Sports in Georgia (U.S. state)
Sports in Georgia include professional teams, Olympic Games contenders and medalists, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations, and active amateur teams and individual sports.
Professional sports
Baseball
The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball (MLB) team that moved to Atlanta in 1966 from Milwaukee where they were known as the Milwaukee Braves.[1] The Braves play their home games at Truist Park in suburban Cobb County, which opened in 2017 as the replacement for Turner Field, which had been the team's home since the 1997 season. Before then, they played at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium from 1966 to 1996. They won the World Series in 1914 (as the Boston Braves), 1957 (as the Milwaukee Braves), and 1995, 2021 (as the Atlanta Braves). Braves players in the Baseball Hall of Fame include Hank Aaron, Orlando Cepeda, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Eddie Mathews, Phil Niekro, Gaylord Perry, John Smoltz, Warren Spahn, Bruce Sutter and Hoyt Wilhelm. Two former Braves managers have been inducted to the Hall in that role, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre, although Torre's induction was mainly for his accomplishments with the New York Yankees. Mathews also served as a Braves manager. Braves executive John Schuerholz entered the Hall in July 2017 for his accomplishments in that role.
The AAA minor league baseball Gwinnett Stripers of the International League began play at Coolray Field in 2009. The Atlanta Crackers were the AAA affiliate of the Braves organization before the Braves moved to Atlanta.
The
After the relocation of the Sand Gnats, Savannah's Grayson Stadium became the home of the Savannah Bananas of the Coastal Plain League, a wood-bat collegiate summer league, In 2020, the Bananas gained nationwide attention for an unorthodox style of play dubbed Banana Ball, starting a professional exhibition team that plays under that rule set.[2] After the 2022 season, the Bananas shut down their collegiate summer team to focus entirely on their professional exhibition operation.
Basketball
The
The
The Atlanta Dream has played in the Women's National Basketball Association since 2008. They play their home games at Gateway Center Arena.[8]
Football
The
The
Georgia has also been home to several
Cumming, Georgia is home to an Arena football team, Peach State Cats, in the United Arena League (UAL).
The Atlanta Xplosion are a Women's Professional Football League team. They won the league's 2006 Championship.[10]
Hockey
Hockey's history in Georgia goes back to the 1970s with the
Currently, the ECHL has only one operating team in Georgia. The Atlanta Gladiators play all of their homes games at Gas South Arena in Duluth. The team, formerly the Mobile Mysticks, moved to Gwinnett County and officially started play in 2003 as the Gwinnett Gladiators; the team changed their name to Atlanta Gladiators in 2015. The Augusta Lynx were first formed in 1998, but due to financial concerns were forced to cease operations halfway through the 2008 season. The Lynx played their home games at James Brown Arena. In 2021, a new ECHL franchise was awarded to Savannah, the Savannah Ghost Pirates, and the team is scheduled to take the ice in the 2022–23 season in the newly-constructed Enmarket Arena.
The
The
Soccer
The
Augusta FireBall United, also known as
The
Atlanta was awarded a Major League Soccer expansion team in April 2014. Atlanta United FC began play in the league in 2017. Atlanta United won the MLS Cup on December 8, 2018.
South Georgia Tormenta FC is based out of Statesboro, Georgia, and began play in 2016 in the amateur Premier Development League. The team moved up to the professional ranks as the first team to join the third tier USL League One, which began play in 2019. The team currently plays at Tormenta FC Stadium and has finished the first phase of soccer-specific stadium, which opened in 2022, the same year Tormenta wins the USL League One Final.
Golf
The Masters Tournament, played in Augusta at Augusta National Golf Club in April is one of four major golf tournaments played in the United States. The tournament was created in 1931 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, a financier from New York City. The course was designed by golf course architect Alister MacKenzie.[15] Notable golfers from Georgia include Atlanta native Jones, noted as the greatest amateur golfer ever,[16] Davis Love III of Sea Island[17] and Tommy Aaron of Gainesville.[18]
Rugby
Georgia has professional
Table of professional teams
Motorsports
Georgia is home to approximately twenty-two race tracks and drag strips. Some of the twenty-two tracks in Georgia are the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Road Atlanta (where the Petit Le Mans is held), Atlanta Dragway, Dixie Speedway and Roebling Road Raceway.[22] One of the most famous racers to come from Georgia is Bill Elliott.[23]
NASCAR
Many observers consider Dawsonville one of the birthplaces of NASCAR because so many individuals involved in the sport were from that city. Notable racers from Dawsonville include Bill Elliott, Chase Elliott, Roy Hall and Lloyd Seay.[24] Since 1951 Georgia tracks have hosted two to eight races in NASCAR's elite division.[24] Dawsonville is home to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.[24]
College
The state of Georgia has 29 schools competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and 13 schools in the NAIA.
