Welcome to Georgetown and welcome to Washington, D.C.: a city brimming with sports teams and athletic events. Not only is D.C. home to its own MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, NWSL and WNBA teams, but the city also hosts world renowned sporting events every year. This July alone, D.C.’s Audi Field saw FIFA Club World Cup matchups, a USWNT match and doubleheader of USA Men’s and Women’s rugby. So many teams and events can be a lot to take in as you get acclimated to D.C., so here’s The Hoya’s guide to D.C. sports!
The D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area has 5 central sports venues, with Capital One Arena — home to the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals (and the Georgetown Hoyas) — serving as the main hub. The District’s second main venue is Audi Field, home to the MLS’ D.C. United and NWSL’s Washington Spirit. Additionally, the DMV houses Nationals Park, where MLB’s Washington Nationals compete; CareFirst Arena, where the WNBA’s Washington Mystics play; and Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., where the NFL’s Washington Commanders compete awaiting the reconstruction of the District’s RFK Memorial Stadium.
During your time in D.C., some exciting events will be happening in the sports arena. This spring, the District will host the NCAA men’s basketball Division I East regionals at Capital One Arena. In the spring of 2027, D.C. will host the NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Championship, also known as the Frozen Four, at Capital One Arena once again. The following spring, Capital One Arena will return as host of the NCAA basketball regional, holding the NCAA Division I women’s basketball regionals. In the pro sports realm, the District will be home to the 2027 NFL draft.
In terms of professional teams, some of the D.C. teams have been going through a rough patch. The Nationals are currently ranked last in their division and hold the third worst record of any team in MLB. D.C United is a similar story, boasting a 14th-place ranking out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. The Mystics are currently ranked 10th out of 13 teams in league, averaging out their 9th and 7th place finishes in the two seasons prior. The Wizards share a similarly storied past, having dropped from 12th, to 14th, to 15th place in the Eastern Conference over the last 3 seasons.With no places left to drop, maybe it’s time for a come up season.
Speaking of come ups, the Commanders have been on a bit of a kick, having finished second in the NFC East division last season. The 2024 NFL draft’s 2nd overall pick, quarterback Jayden Daniels, led the Commanders to their first playoff win in 19 years last season. The Capitals are a different story, having secured a first place finish in the Eastern Metropolitan Division and an overall first in the Eastern Conference. Despite their success in the regular season, they bowed out of the 2025 Stanley Cup in the second round. The Capitals have some promising prospects coming up this season and were ranked 9th in the NHL prospect pool for 2025 by The Athletic. The Spirit boasts a rare success story for a D.C. squad, currently ranked 3rd in the NWSL and made it to the NWSL final last season. Though, like many of the District’s squads, they have a storied past of losses. With an impressive returning rookie class and former NWSL rookie of the year and Olympic gold medalist Trinity Rodman coming back from a back injury, the Spirit have a fighting chance at securing some more playoff wins this season.
All this losing, though, isn’t all bad. It generally means cheaper sports tickets. So if you have a favorite NBA team, snag some tickets (Ticketmaster works well) and head on over to Capital One Arena. Hop on a GUTS bus over to Rosslyn or Dupont Circle and take the metro from there. Just punch in wherever you’re going into any mapping app, and you will get pretty clear directions to follow. Good luck and enjoy the District’s sports scene!
