Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Washington’s emergence as one of America’s premier sports cities was decades in the making, requiring sustained cooperation across multiple mayoral administrations, the D.C. Council, public officials, business leaders and private-sector partners. The result transformed not only the city’s sports landscape, but also its economy and civic identity.
When the Washington football team left RFK Stadium for what became FedEx Field in 1997, the District faced an uncomfortable reality: the nation’s capital no longer had a full complement of major professional sports franchises within its borders.
The foundation for the city’s resurgence had begun several years earlier, when the Washington Bullets and Washington Capitals sought a new downtown arena. Working under Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly and later Mayor Anthony Williams, the D.C. Council, city officials and private-sector partners approved what became the MCI Center, now Capital One Arena.
The arena did far more than keep professional basketball and hockey in Washington. It sparked the revitalization of downtown, fueling new restaurants, hotels, retail, housing and renewed activity in an area that had struggled for years.
The next milestone was the return of Major League Baseball. When the Montreal Expos sought a new home, Mayor Anthony Williams assembled a team that included Linda Cropp, Natwar Gandhi, Mark Tuohey and many others. After years of negotiations, baseball returned to Washington for the first time since 1971. The Nationals’ World Series championship in 2019 rewarded generations of fans who had waited nearly four decades for the sport’s return.
Professional soccer also flourished. D.C. United became one of Major League Soccer’s founding clubs and one of its most successful franchises. The Washington Mystics captured the WNBA championship in 2019, and the Washington Spirit won the National Women’s Soccer League championship in 2021, underscoring the growing prominence and success of women’s professional sports in the nation’s capital.
One challenge remained: bringing professional football back to Washington. Beginning during the Adrian Fenty administration and continuing through successive administrations, city leaders worked for more than 15 years to return the franchise to the District. Mayor Muriel Bowser ultimately deserves credit for bringing those negotiations to a successful conclusion. When the new stadium opens at the RFK campus, professional football will once again be played in the District of Columbia.
The accomplishment is remarkable. Only a handful of American cities can claim all four major men’s professional sports leagues within their city limits. When championship-caliber men’s and women’s professional soccer and the WNBA are included, Washington stands among a select group of cities offering the full spectrum of professional sports.
The economic benefits are substantial, but the greatest impact extends beyond dollars and cents. Championship teams have repeatedly united the city — from the Capitals’ Stanley Cup victory and the Nationals’ World Series title to the Mystics’ WNBA championship and the Spirit’s NWSL championship. With football returning to RFK, a future championship parade down Constitution Avenue could one day celebrate a Super Bowl victory.
Washington’s rise as a major sports city was never the accomplishment of a single mayor, Council member or administration. It was the product of decades of persistence, collaboration and shared vision by elected officials, business leaders, team owners and countless Washingtonians who believed the nation’s capital deserved to stand alongside America’s greatest sports cities. Today, it does.
Meanwhile, the public is invited to review the Commanders’ plan and provide feedback during a 45-day period ending Aug. 14. You can submit feedback by using the online form, emailing your comments or giving in-person testimony at a public hearing. The draft plan and a pop-up engagement schedule are available at ourrfk.dc.gov.
Jack Evans served as Council member for Ward 2 from 1991 through 2020 and as chair of the Finance Committee from 1999 through 2019.