We might not have Major League Baseball bustle or National Football League intensity. We probably won’t get National Hockey League support. But Portland has a ton of professional and college sports teams that we can and do support. From the NBA to the Flat Track Derby Association, there is a sport for every demographic in Portland. Let’s dig into the whole picture of Portland’s sports scene.
Portland Trail Blazers (National Basketball Association)
The biggest ticket in town, The Portland Trail Blazers are the staple of this city’s sports industry and have been for a long time. Since 1970, the Blazers have been entertaining Portland’s sports fans. The franchise has one championship in 1977 and appearances in the finals in 1990 and 1992.
Some iconic players have bounced their way through town – Lenny Wilkens, Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Drazen Petrovic, Arvydas Sabonis and Scottie Pippen. The team has had their fair share of blemishes, though, most notably in the 1984 draft when they passed on legendary Michael Jordan in favor of Sam Bowie.
However, the Blazers have turned a corner with the drafting of Damian Lillard and have recaptured the hearts of Portlanders.
Visit them online.
Portland Timbers (Major League Soccer)
After 40 years of diehard support for their second-tier soccer club, Portlanders were awarded an expansion franchise in the United State’s highest level soccer circuit. The Portland Timbers, who began MLS play in 2011, have since become the talk of the town. They average 21,000 people per game at the beautiful downtown Providence Park and have a five-year wait list for season tickets.
The Timbers may very well take over as the city’s most followed professional sport should the Blazers continue to lose, and Timbers start to win.
In their first four and a half years in Major League Soccer the team has qualified for the playoffs just once. In their current campaign, the team is sitting dangerously close to being out of the playoffs but with a handful of games remaining and recent good form, the team is poised to make a playoff push.
Visit them online.
Portland Winterhawks (Western Hockey League)
Although not technically professionals, the Portland Winterhawks have been taking the ice in front of Portland fans for 64 years. Founded in 1951, the Winterhawks are part of the Western Hockey League, a major-junior league spanning Oregon, Washington and Western Canada that is designed to develop 16-to-20-year-old players into professional prospects.
Players in the WHL are given small stipends to live off of while playing and are put up by families in the area. Many of the Winterhawks have gone on to have prosperous and dynamic NHL careers.
In the 2014-15 season, the club averaged about 7,000 fans per game, splitting home games between the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum and the Moda Center.
Visit them online.
Hillsboro Hops (Northwest Baseball League)
In 2013, the Portland metro area finally got a minor league baseball franchise back in town after losing the Portland Beavers of the AAA circuit a few years back. Now featured in the area are the Hillsboro Hops, a franchise of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NWL – a single-A short schedule league.
In 2014 the team won the NWL and averaged 3,787 people at their home games. Although the stadium is in Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland about 20 minutes west from downtown, the team has gained a lot of support from area baseball fans who were hungry for the live game.
Visit them online.
Portland Thunder (Arena Football League)
So we can’t support an NFL team. So what? We love the Seahawks here in Portland, and we have our own version of football – the Portland Thunder. The Thunder plays their home games at Portland’s Moda Center along with the Trail Blazers and Winterhawks.
In 2015, the team’s third season in Portland, the average attendance at the Moda Center was 8,300. The Arena Football League is a common destination for college players who don’t make the cut in the NFL or CFL. Here and there fans will be treated to a player who might make the step from the Arena game to the National Football League.
Visit them online.
Portland Thorns (National Women’s Soccer League)
Remember that Nike commercial featuring Women’s soccer icon Mia Hamm and basketball legend Michael Jordan? If you do, the Portland Thorns are an indirect result of that message.
In 2014, the Portland Thorns recorded over 19,000 at their home opener, putting the Thorns in the upper echelon of historical attendance marks for American professional women’s soccer.
In their inaugural season they claimed the league championship. Since they have struggled to maintain the same dominance but they do boast two of the biggest names in International women’s soccer with American National Alex Morgan and Canadian Superstar Christine Sinclair.
Visit them online.
Rose City Rollers
For anyone who gets tired of the mainstream sporting event atmosphere, Portland has you covered. The Rose City Rollers are the local women’s flat track derby association organization and consists of a four-team circuit in Portland and a nationally ranked travel team by the name of Wheels of Justice.
In the Roller Derby world, it’s about competition and display. Player’s names are oft-odd and slightly risqué fixings of ordinary words or names. The game is fast and physical; these girls are messing around.
The RCR has been around since 2004 and has recently expanded to include a teenage circuit and a new affiliate club in Hood River.
Visit them online.
Portland Stags (Major League Ultimate)
Keeping it alternative here, the Portland Stags are Portland’s chapter of the Ultimate Frisbee league. Founded in 2013 the team has competed in three MLU campaigns while calling Hillsboro Stadium their home field.
Thanks to Portland’s open-minded mentality the Stags have enjoyed some solid fan support and have been one of the league’s best teams. In 2015 the Stags finished 9-1 in the regular season and lost in the Western Conference Finals.
Visit them online.
Portland State University (Big Sky Conference)
Portland State University, located in downtown Portland, has a handful of division-I sports that compete in the Big Sky conference. Most notable and followed are the school’s men’s football and basketball, women’s softball, basketball and soccer and both men’s and women’s track and field.
PSU’s football squad plays home games at Providence Park. Both men’s and women’s basketball play home games at the school’s Peter Stott Center and the women’s soccer hold home games at Hillsboro Stadium.
Visit them online.
University of Portland (West Coast Conference)
Across the city on the Northern ridge overlooking the Columbia River is the University of Portland, a relatively small private Christian institution. Although small, UP has some strong sports programs including often nationally competitive men’s and women’s basketball, men’s baseball, women’s softball, men’s and women’s soccer.
The schools venues are all on campus. The women’s soccer program is often a pre-season warm up for the Portland Thorns.
Visit them online.
As you can tell, even though we’re short on professional teams, we have plenty of opportunities to sit back and watch sports. We love any excuse for hanging out with friends and cheering something on.
