Major League Baseball teams and other sports organizations commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks with tributes and events on Friday. The New York Yankees and New York Mets were central to the observances, alongside college football programs.
MLB and the Mets co-hosted a meal-packing event at Citi Field with the nonprofit 9/11 Day as part of the UNITE for Good initiative, near the site of the attacks. Players, managers, coaches, and umpires across MLB wore special caps with a “We Shall Never Forget” patch. The Toronto Blue Jays wore caps featuring both the Canadian and American flags, while the Yankees and Mets wore first-responder caps.
At Yankee Stadium, Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, and manager Aaron Boone laid a wreath at the 9/11 memorial in Monument Park before Friday night’s game. Opera tenor James Valenti sang the national anthem, followed by Lee Greenwood performing “God Bless America.” Customized base jewels and official lineup cards were also part of the tributes, and all home teams observed a leaguewide moment of silence.
Shea Stadium, the Mets’ former home, served as a relief staging ground in the days following the attacks, with players and volunteers preparing supplies for Ground Zero. Baseball resumed in New York on September 21, 2001, with a Mets victory over the Atlanta Braves thanks to a home run by Mike Piazza. President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium six weeks later.
In college football, Boston College and Rutgers commemorated the anniversary during their Friday night game. Rutgers players wore red jerseys and white helmets featuring the number 37 with an American flag, honoring the 37 alumni lost in the attacks. Boston College’s uniforms featured a red bandanna design, part of the 13th annual Red Bandanna Game, honoring Welles Crowther, a former lacrosse player who rescued people during the attacks and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on September 8, 2026.
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