Sports in New Orleans

New Orleans is a city that loves sports and hosts many exciting events. The most famous teams are the New Orleans Saints, who play football in the NFL, and the New Orleans Pelicans, who play basketball in the NBA. Every year, people come together to watch the Sugar Bowl and the Zurich Classic, a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. Horse racing fans enjoy events at the Fair Grounds Race Course.

The city has also been a big stage for important games, like the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff semifinal game, and the NCAA college basketball Final Four. These events bring people from all over to cheer, celebrate, and enjoy the spirit of sports in New Orleans.

Major professional sports teams

New Orleans is a great city for sports! It has two major league teams: the New Orleans Saints, who play football, and the New Orleans Pelicans, who play basketball.

The city also hosts exciting annual events like the Sugar Bowl football game, the Zurich Classic golf tournament, and horse races at the Fair Grounds Race Course. New Orleans has been the home of big games like the Super Bowl, important college football matches, and the NCAA college basketball Final Four.

Other professional sports teams

New Orleans has many exciting sports teams! The New Orleans Saints are a football team that plays in the NFL, and their home games are held at the Caesars Superdome. Another popular team is the New Orleans Pelicans, who play basketball in the NBA and have their home games at the Smoothie King Center.

The city also has other sports spots like Pan American Stadium, where the New Orleans Jesters play soccer, and the Fair Grounds Race Course for horse racing. Plus, there's TPC Louisiana, where golf tournaments happen.

Football

The New Orleans Saints are a football team that started in 1967 and play in the NFL. Their home games are at Caesars Superdome, and they won a big championship game called Super Bowl XLIV in 2010.

The Tulane Green Wave is the football team for Tulane University, playing college football.

New Orleans has hosted many important football games. The Super Bowl has been played more times at Caesars Superdome than anywhere else. The Superdome has also hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship, College Football Playoff semifinal games, and the BCS National Championship Game. The Sugar Bowl, a yearly college football game, has been held in New Orleans since 1935 and moved to Caesars Superdome in 1975. Other notable games include the New Orleans Bowl and the Bayou Classic.

Basketball

Professional

The New Orleans Pelicans are a team in the NBA, one of the top basketball leagues in the world. They started playing in New Orleans in 2002, and their home games are held at the Smoothie King Center. Before the Pelicans, New Orleans had other basketball teams, like the New Orleans Jazz, which later moved and became the Utah Jazz.

Collegiate

New Orleans is also home to several college basketball teams. Schools such as Dillard University, Loyola University New Orleans, University of New Orleans, Southern University at New Orleans, Tulane University, and Xavier University of Louisiana all have their own men's and women's teams that play exciting games each year.

Special Basketball Games

New Orleans has been a big stage for important basketball events. The Caesars Superdome has hosted the big NCAA college basketball Final Four several times. The Women's Final Four has also been held in New Orleans, and the NBA All-Star Game, featuring the best players in the league, has taken place here too, all at the Smoothie King Center.

Baseball

Baseball has a long history in New Orleans, dating back to 1859. That year, amateur teams played games in Uptown New Orleans. New Orleans was also the place where the first spring training happened in 1870 when the Chicago White Stockings, now the Chicago Cubs, came to town. They stayed for weeks to practice before their season began.

New Orleans has had many professional baseball teams over the years. Some of the most well-known include the New Orleans Zephyrs/Baby Cakes and the New Orleans Pelicans. There were also teams like the New Orleans Black Pelicans who played before integrated leagues existed.

Collegiate baseball in New Orleans includes teams from Loyola University New Orleans, the University of New Orleans, Southern University at New Orleans, Tulane University, and Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in New Orleans at Wesley Barrow Stadium helps young players improve their skills. It has a stadium and fields for practice.

New Orleans has hosted many special baseball games, including spring training for many famous teams and exhibition games featuring major league teams. The Triple-A All-Star Game was held in New Orleans in 1999. There have also been college tournaments like the Busch Challenge and the Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic, which honors a former LSU player.

Bowling

Professional

Main article: Professional bowling tournaments in New Orleans

New Orleans has been a place for important PBA Tour bowling events. These events happened in the years 1963, 1964, 1966–1978 and 1988–1990. There were also special exhibition tournaments in 2009 and 2010.

Collegiate

The Tulane Green Wave women’s bowling team is part of Tulane University. They compete in NCAA Division I college bowling.

Boxing

New Orleans has been a place for important boxing events for a long time.

In 1870, a famous fight happened near the city where "Gypsy" Jem Mace won a big championship match. Many years later, in 1892, another famous fight took place inside an arena with lights, using gloves and rules that are still used today.

Many great boxers fought in New Orleans, including Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Sugar Ray Robinson. In 1956, Joe Brown won a championship fight in the city. The Louisiana Superdome has hosted unforgettable matches, like the one where Muhammad Ali won his last professional fight in 1978, and the famous fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durán in 1980.

