruptcy and folded after the 1884 season. The team merged with the Pittsburgh Alleghenies for the 1885 season.
Columbus Buckeyes/Columbus Senators
The exact origins of this team are convoluted at best. A Columbus Buckeyes team formed under the Ohio State League in 1887. The Ohio State League changed its name to the Tri-State League in 1888., but the Ohio State League continued separately. The team did change leagues quite often in the early days, and with those changes, the team name would also waffle between the Buckeyes and the Senators before becoming the latter permanently in 1897.
Home Field: Recreation Park 2 at 270 E. Whittier Street, Neil Park
Level: Minor
Years: 1887-1888, 1895-1930
League: Ohio State League (1887),
Tri-State League (1888), Inter-State League (1895) Western League (1896-1899), Inter-State League (1900),Western Association (1901), American Association (1902-1930)
League Rank and Record
1887: 5th of 9 The exact record reported on some site is 50-55, but records from archives suggest a record of 50-2-60 *As the Columbus Buckeyes*
The 1887 team, which had one of the earliest Black baseball players, J. Higgins.
1888: 3rd of 9 (64-50) *As the Columbus Senators*
1895: 5th of 8 (28-31) *As the Columbus Buckeyes*
1896: 7th of 8 (52-88) *As the Columbus Buckeyes*
1897: 2nd of 8 (89-47) *As the Columbus Senators from this point*
1898: 5th of 8 (73-60)
1899: 4th of 8 (63-62)
1900: 6th of 8 (58-78)
1901: 7th of 8 (54-86)
1902: 7th of 8 (58-78)
1903: 6th of 8 (56-84)
1904: 2nd of 8 (88-61)
1905: 1st of 8 (100-52)
1906: 1st of 8 (91-57)
The Senators in 1906.
1907: 1st of 8 (90-64)
1908: 3rd of 8 (86-68)
1909: 7th of 8 (80-87)
1910: 3rd of 8 (88-77)
1911: 3rd of 8 (87-78)
1912: 3rd of 8 (98-68)
1913: 4th of 8 (93-74)
1914: 4th of 8 (86-77)
1915: 8th of 8 (54-91)
1916: 7th of 8 (71-90)
1917: 4th of 8 (84-69)
1918: 2nd of 8 (41-32) Shortened season due to the Spanish Flu Pandemic.
1919: 6th of 8 (70-84)
1920: 7th of 8 (66-99)
1921: 8th of 8 (69-96)
1922: 8th of 8 (63-102)
1923: 4th of 8 (79-89)
1924: 7th of 8 (75-93)
1925: 8th of 8 (61-106)
1926: 8th of 8 (39-125)
1927: 8th of 8 (60-108)
1928: 7th of 8 (68-100)
1929: 6th of 8 (75-91)
1930: 6th of 8 (67-86)
Current Status: Defunct. The team was acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals and became the Columbus Red Birds after the 1930 season.
Columbus Solons/Columbus Reds
Home Field: Recreation Park 1, location unknown.
Level: Professional
Years: 1889-1892
League: American Association (1889-1891), Western League (1892)
League Rank and Record
1889: 6th of 8 (60-78-2)
1890: 2nd of 9 (79-55-6)
1891: 6th of 9 (61-76-1)
1892: 1st of 8th (46-26)
Current Status: Defunct. The team was folded when the American Association merged with the National League after the 1891 season. The team would briefly be resurrected in the Western League as the Columbus Reds, but folded halfway through the 1892 season.
Newark (Name Unknown)
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Minor
Years: 1889
League: Ohio State League
League Rank and Record
1889: 3rd of 4 (8-11)
Current Status: Defunct. The team disbanded in September, 1889.
1890-1899
Including Ohio State, at least 3 teams of at least college level or higher played during this decade, but no new teams seem to have been founded.
The photo below is a bit of a mystery. Through the research, I have not been able to find a listed Columbus Buckeyes team in 1890. The Buckeyes that eventually became the Senators didn’t field a team in 1890, and the only other team at the time was the Columbus Solons/Reds. The Columbus Metro Library system has this photo in their records, but the information lists it as being the Buckeyes, but that may also be incorrect. The plaque seen vaguely in the bottom of the center states “Columbus Semi-Professional Baseball Club”, but does not list a team name. So for now, until more details can be discovered, this photo will stand alone for the 1890-1899 period.
Columbus Buckeyes in 1890.
1900-1909
1902: The Columbus Senators become a charter member of the American Association of Professional Baseball Players (later the American Association), a minor league that ran during two periods, 1902-1962 and 1969-1997.
