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Sports in Atlanta has a rich history, including the oldest on-campusNCAA Division Ifootball stadium,Bobby Dodd Stadium, built in 1913 by the students ofGeorgia Tech.Atlanta also played host to the second intercollegiate football game in the South, played between theA&M College of Alabama (now Auburn University) and theUniversity of Georgia inPiedmont Park in 1892; this game is now called theDeep South's Oldest Rivalry. The city hosts college football's annualChick-fil-APeach Bowl and thePeachtree Road Race, the world's largest 10 km race. Atlanta was the host city for the Centennial1996 Summer Olympics, andDowntown Atlanta'sCentennial Olympic Park was built for and commemorates the games.
Atlanta and itssurrounding metropolitan area are home to professional franchises for five major team sports: theAtlanta Braves ofMajor League Baseball, theAtlanta Hawks of theNational Basketball Association, theAtlanta Falcons of theNational Football League, theAtlanta Dream of theWomen's National Basketball Association, andAtlanta United FC ofMajor League Soccer. Atlanta also has top-level teams in theGeorgia Swarm of theNational Lacrosse League,Atlanta Rhinos in theNorth American Rugby League,Rugby ATL ofMajor League Rugby, and most recently the Atlanta Vibe of thePro Volleyball Federation.
Atlanta was previously home to theAtlanta Flames (1972–1980) and theAtlanta Thrashers (1999–2011) of theNational Hockey League. TheAtlanta Gladiators are a professionalminor leagueice hockey team based inDuluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of theECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games atGas South Arena, approximately 22 miles (35 km) northeast ofAtlanta. There was also theAtlanta Blaze (2016-2019) of the now defunctMajor League Lacrosse. (1999-2020)
| Club | Sport | League | Venue (capacity) | First season | Moved to Atlanta | Titles in Atlanta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | Baseball | MLB | Truist Park (41,500) | 1871 | 1966 | 2 (1995,2021) |
| Atlanta Falcons | Football | NFL | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (71,000) | 1966 | N/A | — |
| Atlanta Hawks | Basketball | NBA | State Farm Arena (18,100) | 1946–47 | 1968 | — |
| Atlanta United FC | Soccer | MLS | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (71,000) | 2017 | N/A | 1 (2018) |
| Georgia Swarm | Box Lacrosse | NLL | Gas South Arena | 2004 | 2016 | 1 (2017) |
| Atlanta Vibe | Volleyball | MLV | Gas South Arena | 2024 | N/A | |
| LOVB Atlanta | Volleyball | LOVB | Gateway Center Arena | 2024 | N/A | |
| Atlanta Drive Club | Golf | TGL | Sofi Center (1,500) | 2025 | N/A | 1 (2025) |
TheAtlanta Bravesbaseball team has beenAtlanta'sMajor League Baseball franchise since 1966. The team was founded in 1871 inBoston, Massachusetts as a National Association club, making it the oldest continuously operating sports franchise in North American sports.[1] The club played 82 seasons in Boston (1871–1952) and used several nicknames, including Braves. The Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, and played as the Milwaukee Braves from 1953 to 1965. In Atlanta, the Braves won the1995 World Series, and had an unprecedented run of 14 straight divisional championships from 1991 to 2005.[2] They achieved their 4th overall title (2nd in Atlanta) after winning the2021 World Series. Atlanta has also played host to the three of Major League Baseball's All Star Games to include the1972 Major League Baseball All-Star Game held atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium, the2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game held atTurner Field, and the2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game held atTruist Park.
The Braves'Triple-A affiliate, theGwinnett Stripers of theInternational League, has been based in theGwinnett County suburb ofLawrenceville since 2009. Before the Braves moved to Atlanta, theAtlanta Crackers were Atlanta's professional baseball team from 1901 until their last season in 1965. They won 17 league championships in theminor leagues. TheAtlanta Black Crackers (I) andAtlanta Black Crackers (II) were Atlanta'sNegro league teams from 1919 until 1949.
The Falcons have been Atlanta'sNational Football League franchise since 1966. The Falcons recently completed construction of a new retractable roof stadium,Mercedes Benz Stadium, playing their first pre-season game there on August 26, 2017.[3] They have won the division title six times in two different divisions (NFC West and current NFC South), and two conference championships, going on to lose to theDenver Broncos inSuper Bowl XXXIII (following the 1998 season) and theNew England Patriots inSuper Bowl LI (following the 2016 season).Super Bowl XXVIII,XXXIV,LIII, andLXII were hosted in Atlanta with the first two taking place in the now-demolishedGeorgia Dome.
