Sports in Jacksonville facts for kids

Jacksonville is a city in Florida that loves sports! It's home to many professional and amateur teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars are a big deal here, playing in the National Football League (NFL). Also, the PGA Tour, which is a major golf organization, has its main office nearby in Ponte Vedra Beach. They even host a huge golf tournament called The Players Championship every year. Did you know that All Elite Wrestling, a popular professional wrestling company, is also based in the Jaguars' stadium? That's because they share some owners!

Jacksonville also has lots of other sports teams. These include the Jacksonville Armada FC (soccer), the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (baseball), the Jacksonville Icemen (ice hockey), the Jacksonville Sharks (indoor football), the Jacksonville Axemen (rugby league), and the Jacksonville Giants (basketball).

The city is also home to two universities, Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida. Their sports teams compete in NCAA Division I, which is the highest level for college sports. Many college sporting events happen in Jacksonville each year.

Professional Sports Teams in Jacksonville

Jacksonville has one major professional sports team, the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL. It also has several other professional teams that play in different leagues.

American Football: The Jacksonville Jaguars

Football is super popular in Jacksonville. The city's main team is the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). They are the only major league sports team in Jacksonville. The Jaguars play in the AFC South division of the NFL's American Football Conference (AFC).

The Jaguars joined the NFL in 1995 as a new team, along with the Carolina Panthers. Jacksonville was a smaller city compared to others trying to get a team. But after some talks, the NFL chose Jacksonville in 1993. The Jaguars play at TIAA Bank Field in downtown Jacksonville. They have won their division four times (in 1998, 1999, 2017, and 2022). They have also made it to the playoffs eight times.

Jacksonville hosted the Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. Because it was a smaller city to host such a big event, they even used cruise ships as hotels!

There are also amateur football teams in Jacksonville. These include the Jacksonville Dixie Blues, a women's football team, and the Jacksonville Knights.

Early Efforts to Bring Football to Jacksonville

People in Jacksonville wanted a professional football team for a long time. In the 1960s, the city hosted exhibition games and the American Football League All-Star Game. Many thought this would lead to Jacksonville getting its own team. However, when the AFL joined with the NFL in 1970, those plans changed.

Jacksonville had some earlier professional football teams that didn't last long. The Jacksonville Sharks played in the World Football League in 1974. The Jacksonville Bulls played in the United States Football League (USFL) in 1984 and 1985. The Bulls had many fans, but the league stopped operating. These attempts showed that Jacksonville really wanted an NFL team.

Baseball: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

Minor League Baseball has been played in Jacksonville for over a century. The city's current team is the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. They play in Triple-A East, which is a high level of minor league baseball. The Jumbo Shrimp play their home games at 121 Financial Ballpark in Downtown Jacksonville.

Hockey: Jacksonville Icemen

Ice hockey returned to Jacksonville in 2017 with the Jacksonville Icemen. They play in the ECHL. The Icemen are the sixth hockey team to be based in Jacksonville. Other teams in the past included the Jacksonville Rockets and the Jacksonville Lizard Kings.

Indoor Football: Jacksonville Sharks

Jacksonville is home to the Jacksonville Sharks, an indoor football team that started in 2010. They used to play in the Arena Football League (AFL). In 2017, they joined the National Arena League. The Sharks won one AFL championship, called Arena Bowl XXIV, defeating the Arizona Rattlers 73–70.

Soccer: Sporting Club Jacksonville and Jacksonville Armada FC

Sporting Club Jacksonville is a new professional soccer team planned for Jacksonville. They are set to start playing in the USL Championship in 2025.

The Jacksonville Armada FC is another professional soccer team in Jacksonville. They started playing in 2015. The Armada used to play their home games at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida. The team is set to resume playing in the MLS Next Pro league in 2025.

Golf and Tennis: Major Events and Headquarters

The Jacksonville area is a big spot for professional golf. The PGA Tour has its main office in Ponte Vedra Beach. They host The Players Championship there every year. This tournament is one of the most important non-major events in golf. St. Johns County is also home to the World Golf Village and the World Golf Hall of Fame.

There are about 64 golf courses in the Jacksonville area. Many PGA Tour players live in Jacksonville year-round.

