The 10 Biggest Cleveland Sports Stories of 2025

Jan. 4: Browns Finish Disastrous Season

The Browns wrapped the disastrous 2024 regular season with Bailey Zappe as the starting quarterback and a 35-10 loss at Baltimore. Browns’ final record: 3-14. They ended the season on a six-game slide, including being outscored, 100-26, in the final four.

Jan. 9: Cavs Come Out Hot

Darius Garland scored 40 points as the Cavs defeated the Toronto Raptors, 132-126, for their 12th consecutive victory. They improved to 4-0 in the calendar year and a ridiculous 33-4 overall, finishing the regular season at 64-18, No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The record featured three winning streaks of 12-plus games.

Jan. 20: OSU Wins Ninth National Championship

Ohio State football defeated Notre Dame, 34-23, to win the national championship. The Buckeyes (14-2) capped a stirring College Football Playoff run that included victories over Tennessee, Oregon and Texas in the first year of a playoff expanded to 12 teams. The Buckeyes secured the program’s ninth championship.

April 24: Browns Surprise on Draft Day

The Browns made a blockbuster trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the first day of the NFL Draft, dropping from No. 2 overall to No. 5 and acquired the Jaguars’ first-round pick in 2026. The Browns selected Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham with the No. 5 pick.

April 28: Cavs Win Big Then Fall in Playoffs

Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points as the Cavaliers destroyed the Miami Heat, 138-83, in Miami to sweep an Eastern Conference quarterfinal. They outscored the Heat, 504-382, in the series. The dream season ended in an Eastern Conference semifinal, when the Indiana Pacers disposed of the injury-riddled Cavs in five games.

June 30: WNBA Comes to Cleveland

The WNBA officially announced that Cleveland was awarded an expansion team to begin play in 2028. They will become the league’s 16th active franchise and be owned by Dan Gilbert’s Rock Entertainment Group. It marked a return to the WNBA for Cleveland, in which the Rockers played from 1997 to 2003.July 3, 28

July 26: Tom Hamilton Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Tom Hamilton, voice of Cleveland baseball since 1990, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. “Hammy” gained entry via the Ford C. Frick Award, which is given to one broadcaster each year.Sept. 27-28

Sept. 27-28: Guardians Complete Epic Comeback

The Guardians defeated the visiting Texas Rangers in the final two games of the regular season and celebrated an amazing turnaround, clinching a playoff spot on Sept. 27 and an American League Central title on Sept. 28. They had been 15.5 games behind in the division and went on to win back-to-back division titles. The Guards then lost to the Detroit Tigers in an AL Wild Card Series.

Oct. 13: Browns and City Settle Stadium Debate

Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced that the battle over the Browns’ future home is over. Bibb said the city will end legal opposition to the move to Brook Park, where a multibillion-dollar complex will be built, and the Haslams said they'd help raze and redevelop the lakefront stadium. Still, the Browns could stay in Cleveland through 2031 if necessary.

Nov. 17: Bernie Kosar Receives Liver Transplant

In July 2024, we reported that Browns legend Bernie Kosar had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and would soon need a transplant. In mid November, he took a turn for the worst. Multiple hospital stays and a few false starts led up to Kosar finding a donor on the morning of Nov. 17. “I’m out and feeling good!” he posted afterwards on X. Since then, he’s had a few stays in the hospital but continues to improve.

Nov. 23: Shedeur Sanders Gets His First Start

Seven months after plummeting to the Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders made his debut as Cleveland’s starting quarterback. He replaced third-round pick Dillon Gabriel, who looked dazed and confused in his five starts. So far, he’s earned just one win, but he’s shown promise, especially in a Dec. 7 performance with 364 yards passing and three touchdowns. Now, after 42 starting quarterbacks since 1999, the big question is whether Sanders is the long-term answer at the position.

Find More Year-End Reviews in Our 2025 CLE Wrapped Feature

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