TheAlliance of American Football's Atlanta franchise, theAtlanta Legends, began play in 2019. They played atGeorgia State Stadium, but the league's football operations were reportedly suspended and the team folded.
TheAtlanta Hawks of theNational Basketball Association have played in Atlanta since the1968–69 NBA season. The franchisebegan in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons, briefly playing inBuffalo, New York, before moving toMoline, Illinois and becoming the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. The team moved to Milwaukee in 1951, then to St. Louis in 1955, where it won its soleNBA Championship (as the St. Louis Hawks). A decade after winning the NBA title, in 1968, the Hawks came to Atlanta.[4] The Hawks have won six division titles and 18 playoff series since moving to Atlanta.
The Hawks'NBA G League affiliate, theCollege Park Skyhawks, is based inCollege Park (immediately southwest of Atlanta).[citation needed]
TheAtlanta Dream are a 2008 expansion team in theWomen's National Basketball Association. From their inception until the 2016 season, the Dream sharedPhilips Arena with their NBA counterpart; however, the Dream moved toMcCamish Pavilion on the campus of Georgia Tech due to renovations of Philips Arena conflicting with the WNBA schedule during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. After one more season inState Farm Arena (after the Philips was renamed during the renovations), they moved their home games to the newGateway Center Arena for the 2020 season.[citation needed]
Atlanta was selected in April 2014 foran expansion team to joinMajor League Soccer (MLS) and begin play in 2017.[5] The team, operated by Falcons ownerArthur Blank (co-founder ofThe Home Depot), shares Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the Falcons and is namedAtlanta United FC.[6] Atlanta United won theMLS Cup in2018. In 2018, Atlanta United launched its reserve team,Atlanta United 2, in theUSL Championship.
TheAtlanta Chiefs competed in theNational Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967 and theNorth American Soccer League (NASL) from 1968 to 1973 and again from 1979 to 1981. Founded in 1967 as a charter member of the NPSL, the club was the brainchild of Dick Cecil, then Vice President of theAtlanta Braves baseball franchise who was the Chiefs' owners. The Chiefs capped off the 1968 season by defeating theSan Diego Toros in theNASL Final 1968 at Atlanta Stadium in front of approximately 15,000 spectators. In doing so, they became both the first champions of the NASL as well as the first major professional sports franchise in Atlanta to win a championship.[7] For the 1973 season, the team played as theAtlanta Apollos.
Theoriginal Atlanta Beat of theWomen's United Soccer Association (WUSA, 2001–2003) was the only team to reach the playoffs in each of the league's three seasons.[citation needed] Thenew Atlanta Beat made its debut inWomen's Professional Soccer (WPS) in April 2010, and the following month played its first game inthe new soccer-specific stadium that it shared with Kennesaw State University in the northern suburb of Kennesaw. WPS played its final season in 2011 and folded just before its scheduled 2012 season; the Beat folded along with the league and are not part of WPS' effective successor, the currentNational Women's Soccer League.
Atlanta was previously home to theAtlanta Silverbacks of theNorth American Soccer League and theAtlanta Silverbacks Women in theW-League. In 2007, the men's Silverbacks had their best season, advancing to the USL Finals against the Seattle Sounders. The women's Silverbacks won the league title in 2011. Both teams briefly ceased operations after the 2015 season, the men's team due to lack of ownership in the NASL and the women's team because the W-League ceased operations. New ownership came to the rescue prior to the 2016 seasons, as both have resurfaced in the NPSL and WPSL, respectively.
TheUnited States Soccer Federation moved their headquarters to Atlanta in 2023. The new training center is located inFayette County and is named after Arthur Blank to honor his help in moving their headquarters.
FIFA announced thatMercedes-Benz Stadium would host multiple matches during the2026 FIFA World Cup.
Atlanta will get anexpansion team in theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2028 that will play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
In 1972,The OMNI became home to theAtlanta Flames of theNational Hockey League. The Flames qualified for the playoffs six times in eight seasons, but failed to win a playoff series. In 1980, the team departed forCalgary,Alberta, where it currently plays as theCalgary Flames.
In 1999, the NHL returned to Atlanta in the form of the ExpansionAtlanta Thrashers, which played inPhilips Arena. The Thrashers won the Southeast Division in 2006–07, but were swept in their only playoff appearance. After eleven seasons in Atlanta, in 2011, the Thrashers moved toWinnipeg,Manitoba, and became the currentWinnipeg Jets.
