Current Baltimore Sports Teams
Baltimoreans take their sports seriously. Today, sports fans flock to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the first of the new breed of retro ballparks, to cheer on the O’s or the Birds as they are known locally.
The city’s love affair certainly extends to the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens (wait until you are in town for a “purple Friday.”) You also can catch indoor soccer’s Baltimore Blast, wildly popular collegiate lacrosse (you’ll find the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame here); thePreakness Stakes, the middle jewel of racing’s Triple Crown; collegiate football, and international soccer “friendlies.”
Baltimore Ravens
Current Baltimore Raven's players can be found here
It's the most exciting place to be in Baltimore for a Ravens' home game. It just doesn't make sense to be anywhere else! M&T Bank Stadium is located at the south point of Camden Yards and is the crowning jewel of the NFL's premier sports facilities. Baltimore Ravens fans - proud of their Baltimore heritage - enjoy the latest in technology, including state-of-the-art high definition RavensVision video screens. Combined with extraordinary amenities, including a stunning view of the city's skyline, the game's excitement brings fans to their feet. With a capacity of 71,008, this aesthetic structure is the home of the Ravens and draws its design from Baltimore's architecture. Completed in 1998 at an estimated cost of $220 million, the stadium has 119 suites and 8,196 club seats. HOK architects designed Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. The latter was completed in less than 2 years and funded through a combination of proceeds generated from the sale of tax-exempt revenue bonds, debt service paid by lottery proceeds and the Ravens. In November of 2013, the Baltimore Ravens, in partnership with the Maryland Stadium Authority, earned a LEED-certified “Gold” designation for M&T Bank Stadium from the U.S. Green Building Council. M&T Bank Stadium is the first existing outdoor professional sports facility in the United States – including all NFL and Major League Baseball stadiums – to receive USGBC’s Gold rating. A LEED certification is recognized across the globe as the premier mark of achievement in green building.
Baltimore Orioles
Current Baltimore Orioles roster can be found here
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the beautiful baseball-only facility in downtown Baltimore, became the official home of the Orioles on April 6, 1992. The one-time railroad center is 12 minutes west by foot from the City's Inner Harbor and only two blocks from the birthplace of baseball's most legendary hero, George Herman "Babe" Ruth.
When Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened on April 6, 1992, a new era of Major League Baseball began. The park was brand new, but still old-fashioned. State-of-the-art, yet quaint. At less than a day old, it was already a classic.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards inspired a generation of ballpark construction. No longer would communities across America build multipurpose stadiums devoid of character, surrounded by vast parking lots. Ballparks would now be created to nestle neatly into existing and historic neighborhoods and play key roles in the revitalization of urban America.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards captured the nation's attention from day one and in the 20 seasons that followed, has served as the standard by which all new ballparks are measured. Citizens of Baltimore and all of Maryland, as well as Orioles fans throughout Birdland, should take great pride in the fact that our team makes its home in the ballpark that forever changed baseball.
Baltimore Blast
The current Baltimore Blast roster can be found here
Baltimore’s indoor soccer franchise has played its home games at Royal Farms Arena (formerly the Baltimore Arena) since the team’s first-ever game in Baltimore on November 29th, 1980. The Blast defeated Philadelphia, 10-7, that night to kick off what has been 35 years of professional indoor soccer in the Charm City.
Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore's largest indoor sports and entertainment facility, has long been considered an anchor of the community, which contributes to the growth and prosperity of Baltimore. The facility opened in 1962 and was the cornerstone of the Baltimore Inner Harbor redevelopment. Major renovations occurred in the late 80's. Royal Farms Arena is just a short distance from harbor front attractions and major hotels. An 850-car garage is attached to the facility for the convenience of patron parking and there are thousands of additional parking spaces nearby.
Royal Farms Arena has gone through many name changes throughout the years. It began as the Civic Center in 1962, in 1986 the facility was renamed the Baltimore Arena, in 2003 was renamed 1st Mariner Arena, it was again renamed Baltimore Arena at the end of 2012 and in 2014 is now Royal Farms Arena. The official opening of the Civic Center began with a Baltimore Clippers game with entertainment by Paul Anka. From there, the list of stars and guests increased with acts like the Beatles, Elvis, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, the Supremes, and more.
Royal Farms Arena is a City-owned facility which hosts an average of 800,000 guests and 120 events annually. One professional sports franchise-- the Baltimore Blast soccer team calls Royal Farms Arena home. Shows like Sesame Street Live, Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, Stars on Ice, Monster Jam, Motocross, WWE and more, regularly play the facility each year. The Arena also hosts events such as boxing, basketball, graduations, tennis, comedy shows and other miscellaneous events.
SMG, a Philadelphia-based private facility management company, assumed leadership of Royal Farms Arena in 1999. Since then the Arena has hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment such as Bruce Springsteen, U2, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, The Eagles, the Rolling Stones and more. In April of 2006 Royal Farms Arena hosted the 55th Annual Miss USA Competition. In the fall of 2009, the Arena served as the host of Maryland’s first ever Mixed Martial Arts event, Shogun Fights.
Royal Farms Arena has 11,000 permanent seats (three levels in a horseshoe shape) facing a 58' deep x 117' wide x 42' high wooden permanent proscenium stage. Temporary seating is used on the floor and/or the stage for various event configurations. With floor seating, concert or meeting capacity is 13,500; other shows and sporting events capacities range from 11,000 to 14,000. The Arena can also be curtained down to a 5,000-person capacity with a portable stage house center. The ice system was completely replaced in 1997.
Royal Farms Arena is easily accessible via Interstates 95, 295, 83 and 395 and is located approximately seven miles from Baltimore/Washington International Airport. The light rail and major bus lines stop alongside the facility.
In 2009, Royal Farms Arena was named the No. 1 Arena in the United States by Billboard Magazine and Venues Today. No other U.S. building in its category bested Royal Farms Arena as the highest-grossing Arena.
Former Teams
Baltimore Colts
Professional football in Baltimore dates back to 1953 when the Baltimore Colts were the hometown team. However, then owner Robert Irsay relocated the team from the city to Indianapolis, Indiana to become the Indianapolis Colts, a very controversial move that left many fans bitter towards the former team.
The Baltimore Colts played at Memorial Stadium, and many famous Baltimore football icons played for the team, such as Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, and Raymond Berry, to name a few. The team won Super Bowl V against the Dallas Cowboys. The Baltimore Colts were known for playing against the New York Jets in Super Bowl III when Jets quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed a victory over the heavily favored Colts. The Jets would win the game 16-7, endorsing Namath's guarantee.
Baltimore Stallions
Another professional football team existed in the city prior to the Ravens. The Baltimore Stallions were established in 1994 in the Canadian Football League, a professional football league based in Canada. In 1995, the team became the only American team to win the Grey Cup, which is the championship of the CFL. However, following their championship season, the team relocated to Montreal, Canada, as the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League had announced their relocation of their team to Baltimore to become the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore Bullets
Baltimore had a professional basketball team at one point. The city was home to the Baltimore Bullets of the National Basketball Association from 1963-1973. The team moved to Washington, D.C. after the 1973 season, and the team is now known as the Washington Wizards.
