The Sparta Warriors are a Norwegian ice hockey club based in Sarpsborg. They are members of the highest Norwegian ice hockey league, Eliteserien (known as GET-ligaen for sponsorship reasons). The Warriors are the ice hockey department of IL Sparta, a sports club founded in 1928. Ice hockey was first included as an activity in 1959, and is now one of two sports practised by the club, the other being football. The club competed as IL Sparta until 1986, at which point a near-bankruptcy highlighted the need to separate the various departments into financially independent units. They were then known as Sparta Hockey until 1995, when the club actually did go bankrupt and were reformed as IHK Sparta Sarpsborg. The turn of the millennium saw the introduction of the "Bears" nickname, which was used until the current "Warriors" came into use ahead of the 2004–05 season. As of 2010, the Warriors have completed thirty-five seasons in the Eliteserien, winning over 570 regular season games and three league titles.
Sparta entered the league system in 1963, starting out in the 3. divisjon (third tier). Promotion to the 1. divisjon (Eliteserien from 1990 onwards) was first won in 1967, but the club were unable to firmly establish themselves in the top division until the 1980–81 season. The 1980s would become Sparta's most successful period, with two Norwegian Championship titles won in 1984 and 1989. Following the bankruptcy in 1995, the Warriors had to start over in the lower tiers, but quickly made their way back to the top. Since 2002, they have made the playoffs every year, and were runners-up for the Norwegian Championship in 2009 after losing 2–4 to Vålerenga.