A visit to Illinois reveals tons of land and expansive nature. After all, the state is full of farms and corn fields. However, once you get to the Chicago area, that all changes. It’s easy to notice the exact point where corn fields quickly turn into neighborhoods and strip malls with grocery stores. Regardless of where you are in Illinois, it’s obvious that the community supports its teams. All of the professional teams are based out of Chicago, and the entire state backs them up. They are also some of the most followed teams in the entire country.
Many people who were born in Chicago move elsewhere when they grow up, but take their fandom with them. This is evident whenever Chicago teams play away games. For most away games, you’ll usually find a few jerseys of the opponent scattered throughout. Whenever it’s a Chicago team, it looks as though half the people in attendance are rooting for them. The residents of Illinois have respect for other talented folks born in the state aside from athletes. Click here to read more about the biggest musicians who come from Illinois.
To compile this list of Illinois’s best sports teams, 24/7 Tempo consulted many different sources. These include NHL.com, NBA.com, and MLB.com.
Chicago Cubs
Baseball is America’s past time, and one of the most legendary franchises in all of professional sports is the Chicago Cubs. The fact that the team kept such passionate fans throughout a 108 year World Series Championship drought is one of the most impressive feats in the world.
They finally did it in 2016, in one of the most memorable game 7’s in sports history. Cubs fans not only had to wait 108 years between those championships, but 61 years in between World Series appearances. To put this into perspective, the last time the Cubs were in the World Series before 2016, we were just finishing up World War II. If you ever watch a road game the Cubs play in, you’re bound to see numerous jerseys in the stands.
Cubs fans are truly some of the most passionate in all of sports. They play their home games at the legendary Wrigley Field. This stadium is one of the oldest sporting venues in the world, as it first opened up in 1914. One special tradition the Cubs have is by playing day games on Friday, while most teams only play during the evening. Going to Wrigley Field should be on every sports fan’s bucket list, regardless of their fandom.
Chicago White Sox
Chicago baseball teams had a rough stretch of time in between World Series Championships. The Chicago White Sox went 88 years between titles, thanks in part to what’s now known as the Black Sox Scandal. This is when the team purposely lost the World Series and were paid off by gamblers in order to do so.
The owner was known for being incredibly cheap, so this was one way the players thought to get back at him. This happened in 1919, two years after the teams last title until 2005. These days, the White Sox are working to get back to where the team was almost 20 years ago. There’s a lot of talent on the team, but they need to fully put it together before they can win another title.
Unlike the Cubs, the White Sox play their home games in the south side of Chicago at Guaranteed Rate Field. The White Sox embody the grit and hard work that Chicago likes to put out there. It’s only a matter of time before the White Sox are back to their winning ways.
Chicago Bulls
One of the most important sports franchises in the world is the Chicago Bulls. Before the 1990s, they were just another random team that nobody paid any attention to. In fact, lots of teams just used them to rest star players, since they knew the team wasn’t that good. This all changed when Michael Jordan was drafted. Even though his first few years didn’t result in championships, we all know about the Bulls dynasty during the 1990s.
They won three straight titles two separate times, with the only championships they didn’t win being because Jordan was playing baseball instead. The reason the Bulls are so important is they developed Jordan and helped him become famous for the 1992 Dream Team in the Olympics. Without this team, there’s a chance many international players in the game wouldn’t be playing.
The Dream Team showed the world how great basketball is, and they were led by Jordan. These days, the Bulls are working back to getting to this historic place. There was hope that hometown hero Derrick Rose would be able to do so. Sadly, his knee injuries set him and the Bulls franchise back. You can find the Bulls playing their home games at the United Center, one of the best places to catch a game.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are well known for being one of the “Original Six” NHL teams. They were first founded in 1926 and were one of the most successful teams in the 2010s. During a six year stretch, the team won three Stanley Cups, while also advancing far into the playoffs during seasons they didn’t win it all.
Now, the Blackhawks are looking to get back to the top of the sport. Thankfully, they were blessed by being given the chance to draft Connor Bedard. For those who might not have heard of him yet, there’s talk of him being able to enter the conversation as the greatest hockey player to ever live by the time his career is over.
He’s just a rookie for now, so that is going to have to wait a long time. The Blackhawks also play their home games at United Center. When the team is good, the arena goes absolutely crazy. This has given it the nickname of being “The Madhouse on Madison.”
Chicago Bears
Sports lovers who appreciate defensive, intense, hard-working football generally love the Chicago Bears. The Bears have never won thanks to having a flashy offense. Instead, they are known for always having one of the best defenses in the NFL. Their players are hit harder than most in the league, yet still are quick enough to not let offensive players score easily.
The Bears took this legendary defense and won Super Bowl XX. These days, the Bears are still looking for a leader on offense to pair with a great defense. Justin Fields has shown flashes of being that guy, but he needs to be more consistent before the team will officially trust him.
As of 2023, the team plays their home games at Soldier Field, but there are talks of them moving to the suburbs of Chicago. Arlington Racetrack was a Chicago staple, but got torn down. The Bears have looked into moving here and outside of downtown. Either way, catching a game in the outdoor elements in Chicago is one of the best experiences you can have.
Chicago Sky
SANTA MONICA, CA. July 19, 2018: Candace Parker & Lailaa Nicole Williams at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards 2018 at Barker Hangar
Women’s basketball has exploded in popularity over the last decade. It’s been made thanks to more and more women’s games being shown on national television. The players become more known and easier to follow once they get to the WNBA. One of those teams is the Chicago Sky.
They were first founded in 2005 and won their first title in 2021, after being led by hometown star Candace Parker. The Sky play their home games at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. With the rise in popularity of the WNBA, the Sky will also see an increase in following. Chicago is known for being an excellent basketball city, and the Sky will surely capitalize on the love of the game. Click here to read more about the worst corruption scandals in sports history.