1905: The wooden stadium at Neil Park, located on Cleveland Avenue across from Fort Hayes in Columbus, is demolished and replaced with a steel and concrete version. It would be the first baseball stadium constructed of those materials in the United States.
Lancaster Lanks
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Minor
Years: 1905-1912
League: Ohio-Pennsylvania League (1905-1907), Ohio State League (1908-1911), Tri-State League (1912)
League Rank and Record
1905: 6th of 21 (36-37)
1906: 3rd of 8 (73-66)
1907: 4th of 8 (72-62)
1908: 1st of 6 (92-57)
1909: 5th of 6 (53-53) Disbanded during season.
1910: 5th of 6 (55-82)
1911: 7th of 8 (53-84)
1912: 4th of 8 (15-19 in Lancaster, 59-52 full season)
Current Status: Defunct. The team moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 18th, 1912.
Newark Newks
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Minor
Years: 1905-1912, 1915
League: Ohio-Pennsylvania League (1905-1907), Ohio State League (1908-1910), Central League 1911, Ohio State League (1911-1912), Buckeye League (1915)
League Rank and Record
1905: 8th of 21 (37-46) *As the Newark Idlewilds*
1906: 6th of 8 (65-74) *As the Newark Cotton Tops*
1907: 2nd of 8 (86-53) *As the Newark Newks*
1908: 5th of 6 (74-75)
1909: 6th of 6 (46-64) Disbanded in August.
1910: 4th of 6 (55-82)
1911: 5th of 8 (72-65) Team moved to Piqua in June. Grand Rapids moved to Newark.
1912: 3rd of 6 (70-68) *As the Newark Skeeters*
1915: 4th of 6 (14-24) *As the Newark New Socks*
Current Status: Defunct. The Buckeye League disbanded in July, 1915.
1910-1919
Columbus Cubs
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Minor
Years: 1913
League: Inter-State League
League Rank and Record
1913: 4th of 8 (37-38)
Current Status: Defunct. The league disbanded in July, 1913.
1917- On Opening Day at Neil Park, wood bleachers originally built in 1900 collapse from the weight of too many spectators, injuring dozens.
1920-1929
Columbus Buckeyes
Home Field: Neil Park
Level: Professional
Years: 1921
League: Negro National League
League Rank and Record
1921: 7th of 8 (25-38)
Current Status: Defunct. The team folded after the 1921 season.
1930-1939
Columbus Red Birds
Home Field: Red Bird Stadium (Cooper Stadium)
Level: Minor
Years: 1931-1954
League: American Association, affiliate of St. Louis Cardinals
League Rank and Record
1931: 4th of 8 (84-82)
1932: 2nd of 8 (88-77)
1933: 1st of 8 (101-51)
Redbirds in 1933.
1934: 2nd of 8 (85-68)
1935: 3rd of 8 (84-70)
1936: 6th of 8 (76-78)
1937: 1st of 8 (90-64)
1938: 7th of 8 (64-89)
1939: 7th of 8 (62-92)
1940: 2nd of 8 (90-60)
1940 Columbus Redbirds
1941: 1st of 8 (95-58)
1942: 3rd of 8 (82-72)
1943: 3rd of 8 (84-67)
1944: 5th of 8 (86-67)
1945: 8th of 8 (63-90)
1946: 8th of 8 (64-90)
1947: 5th of 8 (76-78)
1948: 4th of 8 (81-73)
1949: 7th of 8 (70-83)
1950: 3rd of 8 (84-69)
1951: 8th of 8 (53-101)
1952: 7th of 9 (68-85)
1953: 7th of 8 (64-90)
1954: 4th of 8 (77-76)
Current Status: Defunct. The Cardinals moved the team to Omaha before the 1955 season.
Columbus Blue Birds
Home Field: Neil Park
Level: Professional
Years: 1933
League: Negro National League
League Rank and Record
1933: 6th of 6th (11-18)
Current Status: Defunct. The team was incorporated into the Akron Black Tyrites team midway through the 1933 season before finally moving to Cleveland.
Columbus Elite Giants
Originally the Nashville Elite Giants, this team was the last attempt to have Negro League baseball in Columbus.
Home Field: Neil Park
Level: Professional
Years: 1935
League: Negro National League
League Rank and Record
1935: 4th of 8 There are 3 different sources for the record of the team: 16-17, 29-24 and 17-13.
Current Status: Defunct. The team moved to Washington, DC before the 1936 season.
