Both Milwaukee and Chicago were ranked in the top three for best big cities in the United States, but that’s about where their current relationship ends. Despite being geographically close and arguably defining the Midwest as a region, the cities have yet to positively associate with each other. One area where they do match up, however, is sports. A cross-city partnership could lead the way in fostering a sports community that celebrates both competition and connection.
Sports foster community and unite people from all cultures, and Milwaukee and Chicago’s fan bases are certainly an entity that stands out within the populated cities. There’s a sports-centered culture within each city, Milwaukee’s tourism website including an entire section about sport-related events in the city and Chicago having a museum dedicated to the city’s sports history.
Milwaukee has the main professional sports — basketball, baseball and adjacently, football — while Chicago has these, in addition to hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s basketball. The geographical size and population of the city certainly help, but the culture created around sports in Milwaukee can absolutely sustain enough enthusiasm to introduce a new team if it ever happens. In fact, the Bucks recently submitted a bid for a WNBA expansion team as talk about the 16th franchise city is rising.
It’s always exciting when the Cubs and Brewers face off or when the Bucks and Bulls battle on the court. Having a cross-regional rivalry that adds entertainment value to match-ups between the cities creates an experience that goes beyond just watching the sport; but, it might be nice to have something that brings the already geographically close regions together culturally as well.
Milwaukee gathers together to root for the Green Bay Packers while Chicago has their Bears. As there is with any two cities who go up against each other in sports, Milwaukee and Chicago fans both have strong opinions about their respective teams. Most of Milwaukee and Chicago’s so-called feud is fueled by sports rivalry, but despite this, there’s still room for coexistence considering a large part of Chicago’s population cheers for Wisconsin teams and vice versa.
Just a few weeks ago, the Chicago Blackhawks took over Fiserv Forum as their home rink to host the St. Louis Blues. It was incredible to see Milwaukee’s typical blue-and-yellow colorway swapped out for Blackhawks red, a team color that belongs to a completely different city. Practically the entire arena was wearing red, and for a second it was easy to feel transported to the Windy City.
The Home Away from Home game was the last preseason matchup for the Blackhawks, taking place in Milwaukee as the second NHL game to occur here since 1993, the last one being in 2022. Overall, the series functions as a way to connect fans in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois and provide a Midwest-based hockey game for the city.
This concept could spread to other sports between the two cities as well, and even extend further across the Midwest. Similar to how Chicago fans sometimes rely on the Packers because they want a decent team to root for, Chicago’s teams can fill in the gaps of the sports Milwaukee doesn’t have yet.
The Chicago Sky could be brought to Milwaukee for a similar event, which could also work to garner support for a Milwaukee WNBA team, if those plans are put into motion. Chicago’s women’s soccer team could also make an appearance in the 414 — bringing women’s sports to Milwaukee can only be beneficial.
Developing a cross-city sports culture would give fans of both regions the opportunity to connect in a deeper manner, a notion that can be shared across the Midwest, as well. By embracing collaboration and interacting with sports in a way that goes beyond rivalry, cities like Milwaukee and Chicago can lead the way in fostering a sports community that celebrates both competition and connection.
This story was written by Lilly Peacock. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @lillypeacockMU.
