⚾ MLB: 1871-2021 151 16
Left the National Association to become one of 8 founding clubs of the NL in 1876. Left Boston and relocated to Milwaukee in 1953. Left Milwaukee to become the Atlanta Braves in 1966.
🏈 NFL: 1966-2021 56
In 1965, after the Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium (then known simply as Atlanta Stadium) was built, the city of Atlanta felt the time was right to start pursuing professional football. One independent ...
🏀 NBA: 1947-2021 75 1
The team's origins can be traced to the establishment of the Buffalo Bisons in 1946 in Buffalo, New York, a member of the National Basketball League (NBL) owned by Ben Kerner and Leo Ferris. After 38 ...

Defunct Teams

Teams that have folded or moved away from the Atlanta area.
F i l t e r   &   S o r t 
NHL: 2000-2011 12
The Jets were established as the Atlanta Thrashers on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when they began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season. True North Sports & Entertainment then bou...
NHL: 1973-1980 8
The team was founded in 1972 in Atlanta as the Atlanta Flames, and relocated to Calgary in 1980. The Flames played their first three seasons in Calgary at the Stampede Corral before moving into their ...
Organized for the inaugural season of the Negro Southern League, jumping between the NSL and NNL as the team that featured the emergence of HOFer Satchel Paige.
Founded as the Atlanta Cubs and changed their name to the Black Crackers because fans had already begun to call them by that name as a play on the local white league team, the Atlanta Crackers
The Giants were the first black professional baseball team in the city of Birmingham, Alabama
The early history of sports contains hundreds of teams that appeared for only 1 or 2 seasons before folding. Most of these teams have no historical photographs or articles, so are omitted from this list to reduce clutter. To view a comprehensive list of all defunct teams, browse to the early leagues section for baseball, football, basketball, or hockey.