Buffalo, New York and its greater metropolitan area is currently home to two major league sports teams, the Buffalo Sabres (National Hockey League) & Buffalo Bills (National Football League). Buffalo is also home to several other major and minor league sports teams, including the Buffalo Bandits (National Lacrosse League), Buffalo Bisons (International League), Buffalo eXtreme (American Basketball Association) and FC Buffalo (USL League Two). 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."[1] 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.[2]
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.[3]
| Sport | League | Club | Founded | Venue | Titles | Championship years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | IL | Buffalo Bisons | 1979† | Sahlen Field | 3 | 1997, 1998, 2004 |
| Basketball | ABA | Buffalo eXtreme | 2023 | XGen Elite Sports Complex | ||
| Football | NFL | Buffalo Bills | 1960 | Highmark Stadium | 2 | 1964*, 1965* |
| Hockey | NHL | Buffalo Sabres | 1970 | KeyBank Center | ||
| Lacrosse | NLL | Buffalo Bandits | 1992 | KeyBank Center | 6 | 1992, 1993, 1996, 2008, 2023, 2024 |
| Soccer | USL League Two | FC Buffalo | 2009 | Williamsville South High School | ||
| Soccer | UWS | FC Buffalo Women | 2021 | Williamsville South High School |
* 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.
| Sport | League | Club | Founded | Venue | Titles | Championship years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Basketball | NCAA | Buffalo Bulls | 1915 | Alumni Arena | 4 | 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 |
| College Basketball | NCAA | Canisius Golden Griffins | 1903 | Koessler Athletic Center | 1 | 1996 |
| College Basketball | NCAA | Niagara Purple Eagles | 1905 | Gallagher Center | 2 | 2005, 2007 |
| College Basketball | NCAA | St. Bonaventure Bonnies | 1902 | Reilly Center | 2 | 2012, 2021 |
| College Football | NCAA | Buffalo Bulls | 1894 | University at Buffalo Stadium | 1 | 2008 |
| College Hockey | NCAA | Canisius Golden Griffins | 1980 | LECOM Harborcenter | 2 | 2013, 2023 |
| College Hockey | NCAA | Niagara Purple Eagles | 1996 | Dwyer Arena | 3 | 2000*, 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.
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