Sports to Catch this Summer

If you are a big-time basketball or football fan like me, it can be hard to find sports events to watch or attend this summer, since both the NBA and NFL take place in the fall, winter, and spring seasons. When the weather is nice and sunny, you might even be tempted to try out some personal outdoor sports like disc golf, kayaking, or rock climbing.

But if you want to experience a top-level professional sporting event during the warmer months, the Pacific Northwest does have a few options. There may be several sports that you may have forgotten about or don’t pay much attention to that are actually really fun to watch and enjoy.

Right in downtown Portland, you can watch the Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team, play their regular season, which runs through October. The Timbers have long been a staple of the professional sports scene in Portland, and this can be a great way to fulfill the need to watch a sporting game during the summer. While soccer isn’t for everyone, these games can be very interesting to watch, especially if you choose to go with a family member or friend who’s a fan.

We can’t talk about the Timbers without also mentioning the Portland Thorns, part of the National Women’s Soccer League. The three-time NWSL champion Thorns also have games running through October and play in the same stadium as the Timbers, Providence Park.

Now, there isn’t really another option to watch a high-caliber professional sports team in Portland, but if you travel up to Seattle, you can watch the Major League Baseball team, the Mariners, play in T-Mobile Park near downtown. While many sports fans have wanted an MLB expansion team in Portland, for now the Mariners are the closest team to our area. The Mariners’ regular season lasts until the end of September, and the team plays multiple games a week, one each day, with stretches that include six to nine home games at a time. 

Also while in Seattle, you can watch the Women’s National Basketball Association team, the Seattle Storm, at the Climate Pledge Arena. The WNBA has been growing in popularity with the introduction of new rookies looking to increase its viewership, and now is a great time to attend your first WNBA game. One honorable mention for an annual sports event coming to Portland (this weekend!) is the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Portland International Raceway. This will be the event’s third year, which started in 2022 and has been named the “Pacific Office Automation 147” event. The NASCAR Xfinity Series is promoted as the second-tier series, compared to the flagship Cup Series.

This year’s event weekend runs Friday through Sunday (May 31 through June 1) and consists of practice and qualifying races, with the main NASCAR Xfinity Series race starting at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. This is a perfect chance to enjoy an exceptional sporting event in Portland. While the 2024 Olympics are being held in Paris, you can attend the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track And Field Trials held on the University of Oregon campus, at Hayward Field. This event starts June 21 and runs through June 30, and offers a great chance to see some of the top Olympic athletes yourself.

So, while Portland may not have as many professional sports teams as bigger cities such as Seattle or Los Angeles, there are still multiple ways to fulfill your need to watch sports during the summer. Enjoy!

Advocate Staff