1940-1949
Newark Moundsmen/Newark Yankees
Home Field: Arnold Park
Level: Minor
Years: 1944-1951
League: Ohio State League (1944-1947), Ohio-Indiana League (1948-1951)
League Rank and Record
1944: 2nd of 6 (71-58)
1945: 6th of 6 (57-82)
1946: 4th of 8 (74-65)
1947: 7th of 8 (64-76)
1948: 5th of 8 (65-74)
1949: 6th of 8 (65-72)
1950: 2nd of 8 (89-49)
1951: 2nd of 5 (49-31)
Current Status: Defunct. The Ohio State League disbanded in 1947, but the Ohio-Indiana League was formed with most of the same teams the following year, with the team renamed the Newark Yankees in 1948. The team left the league in July, 1951.
1950-1959
Columbus Jets
Home Field: Jets Stadium (Cooper Stadium)
Level: Minor
Years: 1955-1970
League: International League– affiliated with the Kansas City Athletics (1955-1956) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1957-1970)
League Rank and Record
1955: 7th of 8 (64-89)
1956: 7th of 8 (69-84)
1957: 7th of 8 (69-85)
1958: 4th of 8 (77-77)
1959: 2nd of 8 (84-70)
1960: 5th of 8 (69-84)
1961: 1st of 8 (92-62)
1962: 5th of 8 (80-74)
1963: 5th of 10 (75-73)
1964: 6th of 8 (68-85)
1965: 1st of 8 (85-61)
1966: 2nd of 8 (82-65)
1967: 4th of 8 (69-71)
1968: 2nd of 8 (82-64)
1969: 4th of 8 (74-66)
The Columbus Jets in 1969.
1970: 2nd of 8 (81-59)
The final Columbus Jets team in 1970.
Current Status: Defunct. The team moved to Charleston, West Virginia before the 1971 season.
Columbus Clippers
Home Field: Cooper Stadium(1977-2008), Huntington Park (2009-Present)
Level: Minor
Years: 1977-Present
League: International League– affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1977-1978), New York Yankees (1979-2006), Washington Nationals (2007-2008) and Cleveland Indians/Guardians (2009-Present)
Website: https://www.milb.com/columbus/
League Rank and Record
1977: 7th of 8 (65-75)
1977 Clippers team.
1978: 7th of 8 (61-78)
1978 Clippers team.
1979: 1st of 8 (85-54)
1979 Clippers team.
1980: 1st of 8 (83-57)
1980 Clippers team.
1981: 1st of 8 (88-51)
1982: 2nd of 8 (79-61)
1983: 1st of 8 (83-57)
1983 Columbus Clippers
1984: 1st of 8 (82-57)
1985: 3rd of 8 (75-64)
The 1985 team.
1986: 6th of 8 (62-77)
1987: 2nd of 8 (77-63)
1988: 5th of 8 (65-77)
1989: 3rd of 8 (77-69)
1990: 2nd of 8 (87-59)
1990 Clippers team.
1991: 1st of 8 (85-59)
1992: 1st of 8 (95-49)
1993: 3rd of 10 (78-62)
1993 Clippers team.
1994: 3rd of 10 (74-68)
1995: 4th of 10 (71-68)
1996: 1st of 10 (85-57)
1997: 2rd of 10 (79-63)
1998: 12th of 14 (67-77)
1999: 1st of 14 (83-58)
2000: 8th of 14 (75-69)
2001: 9th of 14 (67-76)
2002: 12th of 14 (59-83)
2003: 4th of 14 (76-68)
2004: 3rd of 14 (80-64)
2005: 5th of 14 (77-67)
2006: 9th of 14 (69-73)
2007: 11th of 14 (57-85)
2008: 7th of 14 (69-73)
2009: 13th of 14 (57-85)
2010: 4th of 14 (79-65)
2011: 1st of 14 (88-56)
2012: 6th of 14 (75-69)
2013: 8th of 14 (71-73)
2014: 2nd of 14 (79-65)
2015: 1st of 14 (83-61)
2016: 3rd of 14 (82-62)
2017: 6th of 14 (71-71)
2018: 5th of 14 (73-67)
2019: 1st of 14 (81-59)
2020: Season canceled due to Covid-19.
2021: 13th of 20 (59-68)
2022: 4th of 20 (85-64)
2023: 17th of 20 (68-79)
2024: 16th of 20 (6-8) Through April 15th
Current Status: Active
Since 1979, the Clippers have surpassed 500,000 in attendance 35 times, the most for any Minor League team. 2023 was the 17th consecutive year to surpass the 500,000 mark.
