Sports in San Antonio facts for kids

San Antonio, Texas, is a city that loves sports! It's home to many professional, college, and high school sports teams. The most famous team in San Antonio is the San Antonio Spurs, who play basketball in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The Spurs have been playing in San Antonio since 1973. They are super successful, having won five NBA Championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. They used to play at the Alamodome and then the HemisFair Arena. Now, the Spurs play their home games at the Frost Bank Center, which was called the SBC Center and then the AT&T Center before its current name.

San Antonio also has a professional baseball team called the San Antonio Missions. They are part of Minor League Baseball and are connected to the San Diego Padres. The Missions play their games at Nelson Wolff Stadium.

Another exciting team in San Antonio is the San Antonio Brahmas. They play American football in the UFL and compete at the Alamodome.

For college sports, San Antonio has two big universities with Division I athletic teams: the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the University of the Incarnate Word.

The AT&T Center is home to the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.

Professional Sports Teams

San Antonio is proud to host the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, its only major league team. But there are also other professional teams in soccer, baseball, and football.

The city sometimes hosts big international sports events too. For example, a soccer match between the United States and Mexico in 2014 sold a record 65,000 tickets!

• The Spurs were originally called the Dallas Chaparrals.
• The San Antonio Missions baseball team has a long history, changing leagues and levels over the years.
• The San Antonio Brahmas joined the UFL when two other football leagues merged.

Semi-Professional Teams

San Antonio also has several semi-professional sports teams. These teams play at a high level, but their players might not be full-time professional athletes.

National and International Events Hosted

San Antonio is a popular place for big sports events!

• The Alamo Bowl, a college football game, happens every December.
• The city hosted the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1993.
• San Antonio has hosted the NCAA Men's Final Four basketball tournament four times (1998, 2004, 2008, 2018).
• The NCAA Women's Final Four basketball tournament was held here in 2002 and 2010.
• The NBA All-Star Game came to San Antonio in 1996.

College Football Teams

San Antonio has several college football teams that play in different divisions.

College Basketball Teams

College basketball is also popular in San Antonio, with teams competing in various NCAA divisions.

• Starting in 2019, the St. Mary's Rattlers joined the Lone Star Conference.
  • The St. Mary's Rattlers won a national title in 1989 (NAIA).
    • The Trinity Tigers played in post-season tournaments in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Marathon Events

The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon is a popular event in San Antonio. It started in 2007 and is part of a national series. Runners can choose from different races like a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, and even a kids' run!

Motorsports

The Alamo City Motorplex, also known as San Antonio Raceway, is a place for car racing. It has a drag strip where cars race very fast over a quarter-mile distance. Many events are held here, including drag racing and drifting.

High School Sports

San Antonio is home to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. This is a special football game played every year at the Alamodome. It features the top 90 high school senior football players from across the country. Many NFL stars like Reggie Bush and Adrian Peterson played in this game when they were in high school.

The event also includes the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band, made up of 91 talented high school musicians. There's also a combine for younger football players and an academy for top high school coaches.

Club Teams

San Antonio also has various club sports teams. For example, the San Antonio Gaelic Athletic Club plays Gaelic sports, which are traditional Irish games. They compete in a league with teams from other Texas cities.

Sports History in San Antonio

San Antonio has a rich sports history, with many teams and events over the years. The city has often tried to attract major professional sports teams like those in the NFL or MLB.

For example, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the New Orleans Saints NFL team temporarily moved their practices and some home games to San Antonio's Alamodome. This showed that San Antonio could host a major league team. City leaders have continued to try and bring a permanent NFL team to San Antonio.

San Antonio has also been home to teams in other football leagues that were rivals to the NFL, like the World Football League and the United States Football League. The city also hosted a team in the Canadian Football League for one season.

In the past, San Antonio also tried to get a Major League Baseball team and a Major League Soccer team, but those plans didn't work out.

Former Teams

San Antonio has been home to many different sports teams over the years that are no longer active. Here are some of them:

Basketball - Women's

Baseball

Football - Outdoor

Football - Indoor

Hockey

Soccer

Tennis

Professional Athletes from San Antonio

Many talented athletes who became professionals come from San Antonio!

Baseball

Basketball

Bodybuilding

Football

Ninja Warrior

Soccer

Swimming

Tennis

Track and Field

Wrestling