Overview of sports teams in the U.S. state of Florida
Florida has many professional, semi-professional, amateur and college teams. At the professional level, 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, three Women's Soccer teams 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.
The Miami Dolphins play at what was then the Sun Life Stadium .
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
Location of major league teams in Florida
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] Florida has a team in one of the two most prominent women's leagues , and formerly had two teams in the other.
*Team has folded or relocated
Spring training
Florida is the traditional home for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League ." As of 2022[update] , Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:
Individual sports
Golf , tennis and auto racing are popular in Florida.
"Island Green" par-3 17th hole at 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 , was long based in Palm Beach Gardens before moving its headquarters to Frisco, Texas in 2022. 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.[citation needed ] The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and Grand Prix of Miami have held IndyCar races as well.
Daytona International Speedway
Auto racing tracks
Minor league, semi-pro and other pro teams
Club
Sport
League
Venue
Championships (Years)
Orlando Guardians (folded with league joint)
American football
XFL
Camping World Stadium
0
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Baseball
MiLB , International League
121 Financial Ballpark
6 (1968, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Baseball
MiLB, Southern League
Pensacola Bayfront Stadium
0
Bradenton Marauders
Baseball
MiLB, Florida State League
McKechnie Field
1 (2016)
Clearwater Threshers
Baseball
Spectrum Field
1 (2007)
Daytona Tortugas
Baseball
Jackie Robinson Ballpark
3 (1995, 2004, 2008)
Dunedin Blue Jays
Baseball
Knology Park
0
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
Baseball
Hammond Stadium
7 (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1978, 2018, 2018)
Jupiter Hammerheads
Baseball
Roger Dean Stadium
0
Lakeland Flying Tigers
Baseball
Joker Marchant Stadium
3 (1976, 1977, 1992)
Palm Beach Cardinals
Baseball
Roger Dean Stadium
1 (2005)
St. Lucie Mets
Baseball
Clover Park
5 (1988, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2006)
Tampa Tarpons
Baseball
George M. Steinbrenner Field
5 (1994, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2010)
Osceola Magic
Basketball
NBA G League
Silver Spurs Arena
1 (2021 as Lakeland Magic)
Florida Flight
Basketball
Florida Basketball Association
RDV Sportsplex
1 (2019)
Clermont Crocs
Basketball
American Basketball AssociationFlorida Basketball Association
RDV Sportsplex
1 (2021)
Jacksonville Giants
Basketball
American Basketball Association
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
3 (2012, 2013, 2016)
Miami Midnites
Basketball
American Basketball AssociationFlorida Basketball Association
David Posnack Jewish Community Center
3 (2014, 2015, 2016 in the FBA)
Florida Everblades
Ice hockey
ECHL
Hertz Arena
2 (2012, 2022)
Jacksonville Icemen
Ice hockey
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
0
Orlando Solar Bears
Ice hockey
Amway Center
0
Pensacola Ice Flyers
Ice hockey
SPHL
Pensacola Civic Center
3 (2013, 2014, 2016)
Jacksonville Sharks
Indoor football
Indoor Football League
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
3 (2011 , 2017 , 2019, 2023 )
Orlando Predators
Indoor football
National Arena League
Amway Center
0
Florida Tropics SC
Indoor soccer
Major Arena Soccer League
RP Funding Center
0
Jacksonville Axemen
Rugby League
USA Rugby League
Hodges Stadium
2 (2010, 2012)
Lakeland Renegades
Rugby league
USA Rugby League
All Saints Academy
0
Southwest Florida Copperheads
Rugby league
USA Rugby League
Lehigh Senior High School
0
Tampa Mayhem
Rugby league
USA Rugby League
Tampa Catholic High School
0
Miami FC
Soccer
USL Championship
Pitbull Stadium
3 (2018 & 2019 in NPSL), (2019 in NISA)
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Soccer
Al Lang Stadium
2 (1975 and 2012 in NASL)
FC Naples
Soccer
USL League One
Paradise Coast Sports Complex
0
Inter Miami CF II
Soccer
MLS Next Pro
Chase Stadium
0
Club de Lyon
Soccer
National Independent Soccer Association
Daytona Stadium
0
Beaches FC
Soccer
National Premier Soccer League
0
Central Florida Panthers SC
Soccer
National Premier Soccer League
Showalter Field
0
Jacksonville Armada FC
Soccer
National Premier Soccer League
Hodges Stadium
0
Miami United FC
Soccer
National Premier Soccer League
0
Naples United FC
Soccer
National Premier Soccer League
0
Storm FC
Soccer
National Premier Soccer League
0
IMG Academy Bradenton
Soccer
USL League Two
0
Lakeland Tropics
Soccer
USL League Two
Bryant Stadium
0
FC Miami City
Soccer
USL League Two
0
North County United
Soccer
USL League Two
0
Next Academy Palm Beach
Soccer
USL League Two
0
SIMA Águilas
Soccer
USL League Two
0
The Villages SC
Soccer
USL League Two
0
Weston FC
Soccer
USL League Two
0
Boca Raton FC
Soccer
United Premier Soccer League
Lynn University
1 (2015 in APSL)
Fort Lauderdale Herd BC
Basketball
National Basketball League - US
Joseph C. Carter Center
0
College sports
^ Mailing address is Miami, but the campus and all athletic venues are in unincorporated Miami-Dade County .
^ Mailing address is Fort Myers, but the campus and all athletic venues are in unincorporated Lee County .
^ The campus and most athletic venues are in Coral Gables, but the football team plays in Miami Gardens .
^ Mailing address is Orlando, but the campus and all athletic venues are in unincorporated Orange County .
See also
References