1990-1999
Lancaster Scouts
Home Field: Beavers Field
Level: Minor
Years: 1993-1994
League: Frontier League
League Rank and Record
1993: 6th of 8 (22-33)
1994: 6th of 8 (25-39)
Current Status: Defunct. The team moved to Evansville, Indiana to become the Evansville Otters after the 1994 season.
Newark Buffalos/Newark Bison
Home Field: Don Edwards Park
Level: Minor
Years: 1994-1995
League: Frontier League
League Rank and Record
1994: 5th of 8 (26-35)
1995: 2nd of 8 (39-29)
Current Status: Defunct. The Buffalos, which was a misspelling, became the Newark Bison in 1995 before moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan before the 1996 season.
Basketball
Professional basketball in Columbus goes back to the 1920s at least, but there is little available information on those early teams. College basketball began in the 1890s.
1890-1899
Ohio State Buckeyes
The first Ohio State basketball team in 1898.
Home: 1898-1920 (Unknown) 1920-1955 (Ohio Expo Center Coliseum), 1955-1998 (St. John Arena), 1998-Present (Schottenstein Center)
Level: College
Years: 1898-Present
League: Unaffiliated (1898-1912), Big Nine- became Big Ten with OSU’s inclusion (1913-Present)
Website: Ohio State Buckeyes
League Rank and Record
OSU Basketball Historic Record
Ohio State Basketball Historic Attendance
Current Status: Active
1920-1929
Columbus Robert Lees
Home: Unknown
Level: Professional
Years: 1929-1930
League: National Professional Basketball League
League Rank and Record
1929-1930: 4th of 6 (6-13)
Current Status: Defunct. The league seems to have folded after this single season, though it would re-emerge in later years.
1930-1939
Columbus Athletic Supply
Home: Ohio State Fairgrounds Arena
Level: Professional
Years: 1936-1938
League: Midwest Basketball Conference (1936-1937), National Basketball League (1937-1938)
Division Rank and Record
1936-1937: 4th of 6 (6-5)
1937-1938: 7th of 7 (1-12)
Current Status: Defunct. The team folded after the 1937-38 season.
1940-1949
Columbus Bobb Chevrolets
Home: Unknown
Level: Professional
Years: 1940-1942
League: World Professional Basketball Tournament
Division Rank and Record
1940-1941: Unknown
1941-1942: 9th (0-1)
Current Status: Defunct. There is not much information about this team, but it seems to have not gone past the 1941-42 season, though the World Basketball Tournament continued for several years after. It seems this team was formed specifically for the tournament.
1960-1969
Columbus Comets
Home: Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
Level: Minor
Years: 1966-1968
League: North American Basketball League
League Rank and Record
1966-1967: 2nd of 8 (12-9)
1967-1968: 2nd of 7 (12-6)
Status: Defunct. The league folded after the 1967-1968 season.
1980-1989
Columbus Horizon
Home: Ohio Expo Center Coliseum/Battelle Hall
Level: Minor
Years: 1989-1994
League: Continental Basketball Association
Division Rank and Record
1989-1990: 4th of 4 (18-38)
1990-1991: 4th of 4 (23-33)
1991-1992: 4th of 4 (18-38)
1992-1993: 3rd of 4 (21-35)
1993-1994: 4th of 4 (18-38)
Current Status: Defunct. Due to low attendance and financial issues caused in part by the team’s consistent losing, the team moved to Shreveport, Louisiana after the 1994 season.
1990-1996
Columbus Quest
Home: Battelle Hall in the Columbus Convention Center
Level: Professional
Years: 1996-1998
League: American Basketball League
Division Rank and Record
1996-1997: 1st of 4 (31-9)
1997-1998: 1st of 4 (36-8)
1998-1999: 1st of 5 (11-3)
Current Status: Defunct. The women’s league ceased operations partway through the 1998-1999 season.
2000-2009
Columbus Cyclones
Home Field: Westerville North HS Gymnasium
Level: Professional
Years: 2006-2007
League: International Basketball League
Division Rank and Record
2006: 2nd of 6 (20-3)
2007: 2nd of 6 (20-5)
Current Status: Defunct. Moved to Marysville after the 2006 season to become the Marysville Meteors, but the team folded after the 2007 season.
2020-2029
Columbus Condors
Home Field: Otterbein University
Level: Professional
Years: 2020-2021
League: The Basketball League
Rank and Record
2020 League Rank: 6th of 12 (6-3)
2021 Division Rank: 5th of 7 (11-10)
Reason Disbanded: Unknown, but did not return for the 2021-2022 season.
