Atlanta is known for its unique attractions, including many professional and collegiate sports teams. Sports like football, basketball, soccer and baseball are kings in the city, making it the perfect place to catch the action this year! With a sports calendar that spans the entire year, KNOWAtlanta wants to make sure you do not miss out.

Professional and Recreational Sports

Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association

ALTA

With over 80,000 members, the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) is one of the area’s largest recreational sports associations. ALTA was established in 1934 as a nonprofit league, providing 100 public tennis courts within the city limits of Atlanta. Members compete on teams during the regular season and the top teams advance to the playoffs and the prestigious City Finals.

Want to participate but need a team? Members can click here to find teams with open slots available.

In addition to tennis, ALTA is proud to offer pickleball for the third year! The pickleball season runs from late June to early August, with playoffs and City Finals following right after the regular season ends.

The BB&T Atlanta Open tennis tournament will be held at ALTA’s facilities again this year. This highly anticipated tournament welcomes professionals from across the world to compete. In 2017, the event was a raging success, filling the stands with 30,000 fans.

Atlanta Braves

Come cheer on the Atlanta Braves this summer at Truist Park! Still soaring from its fourth World Series win in 2021, the team is back for another successful year in the ballpark.

After many years in Boston and Milwaukee, the Braves settled in Atlanta in 1966. Over the years, the team has been represented by many MLB and National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, including Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron and player-then-coach Chipper Jones.

Whether you want to attend every home game or join the team for just one night at Truist Park, Atlanta Braves tickets can be found here.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is expected to be completed in August 2017.

Atlanta Falcons

Did you know that Mercedes-Benz is home to the Atlanta Falcons and the world’s largest free-standing bird statue? Now you do! When you watch the Atlanta Falcons play this year, check out the 41.5-foot falcon sculpture designed by Budapest artist Gábor Miklós Szoke.  The stadium also features edible landscaping with blueberry bushes and apple trees, amongst other unique design elements.

Established in 1965, the Atlanta Falcons began as an NFL expansion team that grew into its independence. The team is a two-time Super Bowl competitor (1998 and 2017) and once showcased the talent of all-star players like Dion Sanders, Roddy White and Matt Ryan.

The team received its name in 1965, thanks to Miss Julia Elliott, a beloved fan and local Atlanta schoolteacher. She wrote, “The Falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It is deadly and has a great sporting tradition.”

Sync your calendar with the Atlanta Falcons schedule today!

Atlanta Hawks

After moving from St. Louis to Atlanta in 1968, the Atlanta Hawks became a southern favorite in the NBA. Home games are played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, so make sure to secure your seat this season!

Atlanta Hockey

Most Atlanta natives are familiar with the core five Atlanta teams: the Braves, the Falcons, the Dream, Atlanta United FC and the Hawks. But what about hockey? Atlanta does not have an official NHL team; however, many more minor leagues have called the area home over the years. The city has hosted the Atlanta Flames (1972-1980) and the Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2011).

The Atlanta Gladiators are members of the East Coast Hockey League, the region’s premier “AA” hockey league and currently play at Gas South Arena in Duluth.

Bobby Dodd Stadium at Georgia Tech

Atlanta United FC

Atlanta entered the major league soccer domain in 2014 with the formation of Atlanta United FC. The team was very fan-involved from the beginning, offering opportunities for fans to help choose the team’s name, logo and color scheme for uniforms.

Atlanta United FC was successful from the start, regularly selling out Bobby Dodd Stadium on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus. The team now welcomes fans to watch matches at its permanent home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

In 2018, the team clinched the MLS Cup win after a record-breaking season, which represented the first championship to come to Atlanta since the Braves won the World Series in 1995.

Buy tickets here and experience Atlanta United FC soccer for yourself!

Atlanta Dream

Craving more basketball? The Atlanta Dream women’s basketball team is back for another season! As part of the Eastern Conference of the Women’s National Basketball Association, the Atlanta Dream is an eight-time WNBA playoffs qualifier and three-time WNBA Finals qualifier.

Inspired by Atlanta native Martin Luther King Jr., the Atlanta Dream is named after his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Tickets can be found on the WNBA website.

College Sports

Interested in learning more about the history of sports? Pay a visit to the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta. The museum and gallery feature memorabilia, 50 interactive exhibits, an indoor football field and more that celebrate the rich history of America’s homegrown sport of football. Located near Centennial Olympic Park and the CNN Center, the College Football Hall of Fame should be on your list to check out next time you are in town.

Metro Atlanta is home to multiple top universities, each with its own collegiate sports programs. About 70 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, the University of Georgia is home to the Georgia Bulldogs athletics teams. The Georgia Bulldogs football team has won the NCAA National Championships four times (1942, 1980, 2021, 2022), drawing a huge fan base to Sanford Stadium yearly. The Bulldogs baseball and basketball teams have also represented well over the years.

Located in the heart of Atlanta, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is known for strong academics and 17 varsity sports teams: football, women’s and men’s basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, golf, tennis, swimming and diving, track and field and cross country. Bobby Stadium, one of the oldest on-campus NCAA Division I football stadiums, is home to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team.

The Georgia State Panthers are also known for a wide array of athletic programs and hosts 16 sports, including football and basketball.

Just outside Atlanta, Kennesaw State University is home to 17 sports teams, including the football program that launched in 2015.

The “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” ignited in 1892 when Atlanta hosted the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” between the A&M College of Alabama (now Auburn University) and the University of Georgia. Played in Piedmont Park, this second-ever Southern intercollegiate football game sparked a fiery rivalry that continues to enthrall fans and fuel competition each season.

More Atlanta Activities

The annual AJC Peachtree Road Race draws more than 60,000 participants each year and is set to occur every March. This 10k run event attracts so much attention that Atlanta is now known as a city for runners!

Olympic Games

Atlanta proudly hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1996, also known as the XXVI Olympiad. This marked five Olympic Games hosted in American cities and three Summer Games. You can experience the legacy of the 1996 Olympic Games through Centennial Olympic Park and the Olympic Cauldron in Atlanta.

Locals and international visitors witnessed sports legend Muhammad Ali light the Olympic torch during the games’ opening ceremonies. During the games, he also received a replacement gold medal for his boxing victory in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

For more information about attractions for sports lovers and Atlanta teams, stay up to date on www.KNOWAtlanta.com.