Buffalo, New York, and its greater metropolitan area is currently home to three major professional sports teams, the Buffalo Bills (National Football League), Buffalo Sabres (National Hockey League), and Buffalo Bandits (National Lacrosse League). Buffalo is also home to other professional sports teams, including the Buffalo Bisons (International League) and Buffalo Pro Soccer (USL Championship). Semi-professional teams include the Buffalo eXtreme (American Basketball Association), FC Buffalo (USL League Two), FC Buffalo Women (USL W League), and Buffalo Stallions (National Premier Soccer League). Local colleges active in NCAA Division I athletics include Canisius University, Niagara University, St. Bonaventure University and University at Buffalo.
Sports are a major part of the city's culture. In recent decades, Buffalo based teams have become known for crushing and sometimes controversial defeats. Wide Right, No Goal and the Music City Miracle have come to define the suffering of Buffalo sports fans. In February 2012, Forbes listed Buffalo #4 on its list of "Most Miserable Sports Cities." The city's only major championships were American Football League titles won by the Buffalo Bills in 1964 and 1965.
Buffalo had at one point three franchises in major league sports beginning in 1970, when the Buffalo Bills (established 1960) were joined by the Buffalo Braves of the National Basketball Association and the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. However, the Braves struggled financially and were relocated to California in 1978. This led to the perception that Buffalo's market could not support a third franchise. Sahlen Field was built in 1988 for the minor league Buffalo Bisons with hopes that it could attract a Major League Baseball franchise to the city. The major league franchise never came, although the Toronto Blue Jays would eventually play their home games at Sahlen Field in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joe Mesi was a professional boxer from Buffalo who earned the nickname "Third Franchise" during his undefeated career between 1997 and 2007 after selling out KeyBank Center and other local venues multiple times.
Current teams Professional SportLeagueClubFoundedVenueTitlesChampionship yearsBaseballILBuffalo Bisons1979†Sahlen Field31997, 1998, 2004FootballNFLBuffalo Bills1960Highmark Stadium21964*, 1965*HockeyNHLBuffalo Sabres1970KeyBank CenterLacrosseNLLBuffalo Bandits1992KeyBank Center71992, 1993, 1996, 2008, 2023, 2024, 2025SoccerUSLCBuffalo Pro Soccer2024TBDSoccerUSLSLBuffalo Pro Soccer2024TBD * American Football League (AFL) championships were earned prior to the AFL–NFL merger of 1970.
† Date refers to current incarnation; Buffalo Bisons previously operated from 1886 to 1970, and the current Bisons count this team as part of their history.
Semi-professional SportLeagueClubFoundedVenueTitlesChampionship yearsBasketballABA Buffalo eXtreme2023XGen Elite Sports ComplexSoccerUSL2FC Buffalo2009Coyer FieldSoccerUSLWFC Buffalo Women2021Coyer FieldSoccerNPSLBuffalo Stallions2025North Tonawanda High School
Collegiate SportLeagueClubFoundedVenueTitlesChampionship yearsCollege BasketballNCAABuffalo Bulls1915Alumni Arena42015, 2016, 2018, 2019College BasketballNCAACanisius Golden Griffins1903Koessler Athletic Center11996College BasketballNCAA Niagara Purple Eagles1905Gallagher Center22005, 2007College BasketballNCAA St. Bonaventure Bonnies1902Reilly Center22012, 2021College FootballNCAABuffalo Bulls1894University at Buffalo Stadium12008College HockeyNCAACanisius Golden Griffins 1980LECOM Harborcenter22013, 2023 College Hockey NCAANiagara Purple Eagles 1996Dwyer Arena32000*, 2004*, 2008*
* College Hockey America (CHA) men's hockey championships were earned prior to the league's discontinuation of the conference's men's program in 2010.