Football
Ohio State Buckeyes
Home Field: Ohio Stadium
Level: College
Years: 1890-Present
League: Big 10
Website: https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/
Record
Ohio State Football Historic Record
Ohio State Football Historic Attendance
1900-1909
Ohio Medical
Home Field: Unknown
Level: College
Years: 1901-1902
League: Independent
League Rank: 11th of 28 (1901), 2nd of 27 (1902)
Record: 5-3-1 (1901), 9-1-0 (1902)
Reason Disbanded: As it was also an Ohio State team, the team was discontinued after the 1902 season.
Columbus Panhandles
Home Field: Indianola Park (1909-1915), Neil Park (1916-1926)
Level: Professional
Years: 1901-1926
League: 1901-1903 (None), 1904-1919 (Ohio League), 1920-1921 (American Professional Football Association), 1922-1926 (National Football League)
League Rank
1901-1919: Unknown
1920: 13th of 14
1921: 17th of 21
1922: 18th of 18
1923: 9th of 20
1924: 10th of 18
1925: 20th of 20
1926: 19th of 22
Alternative Names: Columbus Tigers (1923-1926)
Reason Disbanded: The NFL chose to eliminate financially weaker teams, so the Panhandles/Tigers were folded after the 1926 season.
The Panhandles NFL team in 1921.
1930-1939
Columbus Bobbs
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Professional
Years: 1936
League: Midwest Football League
League Rank: 6th of 7
Record: 0-4-1
Reason Disbanded: Left the league after the 1936 season. It’s unclear if it continued with another league after 1936.
Columbus Bullies
Home Field: Cooper Stadium
Level: Professional
Years: 1939-1941
League: American Professional Football Association (1939), American Football League (1940-1941)
League Rank: Unknown
Record: 8-1-1 (1939), 8-1-1 (1940), 5-1-2 (1941)
Reason Disbanded: After the US entered WWII in December, 1941, many players in the league were drafted and the league folded before the 1942 season.
1990-1999
Columbus Thunderbolts
Home Field: Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
Level: Professional
Years: 1991
League: Arena Football League
League Rank: 8th of 8
Record: 0-10
Reason Disbanded: The team had moved from Cleveland for the 1991 season, and moved back to Cleveland for the 1992 season.
Ohio Glory
Home Field: Ohio Stadium
Level: Professional
Years: 1992
League: World League of American Football
Division Rank: 4th of 4
Record: 1-9
Reason Disbanded: All North American teams were folded after 1992 season.
2000-2009
Columbus Comets/Columbus Chaos
Home Field: Grove City Christian School
Level: Professional
Years: 2003-Present
League: National Women’s Football Association (2003-2008), Women’s Football Alliance (2009-Present)
Division Rank
2003-2010: Not Available
2011: 3rd of 5
2012: 3rd of 3
2013-2019: Not Available
Columbus Destroyers
Home Field: Nationwide Arena
Level: Professional
Years: 2004-2008, 2019
League: Arena Football League
League Rank
2004: 4th of 5
2005: 4th of 4
2006: 4th of 4
2007: 3rd of 4
2008: 5th of 5
2019: 6th of 6
Reason Disbanded: The AFL ended operations after the 2019 season. The team had some of the highest attendance and coverage of any AFL team.
Columbus Aces
Home Field: Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
Level: Professional
Years: 2009
League: Continental Indoor Football League
Reason Disbanded: Never actually formed. In 2009, the league announced that the team would take over the Marion Mayhem and be moved to Columbus. However, ownership was unable to secure sponsorship funding, so the team was kept in Marion for the 2010 season. The Marion Mayhem folded before that season concluded, and the CIFL as a whole disbanded in 2016 after not playing for 2 years.
Hockey
1960-1969
Columbus Checkers
Home: Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
Level: Minor
Years: 1966-1970
League: International Hockey League
Division Rank
1966-1967: 7th of 7
1967-1968: 3rd of 7
1968-1969: 6th of 7
1969-1970: 4th of 4
The Columbus Checkers playing at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum in 1970.
Record: 23-41-1 (1966-1967), 32-30-10 (1967-1968), 36-37-9 (1968-1969), 24-36-12 (1969-1970)
Reason Disbanded: After the 1969-70 season, the team disbanded temporarily due to poor attendance. The franchise was not active between 1970-1971, but then returned for the 1971-1972 season as the Columbus Golden Seals.