Cross country

Collegiate

New Orleans has several college cross country teams. The Dillard Bleu Devils represent Dillard University in the NAIA. The Loyola Wolf Pack represents Loyola University New Orleans in the NAIA. The New Orleans Privateers men's cross country and New Orleans Privateers women's cross country teams represent the University of New Orleans in NCAA Division I. The Tulane Green Wave teams represent Tulane University in NCAA Division I. The Xavier Gold Rush and Xavier Gold Nuggets teams represent Xavier University of Louisiana in the NAIA.

Golf

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a yearly golf event on the PGA Tour at the TPC of Louisiana. In the past, New Orleans also hosted the LPGA Tour New Orleans Women's Open golf tournament from 1952 to 1954, and the Southern (Spring) Open in 1922 at the New Orleans Country Club.

The Loyola Wolf Pack women's golf team represents Loyola University New Orleans in the NAIA. The New Orleans Privateers men's golf team plays for the University of New Orleans in NCAA Division I college golf. The Tulane Green Wave women's golf team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I college golf.

Gymnastics

The USSR National Gymnastics team performed at the Louisiana Superdome in 1976, featuring famous gymnasts like Olga Korbut, Nelli Kim, Nicolai Andrianov, and Alexander Dityatin. Later, the 1995 U.S. Gymnastics National Championships and the AAU Junior Olympics gymnastics competition were also held at the Louisiana Superdome. In 2019, the SEC gymnastics championship will take place at the Smoothie King Center.

High school sports

See also: List of Louisiana high school athletic districts

New Orleans has many top high school teams that have won big games in the LHSAA and across the country. Schools here are known for doing great in football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Every year, the big state championship football games, called the Louisiana Prep Classic and organized by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, are held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome starting from 1981.

Horse racing

Main article: Fair Grounds Race Course

New Orleans is home to the Fair Grounds Race Course, one of the oldest horse racing tracks in the United States. The most famous race held there is the Louisiana Derby, which helps prepare horses for a big race called the Kentucky Derby. The race course first opened in 1852 and was originally named the Union Racetrack, later changing its name to the Creole Racetrack.

In the past, New Orleans had several other horse racing tracks, such as Eclipse Race Course, Metairie Course, and others that operated in different years.

Ice hockey

Professional

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

Ironman 70.3

The Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans is a fun sports race where people swim 1.2 miles, ride bikes for 56 miles, and then run 13.1 miles. It is part of a group of races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation.

Lacrosse

The Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Lacrosse Series took place at Pan American Stadium from 2011 to 2015.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl High School Lacrosse Classic started in 2007 and has been held in many places around the New Orleans area, including City Park, Lafreniere Park, LaSalle Park, and Pan American Stadium.

Mixed martial arts

New Orleans has hosted several exciting mixed martial arts events.

• UFC 16 took place on March 13, 1998, at the Pontchartrain Center in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, Louisiana. It featured the first ever UFC Lightweight tournament, along with other exciting bouts.
• UFC 18 happened on January 8, 1999, also at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana. This event included a Lightweight Championship bout and several other matches.
• UFC 27 occurred on September 22, 2000, at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. The event featured famous fighters and many exciting matches.
• 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 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson (also known as UFC Fight Night 68) took place on June 6, 2015, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Motorsports

The NOLA Motorsports Park is a race track in Avondale, Louisiana, not far from New Orleans. It opened in 2011 with two race circuits.

New Orleans has been a place for exciting car races over the years. It hosted AMA Supercross races in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in several years. The Grand Prix du Mardi Gras was held in the city in the early 1990s, using streets near the river and around the Superdome for the race courses. More recently, the NOLA Motorsports Park has welcomed many races, including the Triumph Big Kahuna New Orleans, Cooper Tires WinterFest, and the first-ever Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana.

Professional bull riding

The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. held bull riding competitions at the New Orleans Arena during several years, including 2000–2003, 2007, and 2010. These events were part of the exciting world of professional bull riding.

Quadball

The New Orleans Curse was an amateur team that played in the Major League Quadball in 2016. Sadly, the team stopped playing after the season in 2025.

Roller derby

New Orleans has two fun roller derby teams. The Big Easy Rollergirls is a team for girls, and they play at the Human Performance Center. There is also a team called the New Orleans Brass Roller Derby for boys.

Rugby

New Orleans has a rich rugby tradition. The New Orleans Gold were a professional team that started in 2018, playing at Joe Zimmerman Stadium before moving to the Gold Mine on Airline in 2020. They stopped playing after the 2025 season.

The New Orleans Rugby Football Club, founded in 1973, is a successful men's team that has won two national championships. The New Orleans Halfmoons is one of the oldest women's rugby teams in the United States, known for hosting a special Mardi Gras rugby event every year before Fat Tuesday.

