Sports in Houston

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Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park

Houston, Texas has a rich sporting culture and the area residents are active in many spectator and participant sports. Spectators attend events including teams from many of the Major U.S. Professional Sports League and collegiate sports. Participants enjoy activities from running in Memorial Park to sailing on Galveston Bay and Clear Lake.

Contents

[edit] Major league sports

Houston has teams in nearly every major professional sport, including the Houston Astros (MLB), Houston Texans (NFL), Houston Rockets (NBA), Houston Comets (WNBA), Houston Dynamo (MLS),Houston Aeros (AHL), and Houston Undertakers (ABA).

Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Center (home of the Rockets, Comets, and Aeros) are located in downtown—contributing to an urban renaissance that has transformed Houston's center into a day-and-night destination. Also, the city has the first domed stadium in the United States and also holds the NFL's first retractable roof stadium—Reliant Stadium. Other sports facilities in Houston are Hofheinz Pavilion, Reliant Astrodome, Robertson Stadium, and Rice Stadium.

On October 19, 2005, the Astros advanced to the World Series for the first time in the team's history, subsequently losing to the Chicago White Sox. In 2006, the Dynamo won the MLS Cup in their first year after moving from San Jose, California and in 2007 became the first MLS franchise since 1997 to repeat a championship. The Aeros have won four championships: in the WHA (1973, 1974), the IHL (1999), and the AHL (2003). The Rockets won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995. The city's former professional football team, the Houston Oilers, also provided the city with 2 AFL championships in 1960 and 1961, before the merger with the NFL. [1]

See also: Former professional sports teams in Houston
Club League Sport Venue Established Championships
Houston Astros MLB Baseball Minute Maid Park 1962
Houston Rockets NBA Basketball Toyota Center 1967 1994, 1995
Houston Comets WNBA Basketball Toyota Center 1997 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Houston Texans NFL Football Reliant Stadium 2002
Houston Dynamo MLS Soccer Robertson Stadium 2006 2006, 2007

Wiki Sports in Houston

[edit] Minor league sports

Club League Sport Venue Established Championships
Houston Aeros AHL Hockey Toyota Center 1994 1999 (IHL), 2003
Houston Energy WPFL Football Skip Lee Field 2001 2000, 2001, 2002
Houston Wranglers WTT Tennis Westside Tennis Club 2005
Houston Takers ABA Basketball Health and Physical Education Arena 2006
Bay Area Toros CBL Baseball Wildcat Field 2007

[edit] College sports

School Nickname Major Venues Conference NCAA Division
University of Houston Cougars Robertson Stadium, Hofheinz Pavilion Conference USA Division I (I-A)
Rice University Owls Rice Stadium, Autry Court Conference USA Division I (I-A)
Texas Southern University Tigers Health and Physical Education Arena Southwestern Athletic Conference Division I (I-AA)

[edit] Annual events

Houston hosts annual sporting events such as the PGA Tour's Shell Houston Open, the college football Texas Bowl, and college baseball Houston College Classic. In early 2006, the Champ Car auto racing series returned to Houston for a yearly race, held on the streets of the Reliant Park complex. The city had previously been home to a Champ Car round from 1998 to 2001. Since 1971, Houston's two NCAA Division I FBS football teams, the Rice Owls and Houston Cougars have faced off in the annual Bayou Bucket.

Event Month Sport Venue Established
Houston Marathon January Running George R. Brown Convention Center and streets of Houston 1972
Houston College Classic February Baseball Minute Maid Park 2001
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo February and March Rodeo Reliant Park 1932
Shell Houston Open March Golf Redstone Golf Club 1946
U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships April Tennis Westside Tennis Club 2001
Grand Prix of Houston April Auto racing JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park 2006
Texas Bowl December Football Reliant Stadium 2006
Bayou Bucket Varies Football Rice Stadium or Robertson Stadium 1971

[edit] Other major events

Houston has hosted recent, major sporting events, including the 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Super Bowl VIII, Super Bowl XXXVIII, the 2005 World Series, the 2005 Big 12 Conference football championship game, the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships from 2001-2006, and the Tennis Masters Cup in 2003 and 2004.

Event Host Sport Venue Date
UFC 69: Shootout UFC Mixed Martial Arts Toyota Center 7 April 2007
Super Bowl VIII NFL Football Rice Stadium 13 January, 1974
Super Bowl XXXVIII NFL Football Reliant Stadium 1 February, 2004
2005 World Series MLB Baseball Minute Maid Park October 2005
1968 MLB All-Star Game MLB Baseball Astrodome 9 July 1968
1986 MLB All-Star Game MLB Baseball Astrodome 15 July 1986
2004 MLB All-Star Game MLB Baseball Minute Maid Park 13 July 2004
2006 NBA All-Star Game NBA Basketball Toyota Center 19 February 2006
1971 NCAA Men's Final Four NCAA Basketball Astrodome 25 and 27 March 1971
2011 NCAA Men's Final Four NCAA Basketball Reliant Stadium 2 and 4 April 2011
Big 12 Championship Game Big 12 Football Reliant Stadium December 2002 and 2005

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Houston Oilers", TSHA Handbook of Texas Online, 2001-06-19. Retrieved 2007-03-31.

[edit] External links

Flag of Houston
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Sports teams based in greater Houston
Baseball MLB: Houston Astros, CBL: Bay Area Toros
Basketball NBA: Houston Rockets, WNBA: Houston Comets, ABA: Houston Takers
Football NFL: Houston Texans, IFL: Katy Ruff Riders, af2: Texas Copperheads, APFL: Conroe Storm, NAFL: Houston Sharks, Montgomery County Bulls, Bay Area Gamblers, IIFA: Harris County Militia, Galveston Tidalwave, WPFL: Houston Energy
Australian Rules Football USAFL: Houston Lonestars
Soccer MLS: Houston Dynamo, PDL: Houston Leones
Hockey AHL: Houston Aeros
Tennis WTT: Houston Wranglers
College athletics
(NCAA Division I)
Houston CougarsHouston Baptist HuskiesPrairie View A&M PanthersRice OwlsTexas Southern Tigers