As of 2024[update],New Jersey has six teams frommajor professional sports leagues playing in the state, with only one team identifying themselves as solely being from the state. The other remaining teams identify themselves as being from theNew York metropolitan area with theNational Women's Soccer League team having a team name that includes both New Jersey and New York. The National Hockey League and National Basketball Association teams representingPhiladelphia have their training facilities inSouth Jersey.
TheNational Hockey League'sNew Jersey Devils, based inNewark at thePrudential Center, is the only major league franchise to solely bear the state's name. Founded in 1974 inKansas City, Missouri as theKansas City Scouts, the team played inDenver, Colorado as theColorado Rockies from 1976 until the spring of 1982 when naval architect, businessman, andJersey City nativeJohn J. McMullen purchased and relocated the franchise toBrendan Byrne Arena inEast Rutherford'sMeadowlands Sports Complex under its current identity. While the organization was largely a failure on the ice in Kansas City, Denver, and its first years in New Jersey, the Devils would ultimately begin their rise to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the tenure of Hall of Fame president and general managerLou Lamoriello, winning theStanley Cup in 1995, 2000, and 2003, and act as an annual fixture in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the majority of two decades. The organization is the youngest out of all nine "Big Four" major league teams within the New York Metropolitan Area and media market dominated in terms of ice hockey by theNew York Rangers andIslanders prior to the Devils' arrival, but has ultimately been successful in establishing a visible and dedicated following throughout the northern and central portions of the state. In 2018, one of the Devils' fiercest rivals, thePhiladelphia Flyers, renovated and expanded their training facility, the Flyers Training Center, inVoorhees Township in the southern portion of the state.[2][3][4]
The formerMetropolitan Riveters of thePremier Hockey Federation played at The Rink at theAmerican Dream Meadowlands in the Meadowlands Sports Complex inEast Rutherford.[5] While initially beginning in Brooklyn as the New York Riveters, they moved to New Jersey in their 2016 season playing out of the Barnabas Health Hockey House at the Prudential Center.[6] In 2016 the team formed an affiliation with the New Jersey Devils where the team renamed to the Metropolitan Riveters along with changing their uniform and team colors to match the Devils.[7] The Riveters won both the regular season title and theIsobel Cup in the 2017–18 season. In 2019, this affiliation was terminated between the Devils and the Riveters,[8][9] which caused the team to revert to their original colors along with finding a new home at the ProSkate Ice Arena in Monmouth Junction.[10][11] The Premier Hockey Federation ceased operations on June 29, 2023, along with the Riveters.
On September 13, 2024, theNew York Sirens of theProfessional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) announced they would move to the Prudential Center and play 13 of 15 home games of the 2024 season at their new home rink. The club also announced they would move their practice facility to theRichard J. Codey Arena inWest Orange, the former Devil's practice facility from 1986 to 2007.[12]
The New York Metropolitan Area's twoNational Football League teams, theNew York Giants and theNew York Jets, both play atMetLife Stadium inEast Rutherford'sMeadowlands Sports Complex.[13] At completion, with a construction cost of approximately $1.6 billion,[14] the venue is the most expensive stadium ever built.[1] On February 2, 2014, MetLife Stadium was the host venue forSuper Bowl XLVIII. There have been multiple short lived attempts at starting a competing league to the NFL, with teams based in New Jersey. TheNew Jersey Generals played with theUnited States Football League atGiants Stadium for three seasons from 1982 until 1985 when the league went bankrupt after anantitrust lawsuitagainst the NFL. Two attempts byVince McMahon at creating a competing league, both named the XFL, have been attempted in New Jersey. The firstXFL league was created as a joint venture betweenWorld Wrestling Entertainment andNBC[15] in 2001, had theNew York/New Jersey Hitmen playing at Giants Stadium for the only season they played before theleague folded. The New York/New Jersey Hitmen finished in third for the XFL Eastern Division for the season they played.[16] In 2020, theNew York Guardians of the newly revivedXFL began played only two games at MetLife Stadium.[17] After the XFL filed forChapter 11 bankruptcy on April 13, 2020,[18] citing the premature suspension of their season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the New York Guardians ceased operations. The Guardians brand was later transferred toOrlando.