From 1992 to 1996, Atlanta was home to the short-livedAtlanta Knights, anInternational Hockey League team. Their inaugural season was excellent for a new team, and was only bested by their sophomore season in which they won the championship Turner Cup. In 1996, they moved toQuebec City,Quebec, and became theQuebec Rafales.
Since the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg, their formerECHL affiliate inDuluth, Georgia, theAtlanta Gladiators, became the area's only professional hockey team. The Gladiators moved to Gwinnett County in 2003 after seven seasons as theMobile Mysticks, and has won three division championships, and a conference championship since 2006.
Every July, Atlanta hosts theAtlanta Open, anATP Tour 250 men's tennis tournament. The event is part of theUS Open Series and serves as an important tune-up to theUS Open.
In 2015, Atlanta became the furthest south major leaguebox lacrosse team in theNational Lacrosse League (NLL) when John Arlotta moved theMinnesota Swarm franchise fromSt. Paul, Minnesota, toDuluth, Georgia, and renamed the team to theGeorgia Swarm.[8] In the four (full) seasons in the Atlanta market, they have made the playoffs each year, including winning theNational Lacrosse League Cup in 2017.[9]
Atlanta is home to manyrugby union clubs. On September 21, 2018,Major League Rugby, the top-level rugby union league in North America, announced that Atlanta was one of the expansion teams joining the league for the 2020 season.[10] The team nameRugby ATL was revealed on February 26, 2019.[11] In 2023, the team relocated toLos Angeles.
Other rugby union teams include the Atlanta Harlequins, who ranked number two in the United States in Division 1 for women's clubs underUSA Rugby,[when?] the governing body for rugby in the United States.[12] From 2014 to 2016, the suburb of Kennesaw hosted theUSA Women's Sevens, an event in the annualWorld Rugby Women's Sevens Series in thesevens version of the sport, but that event has since moved, first toLas Vegas and now toGreater Los Angeles.
Atlanta is home to theAtlanta Vibe, a member of thePro Volleyball Federation (PVF). Atlanta was named as the third PVF franchise on February 16, 2023,[13] and later signed the first athlete to the league in Kentucky Wildcats' standout Leah Edmond.[14] The team's official name and branding was announced on August 4, 2023, at the AVP Tour, Atlanta.[15] The team, owned by Rally Volleyball's Colleen Craig - the league's only current female majority owner - played its inaugural season in 2024 atGas South Arena in Duluth, Ga.[16]
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Founded | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Dream | Basketball | WNBA | Gateway Center Arena | 2008 | 0 |
| Atlanta Gladiators | Ice hockey | ECHL | Gas South Arena | 2003 | 0 |
| Atlanta NWSL team | Soccer | NWSL | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 2028 | 0 |
| Atlanta Fire | Cricket | MiLC | Param Veers Cricket Field | 2020 | 0 |
| Atlanta Lightning | Cricket | MiLC | Atlanta Cricket Field | 2022 | 0 |
| Atlanta Reign | Overwatch | Overwatch League | Coca-Cola Roxy | 2018 | 0 |
| Atlanta United 2 | Soccer | MLS Next Pro | Fifth Third Bank Stadium | 2018 | 0 |
| College Park Skyhawks | Basketball | NBA G League | Gateway Center Arena | 2019 | 0 |
| Gwinnett Stripers | Baseball | Triple-A East | Coolray Field | 2009 | 0 |
| Atlanta Rhinos | Rugby league | USA Rugby League | Atlanta Silverbacks Park | 2014 | 1 (2017) |
| Atlanta FaZe | Call of Duty | Call of Duty League | Gateway Center Arena | 2019 | 1 (2021) |
| Atlanta Hustle | Ultimate | UFA | Atlanta Silverbacks Park | 2015 | 0 |
| Atlanta Empire | Women's American football | X League | Gas South Arena | 2020 | 0 |
| Atlanta Soul | Ultimate | Premier Ultimate League | 2018 | 0 |
In 2016, Atlanta fielded its first professionalfield Lacrosse team inMajor League Lacrosse. The expansion franchise,Atlanta Blaze, took to the field atKennesaw State University'sFifth Third Bank Stadium. The team made its first MLL playoff appearance in the 2018 season.[17] The Blaze later ceased operations in 2020.[18]
Atlanta Rhinos, formerly of theUSA Rugby League, now in the professionalNorth American Rugby League represent the city atrugby league. The club was formerly linked with EnglishSuper League club theLeeds Rhinos.
In theArena Football League, theGeorgia Force played inPhilips Arena andInfinite Energy Arena in suburban Duluth since the franchise relocated fromNashville in 2002 until 2012.
