Windy City Winners: Celebrating Chicago’s Professional Sports Teams

From Da Bears and the Cubbies to the ’Hawks and the Sox, sports teams in the Second City come second to none. Sports events in Chicago are a cherished tradition among locals and fans, who step back in time every time they enter the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field or the centennial-certified Soldier Field.

Below, learn more about the history and heart of Chicago sports teams and why it takes so much to topple Windy City squads.

Major League / Professional Sports in Chicago

Football

Chicago Bears

• League: NFL
• Division: NFC North
• Founded: 1919
• Home Stadium: Soldier Field

The Chicago Bears have a storied legacy in the NFL as one of the league’s founding franchises for the 1920 season. Holding nine championship titles total, including the first NFL Championship game in 1933 and “The Super Bowl Shuffle” squad in 1985, the Bears have long been a dominant presence in the league. Adding to their historical prestige is their home turf at Soldier Field, which has stood at its Lake Michigan beachfront site since 1924 and remains the oldest active NFL stadium.

During home games, fans cheer on the team with “Bear Down, Chicago Bears” and bring extra bite to matchups against the Green Bay Packers and former in-city opponent the Arizona Cardinals, two of the NFL’s oldest rivalries as well as divisional opponents the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. Get Soldier Field tickets and Chicago Bears tickets at Ticketmaster.

Basketball

Chicago Bulls

• League: NBA
• Division: Central
• Founded: 1966
• Home Arena: United Center

Cue “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project. “The House that Jordan Built”: not only does the nickname exist for the Chicago Bulls’ home court at United Center, but for the team itself. Although the Bulls have paraded through the Windy City since 1966, the franchise gained international fame behind the ’90s dynasty teams led by Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. During this time, the Bulls collected six NBA titles and remained undefeated in a Finals series, while also recording the league’s first 72-win season and netting Jordan five MVP Awards.

The Chicago Bulls roared back to prominence a decade later behind league MVP Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, while home games stay heated for rivalry matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami HEAT. Get United Center tickets and Chicago Bulls tickets at Ticketmaster.

Baseball

Chicago Cubs

• League: MLB
• Division: NL Central
• Founded: 1870
• Home Arena: Wrigley Field

The Cubbies. The North Siders. The Lovable Losers. Whichever name you use, there’s a strong and endearing loyalty between the city and the Chicago Cubs. Despite experiencing the longest championship drought of any North American professional sports team, the Chicago Cubs maintain one of the largest and most dedicated followings in Major League Baseball. However, in 2016, the Cubs secured their first World Series win in 108 years and third overall after a thrilling seven-game series.

The long-awaited victory also marked the Cubs’ first title at the historic Wrigley Field, where they began playing exactly one century earlier in 1916. The Cubs’ rivalries run as deep as the team’s history, with matchups against crosstown opponents the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers all considered to be some of the biggest MLB rivalries of all-time. Get Wrigley Field tickets and Chicago Cubs tickets at Ticketmaster.

Chicago White Sox

• League: MLB
• Division: AL Central
• Founded: 1900
• Home Arena: Guaranteed Rate Field

The Chicago White Sox are the South Side-based, American League counterpart to the Cubs. Although competing in opposing leagues, the White Sox shared a similar fate as the North Siders for much of their existence, enduring an 88-year World Series drought before winning their third title in 2005. However, the similarities end there as the regional rivals continue to compete in the Crosstown Classic, which intensified early on after the two clubs met in the 1906 World Series and the White Sox claimed their first championship.

In 1991, the Sox moved from Comiskey Park, the team’s home field for 80 years, to their current home ballpark across 35th Street at Guaranteed Rate Field in 1991. Aside from the Cubs, the White Sox compete in rivalry matchups against the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians. On game day, make sure to listen for Steam’s “​​Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,” which has become a Sox staple for walk-offs and home game victories. Get Guaranteed Rate Field tickets and Chicago White Sox tickets at Ticketmaster.

Ice Hockey

Chicago Blackhawks

• League: NHL
• Division: Central
• Founded: 1926
• Home Arena: United Center

The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the NHL’s founding Original Six franchises, and the team has the distinguished legacy to back it up. Six Stanley Cup wins, two Presidents’ Trophies, 16 division championships and 41 Hall of Fame players in total have helped the Blackhawks build a reputation for bringing the punishing winters of the Windy City to home ice at United Center every season.

The Hawks first hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1934, but the club doubled its haul in the recent past, winning three championships between 2010 and 2015. Chicago keeps their skates sharp for rivalry faceoffs against the Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, one of the most storied NHL matchups. Get United Center tickets and Chicago Blackhawks tickets at Ticketmaster.

Soccer

Chicago Fire FC

• League: MLS
• Conference: Eastern
• Founded: 1997
• Home Arena: Soldier Field

The Chicago Fire blazed through Major League Soccer from the start. In their inaugural 1998 season, Chicago’s men’s professional soccer team scored a double by winning both the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. In addition, the club has collected U.S. Open Cup wins in 2000, 2003 and 2006 as well as the 2003 Supporters’ Shield. The Fire adopted Soldier Field as their home pitch in 2020 for the first time since 2006.

At home games, the club’s Ring of Fire commemorates former players and members of Chicago staff, including coach Bob Bradley, midfielder Chris Armas and goalkeeper Zach Thornton.

Meanwhile, the stadium’s Section 8 fan area and supporters groups like Fire SG Barn Burners lead cheers in heated matches against rivals like the New England Revolution, St. Louis City SC and FC Dallas, whom the Fire face in the semi-annual Brimstone Cup. Get Soldier Field tickets and Chicago Fire FC tickets at Ticketmaster.

Collegiate Sports & Other Professional Teams in Chicago

The Chicago Sky joined the WNBA in 2005 and play at Wintrust Arena in the Near South Side neighborhood. The Sky won their first WNBA championship in 2021.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Red Stars began fielding matches in 2006 as a founding member of the former Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league, then moved to the NWSL for its inaugural season in 2013. The Red Stars have appeared in the NWSL Championship match twice, in 2019 and 2021, and compete in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois.

Chicago’s in-city collegiate sports programs include the Chicago State University Cougars, DePaul University Blue Demons, Loyola University Chicago Ramblers and University of Illinois Chicago Flames. Neighboring cities house the Northwestern University Wildcats, who compete in the Big Ten Conference, the Northern Illinois University Huskies and Valparaiso University Beacons.

Looking outside the city, many local Chicago sports fans tend to root for sports programs like the University of Illinois Fighting Illini in Champaign and the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana.