The U.S. state of Florida has three National Football League teams, two Major League Baseball teams, two National Basketball Association teams, two National Hockey League teams, two Major League Soccer teams and 13 NCAA Division I college teams.
Florida gained its first permanent major-league professional sports team in 1966 when the American Football League added the Miami Dolphins. The state of Florida has given professional sports franchises some subsidies in the form of tax breaks since 1991.
By sport
American football
Miami's first entry into the American Football League was the Miami Dolphins, which competed in the fourth AFL league from 1966 to 1969. In 1970 the Dolphins joined the National Football League when the AFL–NFL merger, agreed to in 1966, was finalized. The team made its first Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl VI, but lost to the Dallas Cowboys. The following year, the Dolphins completed the NFL's only perfect season culminating in a Super Bowl win. The 1972 Dolphins were the third NFL team to accomplish a perfect regular season, and won Super Bowl VIII, Miami also appeared in Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XIX, losing both games. The Dolphins are the oldest major league professional sports team in Florida.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers began in 1976 as an expansion team of the NFL. They struggled at first, losing their first 26 games in a row to set a league record for futility. After a brief taste of success in the late 1970s, the Bucs again returned to their losing ways, and at one point lost 10+ games for 12 seasons in a row. The hiring of Tony Dungy in 1996 started an improving trend that eventually led to the team's victory in Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 under coach Jon Gruden. In Super Bowl LV, the Bucs became the first NFL team to host and play in the Super Bowl, where they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.
The Jacksonville Jaguars joined the NFL as an expansion team in the 1995 season; they play their home games at TIAA Bank Field.
The Tampa Bay Vipers began play in the XFL in February 2020; they play their home games at Raymond James Stadium.
The World Football League featured the Florida Blazers, Jacksonville Sharks and Jacksonville Express, whereas the United States Football League included the Tampa Bay Bandits, Jacksonville Bulls and Orlando Renegades. The Orlando Rage played in the original XFL in 2001, and the Orlando Apollos played in the Alliance of American Football in 2019.
The Miami metro area has hosted the Super Bowl a total of eleven times (six Super Bowls at Hard Rock Stadium, including Super Bowl LIV and five at the Miami Orange Bowl), tying New Orleans for the most games. Tampa has hosted five Super Bowls: Super Bowl XVIII (1984), Super Bowl XXV (1991), Super Bowl XXXV (2001), Super Bowl XLIII (2009), and Super Bowl LV (2020). The first two events were held at Tampa Stadium, and the other three at Raymond James Stadium. In 2005, Jacksonville hosted Super Bowl XXXIX.
The Orange Bowl is a major college football bowl, held at the Miami metropolitan area since 1935, and is currently a member of the College Football Playoff's New Year's Six.
Other college bowl games in Florida include the Boca Raton Bowl in Boca Raton, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Citrus Bowl, and Cure Bowl in Orlando, the Gasparilla Bowl and Outback Bowl in Tampa, and the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville traditionally hosts the Florida–Georgia game, an annual college football game between the University of Florida and the University of Georgia since 1933.
Baseball
Florida has a rich baseball history and has long been home to minor league teams and spring training.
In 1993, the Miami Marlins became the first Major League Baseball team to call Florida home. They won the World Series in 1997 and 2003.
The Tampa Bay Rays began playing in 1998 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. After a decade of futility, the Rays won the 2008 American League Pennant and made it to the World Series but lost to the Philadelphia Phillies. The team won the 2020 American League Pennant and made it back to the World Series but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
15 of the 30 Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the state, with teams informally organized into the Grapefruit League. Throughout MLB history, other teams have held spring training in Florida but now hold spring training in Arizona's Cactus League.