This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "1966 in sports" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

• FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –
  • Men's combined champion:Jean-Claude Killy, France
  • Women's combined champion:Marielle Goitschel, France

• Orange Bowl (1965 season):
  • TheAlabama Crimson Tide won 39–28 over theNebraska Cornhuskers to win theAP Pollnational championship after the previous #1 rankedMichigan State Spartans lost in theRose Bowl and the #2 rankedArkansas Razorbacks lost in theCotton Bowl. This was the first time the AP conducted its final rankings at the conclusion of the postseason bowl games.
• June 8: TheAFL andNFL reach an agreement tomerge as equals into one league under the NFL name, to take effect with the 1970 season.
• AFL Championship –Kansas City Chiefs won 31–7 over theBuffalo Bills to advance toSuper Bowl I in Jan. 1967
• NFL Championship –Green Bay Packers won 34–27 over theDallas Cowboys to advance toSuper Bowl I in Jan. 1967
• Each of the two existing top-level professional leagues added a new team for the 1966 season. TheAtlanta Falcons joined the NFL, and theMiami Dolphins joined the AFL.
• 1966 NCAA University Division football season:
  • November 19 – The top-rankedNotre Dame Fighting Irish and the second-rankedMichigan State Spartans play to a10–10 tie; Notre Dame retains its No. 1 ranking in the polls and are later named AP and UPI national champions.

• World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
  • Men's all-around champion:Mikhail Voronin,USSR
  • Women's all-around champion:Věra Čáslavská,Czechoslovakia
  • Men's team competition champion: Japan
  • Women's team competition champion:Czechoslovakia

• FA Cup final –Everton win 3–2 againstSheffield Wednesday

• World Cup – England defeats Germany to win the1966 World Cup Final.
• FIFA decide to give the right to host the1974 FIFA World Cup,1978 FIFA World Cup and1982 Football World Cup toWest Germany,Argentina and Spain respectively

• July 17 – American runnerJim Ryun sets a new world record for the mile at 3:51.3
• August –1966 Commonwealth Games held at Kingston, Jamaica
• September –1966 European Championships in Athletics held at Budapest
• December –1966 Asian Games held at Bangkok

• Victorian Football League
  • St Kilda wins the 70thVFL Premiership (St Kilda 10.14 (74) dCollingwood 10.13 (73))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded toIan Stewart (St Kilda)

• Milwaukee Braves move to Atlanta, Georgia and become theAtlanta Braves.
• January 20 – The BBWAA electsTed Williams to theHall of Fame. Williams, the last batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.
• Roberto Clemente is theNational LeagueMVP.
• Frank Robinson is theAmerican LeagueMVP.
• Sandy Koufax of theLos Angeles Dodgers is theMajor League BaseballCy Young Award
• Tommie Agee of theChicago White Sox is theAmerican LeagueMLB Rookie of the Year award
• Tommy Helms of theCincinnati Red is theNational LeagueMLB Rookie of the Year award
• Ted Williams is inducted intoBaseball Hall of Fame.
• World Series –Baltimore Orioles win 4 games to 0 over theLos Angeles Dodgers. Series MVP:Frank Robinson, Baltimore
• College World Series –Ohio State defeatsOklahoma State 8–2 atJohnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Ohio State pitcherSteve Arlin is named tournament Most Outstanding Player

• NCAA University Division Basketball Championship –
  • Texas Westernwins 72–65 overKentucky
• NBA Finals –
  • Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over theLos Angeles Lakers. This would be the last of the Celtics' record eight straight NBA titles.
• NBA MVP –Philadelphia 76ers centerWilt Chamberlain
• A first season ofBasketball Bundesliga was held in Germany on October 1.^{[citation needed]}
• A firstBasketball Super League of Turkey games was held on December 13, replace from three regional (Istanbul,Ankara andİzmir) basketball league were merger.^{[citation needed]}
• AnNBA club,Chicago Bulls was founded inIllinois, United States on January 16.^{[citation needed]}

• March 29,Muhammad Ali defeatsGeorge Chuvalo in a 15-round unanimous decision
• April 25 at New York City, World Welterweight ChampionEmile Griffith won a 15-round unanimous decision overDick Tiger to also become the World Middleweight Champion.
• May 21Muhammad Ali defeatsHenry Cooper with a 6th-round TKO
• August 6Muhammad Ali defeatsBrian London with a 3rd-round KO
• September 10Muhammad Ali defeatsKarl Mildenberger with a 12th-round TKO
• November 14,Muhammad Ali knocks outCleveland Williams in three rounds to retain the WBC heavyweight title.

• Grey Cup –Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29–14 over theOttawa Rough Riders
• Vanier Cup –St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40–14 over theWilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

• Giro d'Italia won byGianni Motta of Italy
• Tour de France –Lucien Aimar of France
• Vuelta a España –Francisco Gabica of Spain
• UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race –Rudi Altig of Germany

• World Figure Skating Championships –
  • Men's champion:Emmerich Dänzer, Austria
  • Ladies' champion:Peggy Fleming, United States
  • Pair skating champions:Ludmila Belousova &Oleg Protopopov, Soviet Union
  • Ice dancing champions:Diane Towler &Bernard Ford, Great Britain

• July 24 –Tony Lema (32), American golf champion, died in an air crash atMunster, Indiana

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament –Jack Nicklaus
• U.S. Open –Billy Casper
• British Open –Jack Nicklaus becomes the fourth player to win all four major professional championships.
• PGA Championship –Al Geiberger
• PGA Tour money leader –Billy Casper – $121,945

Men's amateur

• British Amateur –Bobby Cole
• U.S. Amateur –Gary Cowan

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open –Mickey Wright
• LPGA Championship –Gloria Ehret
• U.S. Women's Open –Sandra Spuzich
• Titleholders Championship –Kathy Whitworth
• LPGA Tour money leader –Kathy Whitworth – $33,517

• Romeo Hanover wins theUnited States Pacing Triple Crown races –
  1. Cane Pace –Romeo Hanover
  2. Little Brown Jug –Romeo Hanover
  3. Messenger Stakes –Romeo Hanover
• United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
  1. Hambletonian –Kerry Way
  2. Yonkers Trot –Polaris
  3. Kentucky Futurity –Governor Armbro
• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
  • Pacers:Chamfer Star
  • Trotters:Yamamoto

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup –Arkle
• Grand National –Anglo

Flat races

• Australia –Melbourne Cup won byGalilee
• Canada –Queen's Plate won byTitled Hero
• France –Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won byBon Mot
• Ireland –Irish Derby Stakes won bySodium
• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes –Kashmir
  2. The Derby –Charlottown^[1]
  3. St. Leger Stakes –Sodium
• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby –Kauai King
  2. Preakness Stakes –Kauai King
  3. Belmont Stakes –Amberoid

• Art Ross Trophy as theNHL's leading scorer during the regular season:Bobby Hull,Chicago Black Hawks
• Hart Memorial Trophy – for theNHL's Most Valuable Player:Bobby Hull,Chicago Black Hawks
• Stanley Cup –Montreal Canadiens won 4–2 over theDetroit Red Wings
• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Soviet Union defeatedCzechoslovakia
• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship –Michigan State University Spartans defeatClarkson University Golden Knights 6–1 inMinneapolis

• First Orienteering World Championships held 1–2 October inFiskars, Finland.^[2]

• 1966 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1966 NSWRFL season
• 1965–66 Northern Rugby Football League season /1966–67 Northern Rugby Football League season

• 72ndFive Nations Championship series is won byWales

• World Snooker Championship challenge match:John Pulman beatsFred Davis 5–2 in matches.

• January 4 – death ofInga Artamonova (29), Russian world speed-skating champion, who was murdered by her husband

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship –Roy Emerson (Australia) defeatsArthur Ashe (USA) 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3
• Australian Women's Singles Championship –Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeatsNancy Richey (USA) walkover

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship –Manuel Santana (Spain) defeatsDennis Ralston (USA) 6–4, 11–9, 6–4
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship –Billie Jean King (USA) defeatsMaria Bueno (Brazil) 6–3, 3–6, 6–1

France

• French Men's Singles Championship –Tony Roche (Australia) defeatsIstván Gulyás (Hungary) 6–1, 6–4, 7–5
• French Women's Singles Championship –Ann Haydon Jones (Great Britain) defeatsNancy Richey (USA) 6–3, 6–1

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
• American Women's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968

Davis Cup

• 1966 Davis Cup – Australia 4–1 India atKooyong Stadium (grass)Melbourne, Australia

• 1966 FIVB Men's World Championship in Prague won by Czechoslovakia

• Asian Games held inBangkok, Thailand
• 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held inKingston, Jamaica^[3]
• Central American and Caribbean Games held inSan Juan, Puerto Rico
• FourthWinter Universiade held inSestriere, Italy

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year –Frank Robinson,Major League Baseball
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year –Kathy Whitworth,LPGA golf
• Sports IllustratedSportsman of the Year -Jim Ryun, running

• 1966 in sports
• Sports by year

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles needing additional references from October 2017
• All articles needing additional references
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020
• Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020