1970-1979
Columbus Golden Seals/Columbus Owls
Home: Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
Level: Minor
Years: 1971-1977
League: International Hockey League
League Rank: Unknown
Alternate Names: Name changed to the Columbus Owls after the 1972-73 season.
Reason Disbanded: Moved to Dayton after the 1976-1977 season.
1990-1999
Columbus Chill
Home: Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
Level: Professional
Years: 1991-1999
League: East Coast Hockey League
Division Rank
1991-1992: 7th of 8
1992-1993: 7th of 8
1993-1994: 2nd of 6
1994-1995: 4th of 6
1995-1996: 4th of 8
1996-1997: 1st of 8
1997-1998: 5th of 6
1998-1999: 1st of 6
Reason Disbanded: The team moved to Reading, Pennsylvania after the 1999 season due to the upcoming arrival of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000.
2000-2009
Columbus Blue Jackets
Home: Nationwide Arena
Level: Professional
Years: 2000-Present
League: National Hockey League
League Rank
2000-2001: 23rd of 30
2001-2002: 29th of 30
2002-2003: 28th of 30
2003-2004: 27th of 30
2004-2005: Season wasn’t played.
2005-2006: 25th of 30
2006-2007: 24th of 30
2007-2008: 25th of 30
2008-2009: 16th of 30
2009-2010: 27th of 30
2010-2011: 24th of 30
2011-2012: 30th of 30
2012-2013: 17th of 30
2013-2014: 14th of 30
2014-2015: 23rd of 30
2015-2016: 27th of 30
2016-2017: 4th of 30
2017-2018: 14th of 31
2018-2019: 13th of 31
2019-2020: 14th of 31- Shortened season due to Covid-19.
2020-2021: 28th of 31
2021-2022: 21st of 32
2022-2023: 31st of 32
Columbus Stars
Home: Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
Level: Minor
Years: 2003-2004
League: United Hockey League
Division Rank: 6th of 6
Record: 19-11-4
Reason Disbanded: Had the lowest attendance of any minor or professional hockey league.
Columbus Junior Blue Jackets
Home: Nationwide Arena
Level: Minor
Years: 2006-2008
League: United States Hockey League
Division Rank: 5th of 6 (2006-2007), 5th of 6 (2007-2008)
Record: 13-40-7 (2006-2007), 26-28-6 (2007-2008
Reason Disbanded: Could not find a permanent home to play, so the team folded.
Lacrosse
2000-2009
Columbus Landsharks
Home Field: Nationwide Arena
Level: Professional
Years: 2001-2003
League: National Lacrosse League
League Rank: 8th of 9 (2001), 5th of 5 (2002) 4th of 4 (2003)
Record: 3-11 (2001), 5-11 (2002), 8-8 (2003)
Reason Disbanded: The team moved to Arizona after the 2003 season due to poor attendance, but only lasted to 2007 for the same reason.
Ohio Machine
Home Field: Fortress Field
Level: Professional
Years: 2012-2018
League: Major League Lacrosse
League Rank
2012: 8th of 8
2013: 8th of 8
2014: 4th of 8
2015: 2nd of 8
2016: 1st of 9
2017: 2nd of 9
2018: 9th of 9
Reason Disbanded: The league contracted from 9 to 6 teams after the 2018 season, and the Machine were folded.
2019: The newly-formed Premier Lacrosse League, a men’s professional lacrosse league that merged with Major League Lacrosse, held 3 games in Columbus at Mapfre Stadium, The league does not have home cities, however, and no games have been held in Columbus since 2019.
Rugby
Columbus RFC
Home Field: Fortress Field
Level: Professional
Years: 1975-Present
League: Midwest Rugby Premiership/USA Rugby
Division Rank: 5th of 5 (2019-2020)
Record: 0-8-0 (2019-2020)
2021-2022: Unknown
Website: https://columbusrfc.com/
Notes: Records for past years seem to be unavailable.
Soccer
1970-1979
Columbus Magic
Home Field: Cooper Stadium
Level: Professional
Years: 1979-1980
League: American Soccer League
League Rank: 2nd of 11 (1979), 7th of 8 (1980)
Record: 17-8-3 (1979), 11-14-3 (1980)
Reason Disbanded: Folded after the 1980 season.
1980-1989
Columbus Capitals
Home Field: Battelle Hall at the Columbus Convention Center
Level: Professional
Years: 1984-1986
League: American Indoor Soccer Association
League Rank: 2nd of 6 (1984-1985), 5th of 6 (1985-1986)
Record: 26-14 (1984-1985), 13-27 (1985-1986)
Reason Disbanded: Folded after the 1985-86 season.