Professional tennis also comes to the area each year. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) holds the Bausch & Lomb Championships near Fernandina Beach. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which is for men's tennis, also has its American headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Semi-Pro and Amateur Sports

Australian Rules Football: Jacksonville Saints

The Jacksonville Saints were formed in 2018. They train in San Marco and play matches in Riverside. In 2021, they won the first Florida Cup and the Magnolia Cup.

Basketball: Jacksonville 95ers

The Jacksonville 95ers have played in The Basketball League (TBL) since 2024. They play their home games at Edward Waters University.

Rugby League: Jacksonville Axemen

Rugby league football has a special place in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Axemen, started in 2006, are one of the most successful rugby league teams in the United States. They play in the new USA Rugby League. They won a championship in 2010.

The Axemen play at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida. This stadium has also hosted international matches. In 2008, a game there featured actor Russell Crowe and drew nearly 13,000 fans! The Axemen also started a women's team in 2021.

Rugby Union: Local Clubs

There are several amateur rugby union clubs in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Women's Rugby Club started in 2006. The men's team, Jacksonville Rugby Football Club, was founded in 1972. The UNF Deadbirds is a club team for students at the University of North Florida. The high school boys' team won the state championship in 2019.

Soccer: Jacksonville Armada U-23

The Jacksonville Armada U-23 is an amateur soccer team in the National Premier Soccer League. This team started as the Jacksonville United FC in 2011 and won the 2011 NPSL Championship. They are a development team for the professional Jacksonville Armada FC.

College Sports in Jacksonville

Jacksonville has always supported college football. Florida's first college football game was played here in 1901. The annual Florida–Georgia game between the University of Georgia Bulldogs and the University of Florida Gators has been played in Jacksonville almost every year since 1933.

Jacksonville's own football bowl game, the Gator Bowl, started in 1946. The Florida State Seminoles have also played regular season games here. In 1964, college football legend Roger Staubach played quarterback for Navy in a game at the Gator Bowl. In 1989, future NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre led Southern Miss to an upset win against Florida State at the Gator Bowl.

Jacksonville also hosted the first round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in March 2006. The Florida Gators, who later won the national championship, played in Jacksonville during that tournament.

Jacksonville's two main universities, the University of North Florida (UNF) and Jacksonville University (JU), compete in NCAA Division I.

The University of North Florida's teams are called the Ospreys. They joined Division I in 2009 and are part of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). UNF has teams in baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, and more.

Jacksonville University's teams are known as the Dolphins. Their men's basketball team became famous in the early 1970s when they reached the NCAA Championship game with star player Artis Gilmore. Like UNF, they are also members of the ASUN conference. JU has teams in baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, and many other sports.

The Edward Waters Tigers, from Edward Waters University, compete in NCAA Division II. They are part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) also has sports teams, called the BlueWave. They compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Past Teams in Jacksonville

Baseball History

Jacksonville hosted Major League Baseball's first-ever spring training in 1888. Many famous teams like the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees trained here in the early 1900s.

The city has had many minor league baseball teams over the years. The Jacksonville Jays played in the early 1900s. Later teams included the Jacksonville Tarpons, Roses, and Scouts. From 1926, several teams were known as the Jacksonville Tars. The Jacksonville Red Caps of the Negro leagues also played here. In 1952, the team became the Jacksonville Braves, and then the Jacksonville Jets, before the current Jacksonville Suns (now Jumbo Shrimp) started in 1962.

Basketball History

Jacksonville has also had several other basketball teams in the past. The Floridians of the American Basketball Association played some games here in the early 1970s.

Minor league basketball teams included the Jacksonville Jets, Jacksonville Hooters (later Shooters), Jacksonville Barracudas, and Jacksonville JAM. The Jacksonville Giants played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 2010 to 2022 and won seven ABA championships.

Hockey History

The city has had hockey teams on and off since the 1960s. The first team was the Jacksonville Rockets (1964–1972). Other teams included the Jacksonville Barons, Bullets, Lizard Kings, and Barracudas. The Barracudas won titles in two different leagues.

Lacrosse History

The Jacksonville Bullies were an indoor lacrosse team that was supposed to play in 2012. They played part of a season before stopping their games.

Soccer History

The Jacksonville Tea Men played both outdoor and indoor soccer from 1980 to 1984. They won the 1983 ASL Championship.

Other past soccer teams include the Jacksonville Cyclones (1996–1999) and the FC JAX Destroyers (2011–2012), which had both men's and women's teams.

See also

• Sports in Florida