TheAtlanta Kookaburras are a successfulAustralian rules football club that compete in men's and women's divisions in theMAAFL andSEAFL andUSAFL National Championships.
Atlanta is home to two of the nation'sGaelic football clubs, theNa Fianna andClan na nGael Ladies' and Men's Gaelic Football Clubs. Both are members of the North American County Board, a branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association, the worldwide governing body of Gaelic games.[19]
Atlanta has a rich tradition in collegiate athletics, with twoNCAA Division I programs in the city and a third in the metropolitan area, as well as oneNCAA Division III program.
TheGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets participate in 17 intercollegiate sports, includingfootball and basketball. Tech competes in theAtlantic Coast Conference, and is home toBobby Dodd Stadium, the oldest continuously used on campus site forcollege football in the southern United States, and oldest currently in Division I FBS.[20] The stadium was built in 1913 by students ofGeorgia Tech.
TheGeorgia State Panthers, representingGeorgia State University, field varsity teams in 16 sports, also including football and basketball. GSU, like Georgia Tech located within Atlanta proper, is currently in its second stint as a member of theSun Belt Conference. It had been a charter member of the league in 1976, but left in 1981. In2013, GSU returned to the Sun Belt from theColonial Athletic Association. The Panthers play football atCenter Parc Stadium, which was originally built asCentennial Olympic Stadium for the1996 Olympics before being converted toTurner Field, a baseball stadium for theAtlanta Braves.
TheKennesaw State Owls, based in unincorporated Cobb County near the northern suburb of Kennesaw, representKennesaw State University in 17 varsity sports inConference USA (CUSA). KSU did not start a football program until 2015. Since the school's then-current primary home of theAtlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) did not sponsor football at the time, the KSU football team joined theBig South Conference.[21] For the 2022–23 academic year, the ASUN became an FCS football-sponsoring conference, and Kennesaw State moved its football membership to the ASUN.[22] In October 2022, Kennesaw State accepted an invitation to join CUSA, which included transitioning the football team to theFootball Bowl Subdivision, effective in July 2024. KSU will play its first season as a full FBS member in 2025.[23]
Atlanta is also home to theEmory UniversityEagles, anNCAA Division III athletic powerhouse nestled in theDruid Hills neighborhood. Competing in theUniversity Athletic Association conference and boasting 31 NCAA Division III National Championships, the leaders of this program include men's and women's swimming & diving with 14 national championships, men's and women's tennis with 14 national championships, women's volleyball with 2 national championships, and women's golf with 1 national championship. Notable alumni includeAndrew Wilson, a 2021 Olympian forTeam USA, and gold medalist in the 4x100-meter medley relay.
Giving itself the nickname "Running City USA",[24] Atlanta hosts several popularroad running events. The annualPeachtree Road Race is the world's largest10 km race.[25] Other annual races include theAtlanta Marathon and the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon.
Atlanta was the host city for the Centennial1996 Summer Olympics and has hostedSuper Bowl XXVIII (1994),Super Bowl XXXIV (2000),Super Bowl LIII (2019), andSuper Bowl LXII (2028). Atlanta has also hosted theNCAA Final Four Men's Basketball Championship, most recently in 2013. The city hosts college football's annualChick-fil-A Bowl (Formerly known as the Peach Bowl) and also hosted the2018 College Football Playoff National Championship and will host again for the2025 College Football Playoff National Championship. Atlanta hosted theNCAA Final Four Men's Basketball Championship in April 2002, April 2007, and April 2013. Atlanta will be one of the eleven US host cities for the2026 FIFA World Cup.[26]
Racing facilities includeAtlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) NASCAR race track inHampton, andRoad Atlanta inBraselton. In 2005 Atlanta competed with other major U.S. cities for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In March 2006, Atlanta lost toCharlotte,North Carolina.
In golf, the finalPGA Tour event of the season,The Tour Championship, is played annually atEast Lake Golf Club.[27] This golf course is used because of its connection to the great amateur golferBobby Jones, an Atlanta native. The current champion isViktor Hovland.
Atlanta also was the home to the now-defunctWorld Championship Wrestling hosted two Starcade events, held each Thanksgiving night, by WCW. Atlanta also hostedWrestleMania XXVII in theGeorgia Dome on April 3, 2011.Philips Arena hostedWWE'sSurvivor Series pay-per-view in 2015.The company would then return for another event, this time in 2024, whereState Farm Arena would hostBad Blood. The event drew WWE's largest indoor arena gate of all time, and it was WWE's 60th sold-out event of 2024.
