Sports in North Carolina facts for kids

Athletes and sports teams from North Carolina are super active! They play in many different leagues, from professional teams to college sports, and even compete in the Olympics. North Carolina is home to big professional teams in basketball (NBA), football (NFL), ice hockey (NHL), soccer (MLS, NWSL), and even NASCAR races. You'll also find lots of college teams and many minor league teams for different sports across the state.

Big Professional Teams in North Carolina

North Carolina has several exciting professional sports teams that play in the biggest leagues in the country.

Baseball in North Carolina

North Carolina has never had a Major League Baseball team. But it's a big home for many minor league teams. These teams help players get ready for the big leagues. Many colleges also have their own baseball teams.

The cool Durham Bulls mascot at their stadium, Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

North Carolina has many minor league baseball teams. Here are some of them:

Basketball in North Carolina

North Carolina loves basketball! The first big professional team here was the Charlotte Hornets in 1988.

Professional Basketball Teams

Spectrum Center is where the Charlotte Hornets play their home games.

The Charlotte Hornets are North Carolina's main professional basketball team. They play in the NBA. The Hornets play their games at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

The team actually moved to New Orleans in 2002. But then, Charlotte got a new team called the Bobcats in 2004. In 2014, the Bobcats changed their name back to the Hornets. They also got the history and records of the original Hornets team! North Carolina Tar Heels legend Michael Jordan is a big owner of the Hornets.

Greensboro also has a professional basketball team called the Greensboro Swarm. They are part of the NBA G League, which is like a development league for the NBA.

College Basketball Rivalries

North Carolina is famous for its amazing college basketball teams. Many people say the rivalry between North Carolina and Duke is one of the best in all of sports! These two schools are only 8 miles apart.

NC State and Wake Forest are also big rivals with Duke and UNC. This four-way rivalry is often called "Tobacco Road".

Many other colleges in North Carolina also have Division I basketball teams. Some of these include Appalachian State Mountaineers, Campbell, Charlotte 49ers, Davidson Wildcats, and East Carolina Pirates.

North Carolina schools have won many national championships in men's and women's college basketball. UNC has won six men's national titles and one women's title. Duke has won five men's titles, and NC State has won two.

Football in North Carolina

Football is also very popular in North Carolina, especially college football!

Professional Football Teams

Bank of America Stadium is the home of the Carolina Panthers.

The main professional football team in North Carolina is the Carolina Panthers. They play in the National Football League (NFL). Their home stadium is the huge Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. It can hold 75,000 fans!

The Panthers started playing in 1995. They have won division championships and even played in two Super Bowls (Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl 50). In 2015, their quarterback Cam Newton won the NFL MVP Award. The Panthers are special because they represent both North and South Carolina.

College Football Teams

Appalachian State Football has won many national championship trophies.

Carter–Finley Stadium is where the NC State Wolfpack football team plays.

College football is a huge deal in North Carolina. The state has seven teams in the highest level of college football, called Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). These teams are the North Carolina Tar Heels, NC State Wolfpack, Duke Blue Devils, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, East Carolina Pirates, Appalachian State Mountaineers, and Charlotte 49ers.

Appalachian State won three national titles in a row (2005-2007) before moving to the FBS level. Wake Forest won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) football championship in 2006. East Carolina University also has a very passionate fan base and has won conference championships.

Charlotte also hosts two big college football games every year: the ACC Championship Game and the Duke's Mayo Bowl.

Golf in North Carolina

North Carolina is a famous place for golf! Pinehurst Resort is a world-renowned golf course located in the Sandhills area. It has hosted many major golf championships, like the U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup Matches. In 2014, Pinehurst made history by hosting both the men's and women's U.S. Opens in the same year!

Professional golf tours also visit North Carolina every year. The PGA Tour has stops in Charlotte at the Quail Hollow Club and in Greensboro for the Wyndham Championship.

Ice Hockey in North Carolina

North Carolina has a professional ice hockey team called the Carolina Hurricanes. They moved to the state in 1997 from Hartford, Connecticut.

The Carolina Hurricanes celebrating their 2006 Stanley Cup win at RBC Center.

