New Orleans is home to a wide variety of sporting events. Most notable are the home games of the New Orleans Saints (NFL) and the New Orleans Pelicans (NBA), the annual Sugar Bowl, the annual Zurich Classic (PGA Tour) and horse racing at the Fair Grounds Race Course. New Orleans has also hosted the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff semifinal game and the NCAA college basketball Final Four.
Major professional sports teams ClubSport League Founded VenueNew Orleans SaintsAmerican footballNational Football League1967Caesars SuperdomeNew Orleans PelicansBasketballNational Basketball Association2002Smoothie King Center Other professional sports teams ClubSport League Founded VenueNew Orleans HurricanesWomen's American footballWomen's Football Alliance2019Joe W. Brown Victory StadiumNew Orleans JestersSoccerNational Premier Soccer League2003Pan American Stadium
Football Professional
New Orleans Saints -- The New Orleans Saints, founded in 1967, are one of the 32 teams in the NFL. The home stadium of the Saints is Caesars Superdome. The Saints won Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. New Orleans Hurricanes are member's of the Women's Football Alliance (2019–present).
Former football teams in New Orleans include the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (1984) (which became the Portland Breakers), New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (2022–2023), New Orleans Night of the Arena Football League (1991–1992), the New Orleans Thunder of the Regional Football League (1999), the Louisiana Jazz of the Women's Football Alliance (2002–2014), the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League (2004–2005, 2007–2008, and 2010–2015), the New Orleans Jazz football club of the Stars Football League (2011) and New Orleans Krewe of the US Women's Football League (2016).
Collegiate Tulane Green Wave -- The Tulane Green Wave football team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I FBS college football.
Former college football teams in New Orleans include the Dillard Bleu Devils (1935–1965), the Loyola Wolf Pack (1921–1939) and the Xavier Gold Rush (1925–1960).
Special Football Games
Super Bowl -- More Super Bowls have been played at Caesars Superdome than at any other sports facility: 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2013, and 2025. Tulane Stadium also hosted the game in 1970, 1972, and 1975. 1976 Pro Bowl -- The 1976 Pro Bowl was the NFL's 26th annual all-star game. The game was played on Monday, January 26, 1976, at the Louisiana Superdome. College Football Playoff National Championship Game -- Caesars Superdome hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship game in 2020. College Football Playoff semifinal Game -- Caesars Superdome rotates among six sites as the host for a College Football Playoff semifinal game every three years. The Superdome hosted semi-final games in 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2024. BCS National Championship Game -- Caesars Superdome rotated with three other sites as the host for the BCS National Championship Game. The Superdome hosted the BCS National Championship Game in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. Sugar Bowl -- New Orleans has been home to the annual Sugar Bowl since 1935. Originally played at Tulane Stadium, it has been played in Caesars Superdome since 1975. New Orleans Bowl -- New Orleans has been home to the annual New Orleans Bowl since 2001 in Caesars Superdome. Bayou Classic -- The Bayou Classic is an annual football game, also played in Caesars Superdome, between the state's two largest historically black universities, Grambling State and Southern University. Pelican Bowl -- The Pelican Bowl was an NCAA Division II bowl game played in New Orleans in 1974 and 1975 that pitted the conference champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to determine the black college football national championship.At the time of the bowl's creation in 1972, the NCAA was divided into the "University Division" and "College Division". The current three-division setup was established in 1973. The conferences that participated in this game eventually became Division I conferences, and their members' football programs now compete in the Football Championship Subdivision. East–West Shrine Game -- The 18th annual East–West Shrine post-season college football all-star game was held in New Orleans on January 1, 1943, due to WWII travel restrictions on the West Coast. ArenaBowl -- New Orleans played host to the AFL's championship game in 2007, 2008 and 2012 hosting all games in the New Orleans Arena.
Basketball Professional
New Orleans Pelicans -- The New Orleans Pelicans, founded in 2002 as the New Orleans Hornets, are one of the 30 teams in the NBA. The home arena of the Pelicans is the Smoothie King Center.
Former professional basketball teams in New Orleans include the New Orleans Jazz of the NBA (1974–1979) (which became the Utah Jazz) and the New Orleans Buccaneers of the American Basketball Association (1967–1970) (which became the Memphis Pros). Other professional basketball teams include the New Orleans Hurricanes of the Professional Basketball League of America (1947), New Orleans Sports of the Southern Basketball League (1948–1949), New Orleans Pride of the Women's Professional Basketball League (1979–1981) and New Orleans Cougars of the American Basketball Association. The NBA's Atlanta Hawks played 12 special "home" games in New Orleans during the 1984–85 season.
Collegiate
Dillard Bleu Devils -- The Dillard Bleu Devils men's basketball team and Dillard Lady Bleu Devils women's basketball team represents Dillard University in the NAIA. Loyola Wolf Pack -- The Loyola Wolf Pack men's basketball team and Loyola Wolf Pack women's basketball team represents Loyola University New Orleans in the NAIA. New Orleans Privateers -- The New Orleans Privateers men's basketball team and New Orleans Privateers women's basketball team currently represents the University of New Orleans in NCAA Division I college basketball. SUNO Knights -- The SUNO Knights men's basketball team and SUNO Lady Knights women's basketball team represents Southern University at New Orleans in the NAIA. Tulane Green Wave -- The Tulane Green Wave men's basketball team and Tulane Green Wave women's basketball team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I college basketball. Xavier Gold Rush -- The Xavier Gold Rush men's basketball team and Xavier Gold Nuggets women's basketball team represents Xavier University of Louisiana in the NAIA.