Running

New Orleans has many fun races for runners of all ages. Every April, people can join the Crescent City Classic, a 10k race. In November, there is the Crescent City Fall Classic, a 5k race. The Crescent Connection Bridge Run happens in June and is a 4-mile race. And in February, runners can participate in the Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon.

Soccer

New Orleans was one of the first cities in the world where modern soccer began. It started as a community sport in 1858 and became popular among many athletic clubs in the late 1800s. Some very skilled players from that time later joined top teams in England and Scotland.

Today, the New Orleans Jesters play in the National Premier Soccer League. In the past, New Orleans had other teams like the New Orleans Storm and FC New Orleans.

There are also amateur and semi-pro leagues, such as ISLANO, and teams like Motagua New Orleans. Over the years, New Orleans has hosted special international friendly matches, including games between big teams like the Chicago Fire Soccer Club and Real C.D. España, and the New England Revolution and C.D. Olimpia.

Swimming and diving

Collegiate

The Loyola Wolf Pack men's and women's swim teams represent Loyola University New Orleans in the NAIA.

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

Tennis

Professional

The New Orleans Sun Belt Nets were a team in World Team Tennis. They played in New Orleans during the 1978 season at the Louisiana Superdome but stopped after that year.

Collegiate

Loyola University New Orleans has men's and women's tennis teams called the Wolf Pack. They compete in the NAIA.

The University of New Orleans has men's and women's tennis teams called the Privateers. They play in NCAA Division I.

Tulane University also has men's and women's tennis teams called the Green Wave. They also compete in NCAA Division I.

Xavier University of Louisiana has men's and women's tennis teams called the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets. They compete in the NAIA.

Special Tennis Matches

New Orleans held a men's tennis tournament called the New Orleans Grand Prix from 1978 to 1980. It was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit.

The city also hosted a women's tennis tournament called the Virginia Slims of New Orleans from 1984 to 1988.

Track and Field

The track and field teams from several universities in New Orleans compete in important races. Teams from Dillard University, Loyola University New Orleans, the University of New Orleans, Southern University at New Orleans, Tulane University, and Xavier University of Louisiana all have men's and women's track and field teams.

Special track and field events have also been held in New Orleans. In 1992, Tad Gormley Stadium hosted the United States Olympic track and field trials, which decided who would represent the United States at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The stadium also hosted the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1998.

Volleyball

Collegiate

The Dillard Lady Bleu Devils women's volleyball team plays for Dillard University in the NAIA. The Loyola Wolf Pack women's volleyball team plays for Loyola University New Orleans in the NAIA. The New Orleans Privateers women's volleyball team plays for the University of New Orleans in NCAA Division I college volleyball. The SUNO Lady Knights women's volleyball team plays for Southern University at New Orleans in the NAIA. The Tulane Green Wave women's volleyball team plays for Tulane University in NCAA Division I. Tulane also has a women's beach volleyball team. The Xavier Gold Nuggets women's volleyball team plays for Xavier University of Louisiana in the NAIA.

Special Volleyball Matches

Beach volleyball

The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour held men's and women's New Orleans Open events in 2015 and 2016. The AVP also held men's New Orleans Open 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.

Indoor volleyball

The 2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball final four took place at the New Orleans Arena in December 2002.

Water sports

Fishing tournaments

The Bassmaster Classic is a fishing competition that took place in the New Orleans area several times. The City Park Big Bass Fishing Rodeo started in 1946 and happens every year in New Orleans' City Park. It is the oldest freshwater fishing event in the country.

Powerboat racing

Main article: Offshore powerboat racing in New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana, has a long history of powerboat racing. Races were held in Lake Pontchartrain or on the Mississippi River. One popular race was the Popeyes Offshore Grand Prix, held every year from 1983 to 1991. Other races happened in 1980, 1981, 1982, 2002, 2003, and 2008. The city was also the home port for the Popeyes Offshore race team from 1980 to 1990. The team was started by Al Copeland Sr., who created Popeyes Fried Chicken and Copeland's Restaurants. He won many national and world championships.

Yachting

New Orleans has the New Orleans Yacht Club and Southern Yacht Club, both located at West End on Lake Pontchartrain. The Southern Yacht Club, started in 1849, is the second oldest yacht club in the United States.

Some sailing events include:

• Mardi Gras Race Week — a big sailing event hosted by the New Orleans Yacht Club on Lake Pontchartrain.
• Race to the Coast — a sailing race organized by the Southern Yacht Club since 1849. It is the oldest sailing race in the Western Hemisphere United States.
• Sugar Bowl Regatta — started in 1934. The competition happens over four weekends from late November to New Year's Eve.

Wrestling

In 1996, the Louisiana Superdome hosted a big wrestling event called the AAU Junior Olympics. Later, in 2004, the Armed Forces Wrestling Championship was also held in the New Orleans area.