Sports teams in Florida

{{short description|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.

File:NFL Jets at Dolphins-Sun Life Stadium-2012-09-24.JPG.]]

In college sports, thirteen Florida schools compete in NCAA Division I.[http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/division-1-colleges-schools.htm College Sports Scholarships]. Accessed November 30, 2015. Various others compete in other organizations including NCAA Division II, the NAIA, the NJCAA, the USCAA, and the NCCAA.

Professional major league teams

{{Location map+|Florida|float=right|width=500|caption=Location of major league teams in Florida |places=

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=25.778056|long=-80.219722|label=Marlins|position=bottom}}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=27.768333|long=-82.653333|label=Rays|position=left }}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=25.781389|long=-80.188056|label=Heat|position=left }}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=28.539167|long=-81.383611|label=Magic|position=right }}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=30.323889|long=-81.6375|label=Jaguars|position=right }}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=25.958056|long=-80.238889|label=Dolphins|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=27.975833|long=-82.503333|label=Buccaneers|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=26.158333|long=-80.325556|label=Panthers|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=27.942778|long=-82.451944|label=Lightning|position=right}}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=28.5411|long=-81.3893|label=Orlando City|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Florida|lat=26.193056|long=-80.161111|label=Inter Miami|position=top}}

}}

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.[http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2013/11/20/major-league-soccer-names-orlando-city-sc-21st-franchise-set-2015-debut "Major League Soccer names Orlando City SC as 21st franchise, set for 2015 debut"], MLSsoccer.com, November 19, 2013. Florida has a team in one of the two most prominent women's leagues, and formerly had two teams in the other.

class="wikitable sortable"

!Club

!Sport

!League

!Venue

!Championships (Years)

!Founded

Miami Marlins

|Baseball

|MLB

|loanDepot Park

|2 (1997, 2003)

| 1993

|MLB

| 1998

|NBA

|3 (2006, 2012, 2013)

| 1988

|NBA

| 1989

|NFL

| 1993

|NFL

|2 (1972, 1973)

| 1966

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

|Football

|NFL

|Raymond James Stadium

|2 (2002, 2020)

| 1976

Florida Panthers

|Ice hockey

|NHL

|Amerant Bank Arena

|2 (2024, 2025)

| 1993

Tampa Bay Lightning

|Ice hockey

|NHL

|Amalie Arena

|3 (2004, 2020, 2021)

| 1992

Inter Miami CF

| Soccer

| MLS

| Chase Stadium (temporary)
Miami Freedom Park (future)

| 2018

Orlando City SC

| Soccer

| MLS

| Inter&Co Stadium

| 2013

Fort Lauderdale United FC

|2024

| Soccer

| NWSL

| Inter&Co Stadium

|1 (2024)

| 2016

|1 (2025)

|2024

Miami Fusion*

| Soccer

| MLS

| Lockhart Stadium

| 1997

Tampa Bay Mutiny*

| Soccer

| MLS

| Raymond James Stadium

| 1996

Orlando Miracle*

| Basketball

| WNBA

| TD Waterhouse Centre

| 1999

Miami Sol*

| Basketball

| WNBA

| American Airlines Arena

| 2000

*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}}, Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:

class="wikitable"

!Club

!Location

|North Port

|Sarasota

|Fort Myers

|Lakeland

|West Palm Beach

|Jupiter

|Fort Myers

|Port St. Lucie

|Tampa

Philadelphia Phillies

|Clearwater

|Bradenton

|Jupiter

|Port Charlotte

|Dunedin

|West Palm Beach

Individual sports

Golf, tennis and auto racing are popular in Florida.

Image:TournamentPlayersClub Sawgrass17thHole.jpg.]]

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|date=December 2015}} The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and Grand Prix of Miami have held IndyCar races as well.

File:2017 Daytona 500 - Looking Westward Along Grandstands.jpg

Minor league, semi-pro and other pro teams

class="wikitable sortable"

!Club

!Sport

!League

!Venue

!Championships (Years)

Orlando Guardians (folded with league joint)

|American football

|XFL

|Camping World Stadium

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

Bradenton Marauders

|Baseball

| rowspan="10" | MiLB, Florida State League

|1 (2016)

|Baseball

|1 (2007)

|Baseball

|Jackie Robinson Ballpark

|3 (1995, 2004, 2008)

Dunedin Blue Jays

|Baseball

|Knology Park

Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

|Baseball

|Hammond Stadium

|7 (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1978, 2018, 2018)

Jupiter Hammerheads

|Baseball

|Roger Dean Stadium

Lakeland Flying Tigers

|Baseball

|Joker Marchant Stadium

|3 (1976, 1977, 1992)

|Baseball

|1 (2005)

|Baseball

|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)

[http://Clermontcrocs.com Clermont Crocs]

|Basketball

|American Basketball Association
Florida 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 Association
Florida Basketball Association

|David Posnack Jewish Community Center

|3 (2014, 2015, 2016 in the FBA)

Florida Everblades

|Ice hockey

| rowspan="3" |ECHL

|Hertz Arena

|2 (2012, 2022)

Jacksonville Icemen

|Ice hockey

|VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

|Ice hockey

|Ice hockey

|Pensacola Civic Center

|3 (2013, 2014, 2016)

Jacksonville Sharks

|Indoor football

|Indoor Football League

|VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

|3 (2011, 2017, 2019, {{NAL Year|2023}})

Orlando Predators

|Indoor football

|National Arena League

|Amway Center

Florida Tropics SC

|Indoor soccer

|Major Arena Soccer League

|Rugby League

|2 (2010, 2012)

|Rugby league

|USA Rugby League

|All Saints Academy

Southwest Florida Copperheads

|Rugby league

|USA Rugby League

|Lehigh Senior High School

Tampa Mayhem

|Rugby league

|USA Rugby League

|Tampa Catholic High School

Miami FC

|Soccer

| rowspan="2" |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

|Soccer

|Soccer

|National Independent Soccer Association

|Daytona Stadium

Beaches FC

|Soccer

|National Premier Soccer League

Central Florida Panthers SC

|Soccer