Sports in New Orleans facts for kids

New Orleans is a city full of exciting sports! It's home to the New Orleans Saints football team (from the NFL) and the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team (from the NBA). Every year, New Orleans also hosts big events like the Sugar Bowl college football game, the Zurich Classic golf tournament (part of the PGA Tour), and horse races at the Fair Grounds Race Course.

New Orleans has also been chosen to host some of the biggest sports events in the country, like the Super Bowl (the NFL championship game), college football playoff games, and the NCAA college basketball Final Four.

Caesars Superdome (left) and the Smoothie King Center (right)

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Pelicans

Gold Mine on Airline

Fair Grounds Race Course

Bowling in New Orleans

Professional Bowling Events

New Orleans has been a popular spot for professional bowling tournaments.

• The PBA Tour (Professional Bowlers Association) held events here many times between 1963 and 1990.
• There were also special PBA exhibition tournaments in 2009 and 2010.

College Bowling Teams

• The Tulane Green Wave women's bowling team plays for Tulane University. They compete in NCAA Division I, which is the highest level of college sports.

Boxing in New Orleans

New Orleans has a long and exciting history with boxing.

• In 1870, a famous bare-knuckle fight happened in Kenner, near New Orleans. “Gypsy” Jem Mace won against Tom Allen. Some historians say this was the first world heavyweight championship fight ever! There's even a monument in Kenner to mark the spot.

• The 1892 world heavyweight championship match between John L. Sullivan and Gentleman Jim Corbett is seen as the start of modern boxing. This fight was different because it used boxing gloves and the Marquis of Queensbury rules. It was also held indoors at night, with electric lights, at the Olympic Club Arena.

Corbett-Sullivan Prizefight

• The Louisiana Superdome hosted a huge fight in 1978. This was the Ali rematch where Muhammad Ali beat Leon Spinks in front of 65,000 fans. It was Ali's last professional win.

• Leonard–Durán II, also known as the No Más Fight, is one of the most famous boxing matches ever. It happened on November 25, 1980, at the Louisiana Superdome. In this fight, Sugar Ray Leonard beat Roberto Durán to win back the WBC Welterweight Championship. The fight got its famous name when Durán quit in the eighth round, saying "No más" (which means "No more" in Spanish).

• The Carnival of Champions was a big boxing event held on December 3, 1982, at the Louisiana Superdome. It featured two main events with famous boxers like Wilfredo Gómez and Wilfred Benítez.

• On September 9, 2000, the New Orleans Arena hosted a light heavyweight title fight. Roy Jones, Jr. won by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the 10th round against Eric Harding.

Fishing Tournaments in New Orleans

New Orleans is a great place for fishing competitions!

• The Bassmaster Classic is a major fishing tournament that has been held in the New Orleans area several times, including in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2011.

• The City Park Big Bass Fishing Rodeo started in 1946. It happens every year in New Orleans' City Park and is the oldest freshwater fishing tournament in the country.

Horse Racing in New Orleans

Fair Grounds Race Course

New Orleans is home to the Fair Grounds Race Course, which is the third-oldest thoroughbred horse racing track in the United States. The most important race held there is the Louisiana Derby. This race is a big step for horses hoping to compete in the famous Kentucky Derby. The race course first opened in 1852.

There used to be other horse racing tracks in the New Orleans area, like the Metairie Race Course and Jefferson Downs.

Ice Hockey in New Orleans

• The New Orleans Brass was a professional ice hockey team that played in New Orleans from 1997 to 2002.

Ironman 70.3 New Orleans

• The Ironman 70.3 New Orleans is a challenging triathlon race. It's also known as a Half-Ironman. Athletes have to complete a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. It's organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).

Mixed Martial Arts in New Orleans

New Orleans has hosted several exciting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events.

• UFC 16 took place on March 13, 1998, in Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans. It featured the first-ever UFC Lightweight tournament.

• UFC 18 was held on January 8, 1999, also in Kenner. This event included a UFC Lightweight Championship fight.

• UFC 27 happened on September 22, 2000, at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. It featured famous fighters like Dan "The Beast" Severn and Maurice Smith.

• UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger (also known as UFC Fight Night 25) was held on September 17, 2011, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Motorsports in New Orleans

NOLA Motorsports Park

• NOLA Motorsports Park is a race track located in Avondale, near New Orleans. It has a road course and a karting track that opened in 2011.

Special Auto Races

• AMA Supercross races have been held many times at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, starting in 1977.

• The Grand Prix du Mardi Gras was a sports car race held in New Orleans in 1991, 1992, and 1995. These races took place on different street courses downtown.

• The Triumph Big Kahuna New Orleans was a Superbike Championship race held at NOLA Motorsports Park in October 2012.

• The Cooper Tires WinterFest featured different types of open-wheel race cars and was held at NOLA Motorsports Park in February 2014.

• The Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana was the first Verizon Indycar Series race held at NOLA Motorsports Park on April 12, 2015.

Offshore Powerboat Racing in New Orleans

New Orleans has a long history with offshore powerboat racing. These exciting races have taken place on Lake Pontchartrain or the Mississippi River.

The most common race was the Popeye's Offshore Grand Prix, held every year from 1983 to 1991. Other powerboat races also happened in the early 1980s and in the 2000s.

New Orleans was also the home base for the Popeyes Offshore race team from 1980 to 1990. This team was started by Al Copeland Sr., who founded Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits Restaurants. He was a very successful racer, winning six U.S. national championships and two world championships in 1985 and 1986.

Professional Bull Riding in New Orleans

The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) organization has held exciting bull riding competitions in the New Orleans Arena several times, including from 2000 to 2003, and again in 2007 and 2010.

Roller Derby in New Orleans

• The Big Easy Rollergirls is a women's roller derby league in New Orleans. They play their games at the Human Performance Center.
• The New Orleans Brass Roller Derby is a men's roller derby team in the city.

Running Races in New Orleans

Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon

New Orleans hosts several popular running events throughout the year.

• The Crescent City Classic is a 10-kilometer (about 6.2 miles) race held every April.
• The Crescent City Fall Classic is a 5-kilometer (about 3.1 miles) race held every November.
• The Crescent Connection Bridge Run is a 4-mile race that takes place in June.
• The Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon (which used to be called the Mardi Gras Marathon) is a longer race held in February.

Soccer in New Orleans

New Orleans has a deep connection to soccer, being one of the first cities in the world where the modern game was played. It became popular in the late 1800s among sports clubs.

Professional Soccer Teams

• The New Orleans Jesters is a soccer team that plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

Past professional soccer teams in New Orleans include the New Orleans Storm (1993–1999) and FC New Orleans (2012).

Amateur Soccer Leagues

• The International Soccer League Association New Orleans (ISLANO) is a league for men's semi-professional soccer teams. Some ISLANO teams are part of the Louisiana Soccer Association.

Special Soccer Games

• In 2012, the Chicago Fire Soccer Club (from Major League Soccer) played an international friendly match against Honduran team Real C.D. España at Tad Gormley Stadium.

• In 1982, the Honduras national football team played against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a warm-up match for the World Cup. The game ended in a 1–1 tie at Tad Gormley Stadium.

Swimming and Diving in New Orleans

College Swimming and Diving Teams

• The Tulane Green Wave women's swimming and diving team represents Tulane University. They compete in NCAA Division I.

Tennis in New Orleans

Professional Tennis Tournaments

• The New Orleans Grand Prix was a men's tennis tournament held in New Orleans from 1978 to 1980.
• The New Orleans Sun Belt Nets was a professional tennis team that played in New Orleans in 1978. They played their home matches in the Louisiana Superdome.
• The Virginia Slims of New Orleans was a women's tennis tournament (part of the WTA tour) held in New Orleans several times between 1984 and 1988.

College Tennis Teams

• The Tulane Green Wave men's and women's tennis teams play for Tulane University in NCAA Division I.
• The New Orleans Privateers men's and women's tennis teams represent the University of New Orleans in NCAA Division I.
• The Loyola Wolfpack men's and women's tennis teams represent Loyola University-New Orleans in the NAIA.