TheNew York Red Bulls ofMajor League Soccer play inSports Illustrated Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium located inHarrison immediately across thePassaic River from downtownNewark. The team was founded in 1994 as the Empire Soccer Club, and renamed to New York/New Jersey Metrostars in 1995[19] and played under this name until the acquisition of the team byRed Bull GmbH in 2006, where the team was renamed to the New York Red Bulls and dropped their association with New Jersey in the team's name.[20][21][22] For the entire team's history, the team has always played in New Jersey, where Giants Stadium served as the team's home stadium, prior to the opening of Sports Illustrated Stadium in 2010.[23] On July 27, 2011, Sports Illustrated Stadium hosted the2011 MLS All-Star Game.[24]
Gotham FC was founded in 2008 as Sky Blue FC and began playing in the 2009Women's Professional Soccer season. After the league was folded in 2012,[25] SkyBlue FC transferred to theNational Women's Soccer League beginning in the 2013 season. In November 2019 it was announced that SkyBlue FC will move from Yurcack Field atRutgers University to Sports Illustrated Stadium, for the2020 NWSL season[26] In April 2021, Sky Blue officially rebranded itself as NJ/NY Gotham FC,[27] Along with the new name, the club introduced a new crest that features theStatue of Liberty’s crown as it was voted the most recognizable symbol of New Jersey and New York. The crest also displays three letters – an “N” and a hybrid “J/Y”, which acknowledges New Jersey as the club's birthplace while embracing the club's growing New York reach.[28] In 2025, NJ/NY Gotham rebranded to Gotham FC.
TheNew York Cosmos of theNorth American Soccer League (NASL) played at Giants Stadium from 1977 until the league collapsed at the end of the 1984 season. They won the league championship, the NASLSoccer Bowl, five times.
New Jersey hosted seven matches during the1994 FIFA World Cup at Giants Stadium and is set to host eight matches during the upcoming2026 FIFA World Cup, including thefinal, at MetLife Stadium.[29] Four matches of the1999 FIFA Women's World Cup were also held at Giants Stadium. The 2016Copa América Centenario final and three matches, including the semi-finals, of the2024 Copa América have been played at Metlife Stadium.[30] SeveralCONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments have also been played at Giants Stadium, MetLife Stadium and Sports Illustrated Stadium.
From 1977 to 2012, New Jersey had aNational Basketball Association (NBA) team, theNew Jersey Nets, which last played at the Prudential Center in Newark. In 2012, the team was moved toBrooklyn and now plays under theBrooklyn Nets. The Net's former headquarters and training facility in East Rutherford has been renovated into the MeadowlandsYMCA.[31] TheWNBA'sNew York Liberty played at the Prudential Center from 2011 to 2013 whileMadison Square Garden was renovated. In 2016, thePhiladelphia 76ers of the NBA opened their new headquarters and training facility, thePhiladelphia 76ers Training Complex, inCamden.[32]
| Club | Sport | League | Stadium (capacity) | Established | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Devils | Ice hockey | NHL | Prudential Center (16,514) | 1974 | 3Stanley Cups |
| Gotham FC | Soccer | NWSL | Sports Illustrated Stadium (25,000) | 2007 | 1WPS Championship 1NWSL Championship (2 League titles) |
| Club | Sport | League | Stadium (capacity) | Established | Dissolved | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Resolutes | Baseball | NA | Waverly Fairgrounds | 1873 | 1873 | 0 |
| Newark Peppers | FL | Harrison Park (21,000) | 1915 | 1915 | 0 | |
| Newark Stars | ECL | Davids' Stadium (12,000) | 1926 | 1926 | 0 | |
| Newark Browns | E-WL | General Electric Field | 1932 | 1932 | 0 | |
| Newark Eagles | NNL ll | Ruppert Stadium (19,000) | 1936 | 1948 | 1 Negro World Series | |
| Orange/Newark Tornadoes | Football | NFL | Knights of Columbus Stadium (9,000) Newark Schools Stadium (25,000) | 1929 | 1930 | 0 |
| New Jersey Generals | USFL | Giants Stadium (80,242) | 1983 | 1985 | 0 | |
| New York/New Jersey Hitmen | XFL | Giants Stadium (80,242) | 1999 | 2001 | 0 | |
| New Jersey Nets | Basketball | NBA | Rutgers Athletic Center (8,000) Izod Center (20,049) Prudential Center (18,711) | 1977 | 2012 (relocated) | 0 |
| New Jersey Pride | Field lacrosse | MLL | Yogi Berra Stadium (5,000) TD Bank Ballpark (6,100) Sprague Field (6,000) Yurcak Field (5,000) | 2001 | 2008 | 0 |
| Metropolitan Riveters | Ice Hockey | PHF | Barnabas Health Hockey House ProSkate Ice Arena The Rink at American Dream | 2016 | 2023 | 1Isobel Cup |