Special Basketball Games Men's Final Four -- Caesars Superdome hosted the NCAA college basketball Final Four in 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2012 and 2022. Women's Final Four -- The Women's Final Four has been held in New Orleans in 1991, 2004 and 2013. The New Orleans Arena hosted the Women's Final Four in 2004 and 2013. Lakefront Arena hosted the women's Final Four in 1991. NBA All-Star Game -- The NBA All-Star Game was held in New Orleans in 2008, 2014 and 2017 at the Smoothie King Center.
Baseball
Baseball was first played in New Orleans as early as 1859. In that year, amateur baseball leagues played games on the grounds of Delachaise Estates in Uptown New Orleans and the Lone Star Base Ball Club was organized.
There were many innovations in baseball that originated in New Orleans. The first spring training was held in New Orleans in 1870 as the Chicago White Stockings (now Chicago Cubs) traveled to the city to play the Cincinnati Red Stockings, but stayed several weeks to train. The practice of covering the infield with a modified canvas tarpaulin on rainy days was first used in New Orleans in 1887. On April 29, 1887, a recurring Ladies' Day was established to create an environment in the stands free of unsavory characters and conduct, as well as to make baseball a family oriented event. In 1889, issuing "rain checks" for rained out games using a perforated ticket stub was invented in New Orleans by Abner Powell.
Professional
Former baseball teams with the longest tenure in New Orleans include: New Orleans Zephyrs/Baby Cakes -- American Association (1993–1997), Pacific Coast League (1998–2019) New Orleans Pelicans -- Southern League (1887, 1889, 1898–99), Texas-Southern League (1888), (1890), Southern Association (1892–96, 1901–59), American Association (1977) New Orleans Black Pelicans -- pre-Negro leagues (1907–08, 1938), both Negro Southern Leagues (1920, 1926, 1945), Texas–Louisiana League (Negro league) (1931), Negro American League (1951, 1954).
Former baseball teams in New Orleans include:
Comet Base Ball Club (f. 1860) Detroit–New Orleans Stars - Negro league baseball (1960–61) Gretna Lookouts - Negro league baseball Hancock Base Ball Club (f. 1869) Hop Bitters Base Ball Club (1880) Hope Base Ball Club (f. 1868) Lone Star Base Ball Club (f. 1859) Mandeville Base Ball Club (f. 1869) Melpomene White Sox - Negro league baseball Meraux Tigers - Negro league baseball Metairie Pelicans - Negro league baseball New Orleans Acid Iron Earth - Gulf League (f. 1886) New Orleans Ads - Negro Southern League (1920–21, 1935–36) New Orleans Algiers Giants - Independent Negro leagues (1926) New Orleans Baseball Club - Gulf League (f. 1886) New Orleans Black Eagles - Negro league baseball New Orleans Black Rappers - pre-Negro leagues (f. 1907) New Orleans Blue Rappers - pre-Negro leagues (f. 1907) New Orleans Bucks/Kings - South Atlantic League New Orleans Cohens - Negro league baseball New Orleans Creoles - Negro Southern League (1947–48, 1950–51), Negro Texas League (1949) New Orleans Crescents/Unions - Southern League of Colored Base Ballists (f. 1886)
New Orleans Crescent Stars Independent Negro leagues (1921, 1932–33, 1935–37), Negro Southern League (1922, 1934), Texas Colored League (1923) New Orleans Dumonts - Negro league baseball New Orleans Eagles - Negro league baseball (1915–16) New Orleans Eclipse - pre-Negro leagues (f. 1907) New Orleans Expos - Independent (f. 1886) New Orleans Jacks/Generals - South Atlantic League New Orleans Little Pels - Cotton States League (1912) New Orleans Pinchbacks - Negro league baseball New Orleans Stars - Independent Negro leagues (1924) New Orleans Zephyrs/Baby Cakes - Pacific Coast League (1993–2019) Pelican Base Ball Club - (1865–67), Louisiana Base Ball Association (1868–74), (1875–79), Crescent City League (1880–84) Plaquemine Tigers - Negro league baseball Robert E. Lee Base Ball Club - Gulf League (f. 1864, 1869, 1886) St. Louis–New Orleans Stars - Negro American League (1940–41) Armstrong Secret 9 - Independent Negro leagues (1931) Shrewsbury Globetrotters - Negro league baseball Slidell Creoles - Negro league baseball Southern Base Ball Club (1869) Stonewall Base Ball Club (Algiers) (1867)
Collegiate Loyola Wolf Pack -- The Loyola Wolf Pack baseball team represents Loyola University New Orleans in the NAIA. New Orleans Privateers -- The New Orleans Privateers baseball team currently represents the University of New Orleans in NCAA Division I college baseball. Southern–New Orleans Knights -- The Southern–New Orleans Knights baseball team represents Southern University at New Orleans in the NAIA. Tulane Green Wave -- The Tulane Green Wave baseball team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I college baseball. Xavier Gold Rush -- The Xavier Gold Rush baseball team represents Xavier University of Louisiana in the NAIA.
Youth Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy -- The Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy has a location in New Orleans at Wesley Barrow Stadium. It is a 650-seat baseball stadium and includes a grass tee-ball and softball field.
Special baseball games