Track and Field and Cross Country in New Orleans

College Track and Field Teams

Tad Gormley Stadium

Many colleges in New Orleans have track and field teams:

• The Tulane Green Wave men's and women's track and field teams represent Tulane University (NCAA Division I).
• The New Orleans Privateers men's and women's track and field teams represent the University of New Orleans (NCAA Division I).
• The Dillard Bleu Devils men's and women's track and field teams represent Dillard University (NAIA).
• The Loyola Wolfpack men's and women's track and field teams represent Loyola University-New Orleans (NAIA).
• The SUNO Knights men's and women's track and field teams represent Southern University at New Orleans (NAIA).
• The Xavier Gold Rush men's and women's track and field teams represent Xavier University of Louisiana (NAIA).

College Cross Country Teams

Cross country running is also popular among New Orleans colleges:

• The Tulane Green Wave men's and women's cross country teams represent Tulane University (NCAA Division I).
• The New Orleans Privateers men's and women's cross country teams represent the University of New Orleans (NCAA Division I).
• The Dillard Bleu Devils men's and women's cross country teams represent Dillard University (NAIA).
• The Loyola Wolfpack men's and women's cross country teams represent Loyola University-New Orleans (NAIA).
• The SUNO Knights men's and women's cross country teams represent Southern University at New Orleans (NAIA).
• The Xavier Gold Rush men's and women's cross country teams represent Xavier University of Louisiana (NAIA).

Special Track and Field Meets

• The 1992 United States Olympic track and field trials were held at Tad Gormley Stadium from June 19 to June 28. This event decided which athletes would represent the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Volleyball in New Orleans

College Volleyball Teams

• The Tulane Green Wave women's volleyball team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I. They also have a women's beach volleyball team.
• The New Orleans Privateers women's volleyball team represents the University of New Orleans in NCAA Division I.
• The Dillard Lady Bleu Devils women's volleyball team represents Dillard University in the NAIA.
• The Loyola Wolfpack women's volleyball team represents Loyola University-New Orleans in the NAIA.
• The SUNO Lady Knights women's volleyball team represents Southern University at New Orleans in the NAIA.
• The Xavier Gold Nuggets women's volleyball team represents Xavier University of Louisiana in the NAIA.

Special Volleyball Matches

• The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour held the New Orleans Open for men and women in 2015 and 2016. They also held men's events in 1989, 1990, 1992, and 1999.
• The WPVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour held women's tournaments in New Orleans in 1993, 1994, and 1995.
• The 2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Final Four was held at the New Orleans Arena in December 2002.

Yachting in New Orleans

Southern Yacht Club

Yacht Clubs

New Orleans is home to two well-known yacht clubs: the New Orleans Yacht Club and the Southern Yacht Club. Both are located at West End on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain. The Southern Yacht Club was founded in 1849, making it the second-oldest yacht club in the United States!

Yachting Races (Regattas)

• Mardi Gras Race Week is a large sailing competition held by the New Orleans Yacht Club on Lake Pontchartrain.
• The Race to the Coast is a regatta (sailing race) held by the Southern Yacht Club since 1849. It's the oldest continuously running point-to-point regatta in the Western Hemisphere of the United States.
• The Sugar Bowl Regatta has been held since 1934. This sailing competition takes place over four two-day periods, starting in late November and ending on New Year's Eve.

Images for kids

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  The New Orleans Saints take on the Dallas Cowboys on September 29, 2019. The Saints would take the victory 12-10.

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  New Orleans Pelicans huddle pregame before taking on the Memphis Grizzlies on January 31, 2020. The Pelicans would win, 139-111

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  Caesars Superdome

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  Tulane Stadium was New Orleans' main venue for big games before the construction of the Louisiana Superdome (1979 photo)

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  Smoothie King Center

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  Loyola Wolf Pack guard Brandon Davis prepares to shoot a free throw on March 12, 2022. One of his 19 points along with 11 assist, which helped to prevail the Wolf Pack into the NAIA Round of 16.

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  Old Pelican Stadium, aka Heinemann Park, in 1921

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  Shrine on Airline

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  City Park Golf Course Map - 1938

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  Horse racing on the current site of the Fair Grounds Race Course in 1839

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  Tad Gormley Stadium