The Sparkle and Symbolism of Sports Championship Rings

Winning a championship is one of the biggest accomplishments in any sport. The dedication, the hard work, and the team unity that goes into competing for the title is worth celebrating. Across the U.S., the winners of the national championships in football, basketball, hockey, and baseball are honored with incredibly designed championship rings. These larger-than-life rings are extravagant and elaborate; they feature sometimes hundreds of gigantic and ornate gemstones, enamel accents, and metal designs. The rings’ intricate detail is part of their appeal, and in this article, we’ll take a look at the making and meaning of some iconic championship rings throughout the years. 

The History Behind Championship Rings

While trophies and medals usually come to mind when you think of a way to commemorate a sports win, these complex, decorative (and sometimes even gaudy) championship rings are often even more special — every team member gets to take one home. Albeit, the first sports championship ring was much simpler than the ones title-holders wear today. The New York Giants defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series in 1922 and were awarded the first ever championship ring. Made of gold, they featured one mounted diamond each in the middle of a signet design. The ring was engraved with a baseball diamond outline to indicate the field, as well as the phrase “Giants Worlds, Champions, 1992.”

The National Football League awarded the Green Bay Packers with the first championship rings in 1967, making the football tradition of these ceremonial rings quite recent. They’ve become increasingly more ostentatious since — the first Green Bay Packers’ gold ring featured a single one-carat diamond, whereas the most recent NFL championship rings are blinged out with hundreds of tiny gemstones and elaborate enamel. 

The tradition spread to other sports leagues over time and now it's a highly anticipated part of winning a championship. They’re not only prizes associated with a big win, but they're also uniquely crafted as symbols of the teams’ specific stories. Let’s take a look at some examples of how these elaborate rings are intentionally and thoughtfully designed with meaning and symbolism based on each team. 

The 2023 Denver Nuggets NBA Championship Ring

The 2023 Denver Nuggets NBA championship ring is truly one of a kind, fit for the team’s first ever title. The ring is of course huge, like so many others, but this iconic piece also features two completely new concepts. The first feature is a pull-out, drawer-like component that slides from underneath the center of the ring. Inside, it holds a tiny banner that reads “NBA Champions,” accented by the Denver Nuggets logo and a photo of the trophy. The second feature is a small dial, which reads 2023. When you turn the dial, the number changes to 1967, the year the team entered the NBA. When the dial turns, the face of the ring changes colors, too. Epic.  

The 2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Super Bowl Championship Ring

In 2021, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made history. They were the first team to ever win an NFL championship in their very own home stadium. Their championship ring is a tribute to this historic win. The ring is multi-layered — the top, a removable diamond-studded dome, featuring 319 stones to honor the 31-9 score of the winning game, covers a hidden miniature gold version of their home stadium, complete with accurate stadium seating. In the “stadium” sits a single diamond, set where the players ran out onto the field before the game. Every millimeter of this ring is infused with meaning; every players’ ring is engraved with their name and jersey number, and the perimeter of the ring features eight emerald cut diamonds to symbolize the eight consecutive wins that led them to the championship — the longest winning streak the Buccaneers have ever seen. This is an iconic, historic ring for an iconic, historic win. 

The 2016 Chicago Cubs MLB World Series Championship Ring

The 2016 Chicago Cubs World Series ring is steeped in history and meaning — and a little bit of humor. The Chicago Cubs had spent a whopping 108 years without winning the world series — and everyone blamed it on the Billy Goat curse, when a tavern owner was denied entry of his pet goat to the 1945 world series game. So of course, the 2016 championship ring features an engraving of a billy goat in the inner band. The ring also boasts 108 diamonds to symbolize the long stretch, surrounding the Cub’s logo made of sapphires and rubies to honor the team’s colors. The game went late, and to mark the exact moment of the win, Nov. 3, 2016 at 12:47 a.m is etched into the ring as well.

Want your very own replica of your favorite team’s championship ring? Get in touch with our team at Quick Jewelry Repairs. We can help you create a custom piece from a CAD model so you can rep the same bling.