Former teams Baseball
Niagaras of Buffalo (National Association of Base Ball Players) 1857–1861 Buffalo Bisons (International Association) 1878, 1887–1888 Buffalo Bisons (National League) 1879–1885 Buffalo Bisons (International League) 1886–1970 Buffalo Bisons (Players' League) 1890 Buffalo Blues (Federal League) 1914–1915 Indianapolis Clowns (Negro American League) 1951–1955 Buffalo Nighthawks (Ladies Professional Baseball League) 1998 Toronto Blue Jays (American League) 2020, 2021
Basketball Buffalo Germans (Amateur Athletic Union) 1895–1925 Buffalo Bisons (American Basketball League) 1925–1926 Buffalo Bisons (National Basketball League) 1937 Buffalo Bisons (National Basketball League) 1946 BAA Buffalo (Basketball Association of America) 1946–1949 (never played a game) Buffalo Braves (National Basketball Association) 1970–1978 Buffalo Sharks (American Basketball Association) 2005–2008 Buffalo Stampede (Premier Basketball League/Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League) 2009–2011 Buffalo Warriors (Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League) 2011–2012 Buffalo 716ers (Premier Basketball League) 2013–2016 Western New York Thundersnow (Premier Basketball League/American Basketball Association) 2015–2017 Buffalo Blue Hawks (American Basketball Association/North American Basketball League) 2015–2019 Buffalo Blaze (Pro Basketball Association) 2021
Football Tonawanda Kardex Lumbermen (New York Pro Football League/National Football League) 1916–1921 Buffalo franchise (New York Pro Football League/National Football League) 1918–1929 Buffalo Indians/Tigers (American Football League) 1940–1941 Buffalo Bills (All-America Football Conference) 1946–1949 Buffalo Destroyers (Arena Football League) 1999–2003 Buffalo Blitz (American Indoor Football/Can-Am Indoor Football League) 2015–2017
Hockey
Buffalo Bisons (International Hockey League) 1928–1936 Buffalo Majors (American Hockey Association) 1930–1932 Buffalo Bisons (American Hockey League) from 1940–1970 Buffalo Norsemen (North American Hockey League) 1975–1976 Buffalo Stampede (Roller Hockey International) 1994–1995 Buffalo Wings (Roller Hockey International/Major League Roller Hockey) 1997–1999 Buffalo Beauts (Premier Hockey Federation) 2015–2023
Lacrosse Buffalo Bowmans (Indoor Professional Lacrosse League) 1932 Buffalo Renegades (National Lacrosse League (Canada)) 1991
Soccer Buffalo White Eagles (Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League) 1962 Buffalo Blazers (Canadian National Soccer League) 1976–1980 Buffalo Stallions (Major Indoor Soccer League) 1979–1984 Buffalo Storm (United Soccer League) 1984 Buffalo Blizzard (National Professional Soccer League) 1992–2001 Buffalo FFillies (USL W-League) 1996–1998 Queen City FC (National Premier Soccer League) 2007–2008 Western New York Flash (Women's Professional Soccer/National Women's Soccer League) 2008–2018 Buffalo City FC (National Premier Soccer League) 2009
Tennis Toronto-Buffalo Royals (World TeamTennis) 1974
Major sports events held in Buffalo
1912 U.S. Open 1927 NYSPHSAA Basketball Championship 1927 Little World Series 1933 Junior World Series 1936 Junior World Series 1957 Junior World Series 1961 Coaches All-America Game 1962 Coaches All-America Game 1963 Coaches All-America Game 1964 Coaches All-America Game 1964 AFL Championship Game 1965 Coaches All-America Game 1975 Stanley Cup Finals 1978 NHL All-Star Game 1985 Empire State Games 1986 Empire State Games 1988 National Old-Timers Baseball Classic 1988 Triple-A All-Star Game 1989 National Old-Timers Baseball Classic 1990 National Old-Timers Baseball Classic 1990 Skate America 1991 NHL entry draft 1993 NCAA Division III Final Four 1993 Summer Universiade 1994 NCAA Division III Final Four 1995 NCAA Division III Final Four 1996 Empire State Games 1999 Stanley Cup Finals 2003 NCAA Frozen Four 2008 NHL Winter Classic 2010 Empire State Games 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships 2012 NLL All-Star Game 2012 Triple-A All-Star Game 2015 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships 2016 NWHL All-Star Game 2016 NHL entry draft 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships 2019 NCAA Frozen Four 2026 NHL entry draft
References