Division I
Six Division I institutions are recognized by the NCAA.
Four field football teams in the top level of college football, Division I FBS:
- University of Georgia
- Georgia Southern University
- Georgia State University
- Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
The Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have a historical rivalry in college football known as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. Georgia Southern and Georgia State have a more recent rivalry in multiple sports known as Modern Day Hate.
The remaining two field football teams in the second-tier Division I FCS.
- Kennesaw State University, which will start a transition to FBS in the 2023–24 school year and become a full FBS member in 2025.
- Mercer University
Division II
A total of 16 institutions are members of NCAA Division II.
- Albany State University
- Augusta University
- Clark Atlanta University
- Clayton State University
- Columbus State University
- Emmanuel University
- Fort Valley State University
- Georgia College and State University
- Georgia Southwestern State University
- Morehouse College
- University of North Georgia
- Savannah State University
- Valdosta State University
- University of West Georgia
- Young Harris College
Division III
LaGrange College is in the NCAA Division III with 14 sports, and competes as a member of the Collegiate Conference of the South. The school's most successful athletic program is its men's golf team, which is perennially among the nation's best.
Georgia has seven other institutions in Division III. They are:
- Agnes Scott College
- Berry College
- Emory University
- LaGrange College
- Oglethorpe University
- Piedmont University
- Spelman College
- Wesleyan College
NAIA
- Brenau University
- Brewton-Parker College
- College of Coastal Georgia
- Dalton State College
- Georgia Gwinnett College
- Life University
- Middle Georgia State University
- Point University
- Reinhardt University
- Savannah College of Art and Design
- SCAD Atlanta
- Thomas University
- Truett McConnell University
1996 Summer Olympics
Atlanta was the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Paralympics. The Olympics were held from July 19 until August 4, 1996.[25] It was during this time, on July 27, 1996, that a bombing took place in Centennial Park killing two and injuring 111 people.[citation needed] The Paralympics were held from August 15 to August 29, 2006.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Atlanta will serve as one of eleven US host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [26]
Olympians from Georgia
Several people from Georgia, or from Georgia schools, have received gold medals at the Olympics over the years. Some of those gold medalists are:
- Brent B. Abernathy
- Alice Marie Coachman
- Teresa Edwards
- Debbie Ferguson
- Vern Fleming
- Katrina McClain
- Courtney Shealy
- Sheila Taormina
- Forrest Towns[27][28]
See also
References
- ^ Braves Time line Archived 2007-12-19 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed December 31, 2007
- ^ Grossfeld, Stan. "How baseball can be more fun, according to the Savannah Bananas". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ Hawks History Archived 2009-12-02 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed December 31, 2007
- ^ Atlanta Vision Archived 2008-01-05 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed December 31, 2007
- ^ Roman Legions Archived 2006-12-06 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed December 31, 2007
- ^ "Georgia Gwizzlies basketball, News, Roster, Rumors, Stats, Awards, Transactions, Details-usbasket". www.usbasket.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2007.
- ^ WBA Team History Archived 2007-10-21 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed December 31, 2007
- ^ Report: WNBA awards Atlanta franchise for '08 season Archived 2007-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed December 31, 2007
- ^ Historical Moments Archived 2019-10-20 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed December 31, 2007
- ^ Atlanta Xplosion Archived 2008-01-10 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 1, 2008
- ^ History Archived 2010-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed December 31, 2007
- ^ Columbus Cottonmouths Official Website Archived 2017-01-29 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 1, 2008
- Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. May 3, 2017. Archivedfrom the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ Atlanta Silverbacks Official Site Archived 2008-01-10 at the Wayback Machine, accessed January 1, 2008
- ^ Masters Tournament Archived 2006-02-26 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 2, 2008
- ^ Bobby Jones Archived 2006-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 2, 2008
- ^ Davis Love III Archived 2006-02-21 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 2, 2008
- ^ Tommy Aaron Archived 2011-06-07 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 2, 2008
- ^ "Ottawa Aces rugby team to join upstart North American league in 2022". cbc.ca. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Major League Rugby confirms Boston and Atlanta for 2020 - Americas Rugby News". www.americasrugbynews.com. September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "ATLANTA'S NEW MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY TEAM PICKS A NAME". USMLR.com. February 26, 2019. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Race Tracks in Georgia Archived 2008-01-03 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 1, 2008
- ^ Bill Elliott Archived 2007-09-18 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 1, 2008
- ^ a b c NASCAR Archived 2011-06-07 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 2, 2008
- ^ Olympic Games in 1996 Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 5, 2008
- ^ "FIFA announces hosts cities for FIFA World Cup 2026™". Archived from the original on 2022-12-28. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
- ^ Georgia Olympians, Accessed January 5, 2008 [dead link]
- ^ Olympians from GA Archived December 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Accessed January 5, 2008