The Hurricanes play their home games at PNC Arena in Raleigh. In 2006, the Hurricanes won the 2006 Stanley Cup, which is the biggest championship in ice hockey! They were the first major professional sports team from North Carolina to win a championship. The Hurricanes will even host an outdoor game at Carter-Finley Stadium in 2023.

Charlotte also has a minor league hockey team called the Charlotte Checkers. They play in the American Hockey League. Other cities like Fayetteville and Winston-Salem also have minor league hockey teams.

Motorsports in North Carolina

North Carolina is a huge center for motorsports, especially NASCAR racing! More than 80% of all NASCAR racing teams and related businesses are located in the Piedmont region of the state. Stock car racing is even the official sport of North Carolina!

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in Charlotte. It opened in 2010 and honors the greatest drivers and people in NASCAR history. Many famous NASCAR families, like the Pettys and the Earnhardts, are from North Carolina.

NASCAR Stars from North Carolina

The Petty family, from Randleman, is very famous in NASCAR. Richard Petty holds the record for the most wins (200) in the NASCAR Cup Series and was the first to win 7 Cup championships.

The Earnhardt family, from Kannapolis, is also legendary. Dale Earnhardt was a huge star, winning 76 races and tying Richard Petty's record of 7 championships. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was also very successful and was a fan favorite for many years.

NASCAR Tracks in North Carolina

Charlotte Motor Speedway lit up at night.

North Carolina is home to the famous Charlotte Motor Speedway, located in Concord. This track is considered the heart of NASCAR. It hosts three big Cup Series events every season, including the challenging Coca-Cola 600 race in May. During race weeks, the population of Concord can grow from 56,000 to over 300,000 people!

Soccer in North Carolina

Soccer is growing fast in North Carolina! Charlotte got a Major League Soccer team called Charlotte FC in 2019, and they started playing in 2022. The state also has a professional women's soccer team, the North Carolina Courage, who play in Cary in the National Women's Soccer League. The Courage won the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup.

The Tar Heels celebrating their 2006 Women's College Cup win.

North Carolina also has several professional teams in lower divisions, like the Charlotte Independence and North Carolina FC.

Just like with other sports, college soccer is very important here. The North Carolina Tar Heels women's team has been incredibly successful, winning many national championships. The men's teams from UNC, Duke, and Wake Forest have also won national championships. In 2011, UNC beat the Charlotte 49ers in an all-North Carolina final to win the men's national championship!

Swimming in North Carolina

Over the last 20 years, North Carolina has become a strong force in swimming. This started with college teams at North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

NC State's men's swimming team has won many championships and has had many All-Americans and Olympians. One famous Olympian is Cullen Jones, who was the first African-American world record holder in swimming and won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In Charlotte, there's a top swimming program called SwimMAC Carolina. It's one of the best in the country and has produced many Olympians, including Cullen Jones. Winston-Salem native Kathleen Baker won a silver and a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

The Greensboro Aquatic Center is a huge swimming facility that opened in 2011. It has hosted big swimming events. North Carolina has many great swimming and diving centers, and in 2014, Raleigh and Durham were ranked as the 3rd best swimming cities in the United States!

Other Popular Sports

Carmichael Arena is home to several UNC women's sports teams.

Lacrosse has grown a lot in North Carolina. High schools have added the sport, and Charlotte even got a professional outdoor lacrosse team called the Charlotte Hounds. Both Duke and North Carolina have men's and women's lacrosse teams that have won national championships.

Rugby union is also becoming more popular in the state. Softball is a favorite sport at all levels, from college to recreational leagues. North Carolina also has successful women's gymnastics and field hockey teams.

North Carolina has a rich history with professional wrestling. Many famous wrestlers, like Ric Flair and his daughter Charlotte Flair, live in the Charlotte area. The chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon, was born in Pinehurst.

Bull riding is also popular, with many professional bull riders and owners based here. Volleyball is a widely played sport, especially at the recreational and college levels. Ultimate frisbee is also growing and is competitive at a national level.

North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame was created in 1963. It honors people who have achieved great things in sports and brought pride to North Carolina.

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