41 sports teams that no longer exist
Remember when...
Professional sports teams come and professional sports teams go.
The history of professional sports in the United States wouldn’t be complete without a look at some of the franchises that relocated or folded as their leagues tried to get traction throughout the country.
Though this is far from a complete list, here’s a look at 41 teams you can no longer find under the “active” tab.
Boston/Milwaukee Braves
The Atlanta Braves are the oldest continuous professional baseball franchise. First started in Boston in 1871, they played in the city until 1952 when they moved west to Milwaukee because of declining attendance. The team played in Wisconsin until 1966, playing host to Henry Aaron’s first years in Major League Baseball and winning the 1957 World Series over the Yankees.
Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals
The Chicago Cardinals were one of the NFL’s charter franchises in 1920 and were the city’s South Side team, playing a majority of their games at Comiskey Park. The franchise moved to St. Louis for the 1960 season and remained there until a 1988 move to Phoenix.
Kansas City Scouts
The Scouts were a NHL expansion team in 1974 and came into the league the same time as the Washington Capitals. They only lasted two seasons in town, leaving for become the Colorado Rockies in Denver (and then, later, the New Jersey Devils.)
Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks franchise actually started out in Buffalo, where it spent 38 days as the Bison. After three years in Moline, Ill as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, it moved to Milwaukee from 1951-1955 and then to St. Louis from 1955-68 before moving to its current city of Atlanta. The team won the NBA championship in 1958 with Hall of Famer Bob Pettit on the roster.
Ft. Wayne Pistons
The Detroit Pistons started out in Ft. Wayne, Indiana in 1941 and played there until 1957 when attendance problems forced a move to the much larger Detroit area.
Cleveland Barons
The Barons were created when the California Golden Seals relocated to Cleveland. The team only lasted two seasons and was folded into the Minnesota North Stars, who were also struggling at the time.
Baltimore Colts
The beloved Colts played their first season in 1953 and built a devoted following as it won three NFL championships (1958, ’59, ’68) and Super Bowl V in 1970. The team’s shocking move to Indianapolis in the middle of the night in 1984 broke the hearts of many.
Philadelphia/Kansas City A's
The A’s were one of the American League’s original teams in 1900 and Connie Mack built a dynasty winning nine pennants and five World Series. The team moved to Kansas City in 1955 before departing for Oakland in 1968.
Now, Oakland looks to be headed for this list as the franchise eyes Las Vegas as the latest landing spot.
Brooklyn Dodgers/New York Giants
The two National League teams had over 150 combined seasons playing in the city when they both moved to California after the 1957 season.
Cleveland/St. Louis Rams
The Rams played in Cleveland from 1936 to 1945 before the franchise left for Los Angeles. It played there until 1994, when it left for 20 years in St. Louis before returning to Southern California.
Atlanta Thrashers
The Thrashers entered the league in 1999 and made the playoffs only once before leaving for Winnipeg in 2011.
Atlanta Flames
The Flames played in Atlanta from 1972 to 1980 and made the playoffs six times (though it won only two total postseason games) before moving to Calgary.
Minneapolis Lakers
The Minneapolis Lakers played in the Twin Cities from 1947-1960 and won five titles with big George Mikan as the star.
Minnesota North Stars
The North Stars were part of the NHL’s “second six” expansion in 1967. They played in Minnesota until 1994 when owner Norm Green moved the team to Dallas.
Hartford Whalers
The Whalers were originally a member of the World Hockey Association and joined the NHL in 1979. The team played in Hartford until 1997, when the franchise was relocated to Raleigh, N.C., becoming the Carolina Hurricanes.
St. Louis Browns
This American League team played at Sportsman’s Park from 1902 to 1953 and never had much success with its only pennant coming in 1944. The franchise was relocated to Baltimore in 1954 and rechristened as the Orioles.
San Diego Chargers
The Chargers first arrived in San Diego in 1961 and played there until departing for a largely uninterested Los Angeles area in 2017.
Dallas Texans
Lamar Hunt established the American Football League in 1960 and owned one of the Dallas franchises. The Texans only lasted for three seasons, however, as Hunt moved the team north to Kansas City, where it would become the Chiefs.
Washington Senators
There were actually two Washington Senators baseball teams. The first played in the American League from 1901 to 1960, winning the 1924 World Series and AL pennants in 1925 and 1933. The team eventually moved to Minnesota and became the Twins.
The second team started in 1961 as Major League Baseball gave DC an expansion team to replace the one that had just left. It played in the nation’s capital from 1961 to 1971 before leaving for Texas to become the Rangers.
Colorado Rockies
Originally founded as the Kansas City Scouts, the Rockies played in McNichols Sports Arena from 1976-1982. The franchise relocated to New Jersey and became the Devils.
Philadelphia Warriors
The Warriors played in Philadelphia from 1946 to 1962, winning championships in 1947 and 1956 and seeing Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game on March 2, 1962. A new owner would soon relocate the team to the Bay Area, where it plays to this day.
Syracuse Nationals
The Syracuse Nationals played from 1946 to 1963, winning the 1955 championship and three conference titles. It relocated to Philadelphia in 1963, becoming the 76ers.
Rochester/Cincinnati Royals
The franchise now known as the Sacramento Kings started off in New York (1932-1957) and Cincinnati (1957-1972) before moving to Kansas City from 1972 to 1985.
Baltimore/Washington Bullets
The Wizards franchise actually started off in Chicago as the Packers (1961-62) and Zephers (1962-1963). It then moved to Baltimore, where it played as the Bullets from 1963 to 1973 before moving to Washington. The team’s name was changed to the Wizards in 1997.
Quebec Nordiques
Like the Whalers, the Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association starting in 1972 and joined the NHL in 1979. The franchise moved to Colorado in 1995-1996 and won the Stanley Cup in its first season there.
Houston Oilers
The Oilers played in the AFL from 1960 to 1969, joining the NFL with the merger in 1970. The franchise would play in Houston until moving to Tennessee in 1997.
Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
The debut of the Vegas Raiders ended a 60-year association between the state of California and the franchise. The team played in Oakland to 1960 to 1981.
Seattle Pilots
The Pilots lasted just one season (1969) in Seattle before moving to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers.
Montreal Expos
The Expos joined the National League in 1969 and played in Montreal until 2004, when stadium and attendance issues forced a move to D.C., where the team became the Nationals.
California Golden Seals
The Seals were part of the NHL’s 1967 expansion, joining the Kings, North Stars, Flyers, Penguins and Blues franchise. They moved to Cleveland in 1976 and were eventually folded into the North Stars franchise.
Vancouver Grizzlies
Vancouver joined the NBA in 1995 with the Toronto Raptors as part of the league’s expansion into Canada. The team, however, relocated to Memphis in 2001 as the team started losing money with a weak Canadian dollar.
Seattle Supersonics
The Sonics played in Seattle from 1967 to 2008. The franchise was controversially moved to Oklahoma City by local businessman Clay Bennett, where they became the Thunder.