1990-1999
Ohio Xoggz
Home Field: Dublin Coffman High School
Level: Professional
Years: 1994-1996
League: United States International Soccer League
Division Rank: 3rd of 9 (1994), 2nd of 5 (1995), 4th of 5(1996)
Record: 11-7 (1994), 16-3 (1995), 6-12 (1996)
Reason Disbanded: Folded after the 1996 season.
Columbus Ziggx
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Professional
Years: 1995-1998
League: United States Inter-Regional Women’s League, W-League
Division Rank: 3rd of 6 (1995), 3rd of 7 (1996), 2nd of 6 (1997), 4th of 6 (1998)
Record: 5-4 (1995), 7-3 (1996), 6-1 (1997) 6-7 (1998)
Reason Disbanded: Declining attendance caused the team to fold after the 1998 season.
Columbus Invaders
Home Field: Battelle Hall at the Columbus Convention Center
Level: Professional
Years: 1996-1997
League: National Professional Soccer League
League Rank: 15th of 15
Record: 5-35
Reason Disbanded: Folded after 1996-97 season from competition with Columbus Crew.
Columbus Crew
Home Field: Mapfre Stadium (1996-2021) Lower.com Field (2021-Present)
Level: Professional
Years: 1996-Present
League: Major League Soccer
League Rank
1996: 4th of 9
1997: 3rd of 9
1998: 2nd of 10
1999: 2nd of 10
2000: 4th of 10
2001: 2nd of 10
2002: 2nd of 10
2003: 5th of 10
2004: 1st of 10
2005: 6th of 10
2006: 6th of 12
2007: 6th of 13
2008: 1st of 13
2009: 1st of 14
2010: 2nd of 15
2011: 4th of 17
2012: 6th of 18
2013: 8th of 18
2014: 3rd of 18
2015: 2nd of 20
2016: 9th of 20
2017: 5th of 22
2018: 5th of 23
2019: 10th of 24
2020: 4th of 26
2021: 17th of 27
2022: 15th of 28
2000-2009
Columbus Lady Shooting Stars
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Professional
Years: 2003
League: USL W-League
Division Rank: 3rd of 5
Record: 4-5-1
Reason Disbanded: Folded before the 2004 season.
Columbus Shooting Stars
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Professional
Years: 2003
League: Premiere Development League
Division Rank: 6th of 6
Record: 2-14-2
Reason Disbanded: Although part of the league in 2004, the team never played any games and formally disbanded after that season.
Ohio Premier Women’s SC
Home Field: Dublin Coffman HS
Level: Professional
Years: 2008-2012
League: Women’s Premier Soccer League
Division Rank: 2nd of 5 (2008), 1st of 5 (2009), 1st of 6 (2010), 1st of 5 (2011), 4th of 7 (2012)
Record: 6-1-1 (2008), 8-0-0 (2009), 7-1-2 (2010), 7-0-1 (2011), 2-1-1 (2012)
Reason Disbanded: Folded after the 2012 season.
2010-2019
Columbus Eagles FC
Home Field: Memorial Stadium at Otterbein University (2014-2019), Home Field at Capital University (Present)
Level: Professional
Years: 2014-Present
League: Women’s Premier Soccer League
Division Rank
2015: 6th of 6
2016: 4th of 5
2017: 3rd of 5
2018: 2nd of 9
2019: 4th of 6
2020: No games due to Covid-19
2021: 5th of 6
2022: 4th of 6
FC Columbus
Home Field: Panther Stadium, Ohio Dominican University
Level: Semi-Professional
Years: 2018-Present
League: National Premier Soccer League
Division Rank: 3rd of 7 (2018), 5th of 8 (2019)
Record: 6-4-2 (2018), 4-8-2 (2019)
2020-2022: Unknown
Softball
1970-1979
Columbus All-Americans
Home Field: Cooper Stadium
Level: Professional
Years: 1977
League: American Professional Slow-Pitch League
Rank and Record
1977 Division: 4th of 4 (16-40)
Reason Disbanded: The team suffered from low attendance and was being propped up financially by the league, so the team was folded before the 1978 season.
The 1977 All-Americans.
Ultimate
2010-2019
Columbus Pride
Home Field: Unknown
Level: Professional
Years: 2019-Present
League: Premiere Ultimate League
Rank and Record
2019: 6th of 12 (2-3)
2020: Season canceled due to Covid-19.