| Club | Sport | League | Stadium (capacity) | Established | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | Football | NFL | MetLife Stadium (82,500) | 1925 | 4NFL Championships 4Super Bowls (8 League titles) |
| New York Jets | 1959 | 1Super Bowl | |||
| New York Red Bulls | Soccer | MLS | Sports Illustrated Stadium (25,000) | 1994 | 0MLS Cups 3Supporters' Shield |
| New York Sirens | Ice hockey | PWHL | Prudential Center (16,514) | 2023 | 0Walter Cups |
| Club | Sport | League | Stadium (capacity) | Established | Dissolved | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Black Yankees | Baseball | NNL ll | Hinchliffe Stadium (10,000) | 1931 | 1948 | 0 |
| New York Cubans | NNL ll | Hinchliffe Stadium (10,000) | 1937 | 1950 | 1Negro World Series | |
| New York Cosmos | Soccer | NASL | Giants Stadium (80,242) | 1970 | 1985 | 5Soccer Bowls |
| New York Guardians | Football | XFL | MetLife Stadium (82,500) | 2019 | 2022 | 0 |
3 Stanley Cup titles
1 WPS Championship (as Sky Blue FC)
1 NWSL Championship
3 Supporters' Shield titles
1 Isobel Cup title
1 Negro World Series title
| Club | Sport | League | Stadium (capacity) | Established | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Red Bulls II | Soccer | MLS Next Pro | MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field (5,000) | 2015 | 1 |
| New York Red Bulls U-23 | USL League Two | Red Bulls Training Facility | 2009 | 2 |
New Jerseyans' collegiate allegiances are predominantly split among the three majorNCAA Division I programs in the state – theScarlet Knights ofRutgers University (New Jersey's flagship state university), members of theBig Ten Conference; thePirates ofSeton Hall University (the state's largestCatholic university), members of theBig East Conference; and theTigers ofPrinceton University (the state'sIvy League university). Additionally,Red Hawks ofMontclair State University—one of the largest public universities in the state—compete at theNCAA Division III level and have a strong following in northern New Jersey.
Rutgers and Princeton athletics share an intense rivalry – stemming from thefirst intercollegiate football game in 1869 – though the two schools have not met on the football field since 1980. They continue to play each other annually in all other sports offered by the two universities.
Rutgers, which fields 24 teams in various sports, is nationally known for its excellent football and women's basketball programs, owning a 6-4 all-timebowl record and appearing in aNational Final in 2007, respectively. In 2008 and 2009, Rutgers expanded their football homeSHI Stadium on theBusch Campus, and the basketball teams play atJersey Mike's Arena on theLivingston Campus. Both venues and campuses are located inPiscataway, immediately across theRaritan River fromNew Brunswick. The university also fields rising men's basketball and baseball programs. Rutgers' fan base is mostly derived from the western parts of the state andMiddlesex County, not to mention its alumni base, which is the largest in the state.
Rutgers' satellite campuses in Camden and Newark each field their own athletic programs. TheRutgers–Camden athletic teams are called theScarlet Raptors. TheRutgers–Newark athletic teams are called theScarlet Raiders. The Scarlet Raiders and the Scarlet Raptors both compete withinNCAA Division III.
Seton Hall, unlike Rutgers and Princeton, does not field a football team. Its men's basketball team, however, is one of the Big East's storied programs, New Jersey's most successful representative in theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament by number of wins, the state's only men's basketball program to reach a modernNational Final, and plays its home games atPrudential Center in downtownNewark approximately four miles from the university'sSouth Orange campus. The Pirates, while lacking as large an alumni base as the state university, have a large well of support in the predominantly Roman Catholic areas of the northern part of the state and theJersey Shore. The annual inter-conference rivalry game between Seton Hall and Rutgers which alternates between Newark and Piscataway, the Garden State Hardwood Classic, has been renewed through 2026.[33]
The state's other Division I schools include theMonmouth University Hawks (West Long Branch), theNew Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Highlanders (Newark), theRider University Broncs (Lawrenceville), and theSaint Peter's University Peacocks (Jersey City). Saint Peter's reached national prominence in 2022 when itsmen's basketball team became the first 15-seed (out of 16 teams in each region) ever to reach the Elite Eight (one step shy of the Final Four) in the NCAA tournament.
