Sports teams in Florida include many professional, semi-professional, amateur and college teams. In professional sports, Florida has three National Football League teams, two Major League Baseball teams, two National Basketball Association teams, two National Hockey League teams, two Major League Soccer teams, one Women's Soccer team and many minor league teams in various sports. Additionally, since the late 19th century Florida has been a significant spring training destination for Major League Baseball teams and their affiliates.
In college sports, thirteen Florida schools compete in NCAA Division I.[1] Various others compete in other organizations including NCAA Division II, the NAIA, the NJCAA, the USCAA, and the NCCAA.
Professional major league teams
Florida has teams in all of the major league sports — National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and Major League Soccer. In the early 1980s, Florida had major league teams in only the NFL. Florida has since added two NBA teams in the late 1980s. Florida added two NHL teams in the 1990s as part of the NHL's expansion into the south, and two MLB teams in the 1990s. Florida's most recent major-league team, Inter Miami CF, began play in MLS in 2020, after Florida's first MLS team since the folding of the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion in 2001, Orlando City, joined in 2015.[2]
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Championships (Years) | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Marlins | Baseball | MLB | loanDepot Park | 2 (1997, 2003) | 1993 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Baseball | MLB | Tropicana Field | 0 | 1998 |
| Miami Heat | Basketball | NBA | Kaseya Center | 3 (2006, 2012, 2013) | 1988 |
| Orlando Magic | Basketball | NBA | Amway Center | 0 | 1989 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Football | NFL | TIAA Bank Field | 0 | 1993 |
| Miami Dolphins | Football | NFL | Hard Rock Stadium | 2 (1972, 1973) | 1966 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Football | NFL | Raymond James Stadium | 2 (2002, 2020) | 1976 |
| Florida Panthers | Ice hockey | NHL | Amerant Bank Arena | 0 | 1993 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Ice hockey | NHL | Amalie Arena | 3 (2004, 2020, 2021) | 1992 |
| Inter Miami CF | Soccer | MLS | DRV PNK Stadium (temporary) Miami Freedom Park (future) |
2018 | |
| Orlando City SC | Soccer | MLS | Exploria Stadium | 2013 | |
| Miami Fusion* | Soccer | MLS | Lockhart Stadium | 1997 | |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny* | Soccer | MLS | Raymond James Stadium | 1996 |
*Team has folded
Spring training
Florida is the traditional home for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League." As of 2022, Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:
| Club | Location |
|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | North Port |
| Baltimore Orioles | Sarasota |
| Boston Red Sox | Fort Myers |
| Detroit Tigers | Lakeland |
| Houston Astros | West Palm Beach |
| Miami Marlins | Jupiter |
| Minnesota Twins | Fort Myers |
| New York Mets | Port St. Lucie |
| New York Yankees | Tampa |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Clearwater |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Bradenton |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Jupiter |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Port Charlotte |
| Toronto Blue Jays | Dunedin |
| Washington Nationals | West Palm Beach |
Individual sports
Golf, tennis and auto racing are popular in Florida.
The Players Championship.
The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA), the trade association for club professionals which organizes major championships for men and women and also co-organizes the biennial Ryder Cup, is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens. The PGA Tour, which has been separate from the PGA of America since 1968, has its home base in Ponte Vedra Beach, while the LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach. The Players Championship, sometimes referred to as the fifth (men's) major, is held every year near Jacksonville. Additionally, the WGC Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Honda Classic and Valspar Championship are PGA Tour events.
In tennis, the Miami Open is an ATP Tour Masters 1000 and WTA Premier Mandatory event. The Delray Beach International Tennis Championships is an ATP World Tour 250 event.
NASCAR (headquartered in Daytona Beach) begins all three of its major auto racing series in Florida at Daytona International Speedway in February, featuring the Daytona 500, and ends all three Series in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Daytona also has the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR race weekend around Independence Day in July. The 24 Hours of Daytona is one of the world's most prestigious endurance auto races. The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and Grand Prix of Miami have held IndyCar races as well.
Auto racing tracks
- Daytona International Speedway
- Homestead-Miami Speedway
- Citrus County Speedway
- Volusia Speedway Park
- East Bay Raceway Park
- Showtime Speedway
- Bubba Raceway Park
- North Florida Speedway
- Lake City Speedway
- Freedom Factory
- Hendy County Motorsports Park
- Southern Raceway
- Sebring Raceway
- Florida International Rally and Motorsports Park
- Palm Beach International Raceway
- Streets of St. Petersburg
- Walt Disney World Speedway (demolished)
- New Smyrna Speedway
- Five Flags Speedway
- Gainesville Raceway
Minor league and semi-pro teams
College sports
See also
References
- ↑ College Sports Scholarships. Accessed November 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Major League Soccer names Orlando City SC as 21st franchise, set for 2015 debut", MLSsoccer.com, November 19, 2013.