2021: Rank Unknown (1-1)
2022: Unknown
Volleyball
Columbus Fury
Home Field: Nationwide Arena
Level: Professional
Years: 2023
League: Pro Volleyball Federation
Record
Unavailable as no games have been played yet.
2020-Present
Stadiums and Arenas
Cooper Stadium
Type: Baseball
Year Built: 1932
Cost: $450,000
Year Closed: 2008
Year Demolished: 2016 (partial)
Location: 1155 W. Mound Street
Built as Red Bird Stadium. Became Cooper Stadium in 1984.
Capacity: 17,500 (Originally)
Redbird Stadium near completion in 1932.
Covelli Center
Type: Mixed
Year Built: 2019
Cost: $48.9 Million
Location: 2640 Fred Taylor Drive
Capacity: 3,700
https://planevents.osu.edu/venues-and-services/covelli-center
Fortress Field
Type: Mixed
Year Built: 2017
Cost: $15 Million
Location: 2015 Recreation Trail, Obetz
Capacity: 6,500
https://fortressobetz.com/
Nationwide Arena
Type: Hockey
Built: 2000
Cost: $175 Million
Location: 200 W. Nationwide Boulevard
Capacity: Up to 20,000, depending on event.
https://www.nationwidearena.com/
Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
Type: Mixed
Built: 1918
Cost: Unknown
Location: 717 E. 17th Avenue, Ohio State Fairgrounds
Capacity: 5,600 (Original), 10,000 (Current)
https://ohioexpocenter.com/
Recreation Park 1
Type: Mixed
Year Built: Unknown
Year Closed: Unknown
Location: The location of this park is somewhat unknown. Some sources say it was at or near the SE Corner of Mound Street and Parsons Avenue. At the time it was supposedly in use, that location was developed with homes and other buildings. There was undeveloped land a bit further east, but no old maps indicate a recreation park or field was ever there. The other potential location sometimes listed is land to the east of Fort Hayes.
Recreation Park 2
Type: Mixed
Year Built: The exact year this park came into use is in question. Some sources have it as pre-1883, while the Columbus Dispatch listed 1887.
Year Closed: Unknown
Location: Bounded by E. Whittier Street, Ebner Street, E. Kossuth and S. Jaeger Street.
Site of the first OSU home football game.
Neil Park
Neil Park in 1919.
Type: Baseball
Built: 1900 (Wooden) 1905 (Concrete/Steel)
Cost: Unknown
Closed: September, 1940
Location: 525 Cleveland Avenue
Demolished: December, 1946
Capacity: 6,500
Was the first steel and concrete baseball stadium in the United States.
Ohio State Armory
The Armory around 1905.
Type: Basketball (1898-1918)
Built: 1898
Closed: 1958
Demolished: 1958 after a suspected arson fire.
Location: 60 N. Oval Drive
Capacity: Unknown
University Field/Ohio Field
Known as University Field from 1898-1907, and Ohio Field until its demolition.
Ohio Field in 1909.
Type: Football/Track and Field
Built: 1898
Closed: Last known to have been used in 1921.
Location: NW corner of N. High Street and Woodruff Avenue.
Demolished: 1924
Capacity: 500 in 1898, 10,000 in 1912 and 12,000 in 1916.
Jerome Schottenstein Center/Value City Arena
Type: Basketball
Built: 1998
Cost: $110 Million
Location: 555 Borror Drive
Capacity: 18,809
https://www.schottensteincenter.com/
St. John Arena
Type: Basketball/Mixed
Built: 1956
Cost: $4 Million
Location: 410 Woody Hayes Drive
Capacity: 13,276
https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/athletics/facilities/st-john-arena/
Ohio Stadium
Type: Football
Built: 1922
Cost: $1.34 Million
Location: 411 Woody Hayes Drive
Capacity: 66,210 (Original) 102,780 (Current)
https://planevents.osu.edu/venues-and-services/ohio-stadium
Huntington Park
Type: Baseball
Built: 2009
Cost: $70 Million
Location: 330 Huntington Park Lane
Capacity: 10,100
https://huntingtonparkcolumbus.com/
Mapfre Stadium
Type: Soccer
Built: 1999
Cost: $28.5 Million
Location: 1 Black and Gold Boulevard
Capacity: 22,555 (Original) 19,968 (Current)
Built as the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States.
Lower.com Field
Type: Soccer
Built: 2021
Cost: $314 Million
Location: 96 Columbus Crew Way
Capacity: 20,371
https://www.lowerfieldcbus.com/