Fairleigh Dickinson University competes in both Division I and Division III. It has two campuses, each with its own sports teams. The teams at the Metropolitan Campus are known as the FDU Knights, and compete in theNortheast Conference and NCAA Division I. The College at Florham (FDU-Florham) teams are known as the FDU-Florham Devils and compete in NCAA Division III as a member of theMiddle Atlantic Conference and itsFreedom Conference.[a] The Metropolitan Campus reached its own national prominence in 2023 whenits men's basketball team became the second 16-seed to defeat a top regional seed in the NCAA men's tournament,beating top overall seedPurdue.
Among the various Division III schools in the state, theStevens Ducks, representingStevens Institute of Technology, have fielded the longest continuously running collegiate men's lacrosse program in the country. 2009 marked the 125th season.
New Jersey has several notable golf courses, likeAtlantic City Country Club,Baltusrol Golf Club,Liberty National Golf Club,Pine Valley Golf Club,Ridgewood Country Club,Scotland Run Golf Club andTrump National Golf Club Bedminster. Notable tournaments includeThe Northern Trust andMizuho Americas Open.
Notable New Jerseyan golfers includeScottie Scheffler,Marina Alex,Megha Ganne,Al Besselink andVic Ghezzi.
TheUnited States Golf Association (USGA) headquarters andUSGA Museum are located inLiberty Corner.
The Meadowlands Sports Complex is also home to theMeadowlands Racetrack, one of two majorharness racing tracks in the state along withFreehold Raceway in Freehold. They are also two of the major harness racing tracks in North America.Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport is also a popular spot forthoroughbred racing in New Jersey and theNortheast. It's marquee event is theHaskell Invitational Stakes. It hosted theBreeders' Cup in 2007, and its turf course was renovated in preparation.
Former racetracks includeGarden State Park Racetrack andAtlantic City Race Course.
Ultimate, originally known as ultimateFrisbee, originated and was developed inMaplewood in 1968 with the first sanctioned game atColumbia High School between the student council and student newspaper staff.[34]
New Jersey high schools are divided into divisions under theNew Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.(NJSIAA)[35]'[36] Founded in 1918, the NJSIAA currently represents 22,000 schools, 330,000 coaches, and almost 4.5 million athletes. Sports are divided between 3 seasons (fall, winter, and spring).
New Jersey also features a collection of sports leagues, clubs, and academies for athletic training. Like many suburban communities, most New Jersey towns have individual leagues for America's most popular sports - baseball, softball, football, cheerleading, basketball, soccer, etc.[37]
| Venue | City | Capacity | Type | Tenants | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHI Stadium | Piscataway | 52,454 | Football | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 1994 |
| Jadwin Gymnasium | Princeton | 6,854 | Arena | Princeton Tigers | 1969 |
| Jersey Mike's Arena | Piscataway | 8,000 | Arena | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 1977 |
| MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford | 82,500 | Multi-purpose | New York Giants,New York Jets | 2010 |
| Princeton Stadium | Princeton | 27,773 | Football | Princeton Tigers | 1998 |
| Prudential Center | Newark | 18,711 | Arena | New Jersey Devils,Seton Hall Pirates, New York Sirens | 2007 |
| Sports Illustrated Stadium | Harrison | 25,000 | Soccer | New York Red Bulls,Gotham FC | 2010 |
| ShoreTown Ballpark | Lakewood | 6,588 | Baseball | Jersey Shore BlueClaws | 2001 |
| TD Bank Ballpark | Bridgewater | 6,100 | Baseball | Somerset Patriots | 1999 |
| Trenton Thunder Ballpark | Trenton | 6,440 | Baseball | Trenton Thunder | 1994 |
| The Soccer Stadium at Yurcak Field | Piscataway | 5,000 | Soccer | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 1994 |
| MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field | Montclair | 5,000 | Soccer | New York Red Bulls II,Montclair State Red Hawks | 1998 |
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