History of sports in Mobile, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Mobile, Alabama
is home to many different sports teams and events. It is also home to several notable athletes.
is an annual 10K race and 2-mile fun run held each Spring which winds through the streets of historic downtown Mobile.
is a post-season NCAA
-sanctioned Division I-A college football
bowl game
played annually at Ladd Peebles Stadium
in Mobile, Alabama
. It pits a Conference USA
team (home team) against a team from either the Mid-American Conference
or the Western Athletic Conference
.
The Senior Bowl
is an annual post-season college football
exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama
which showcases the best NFL draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. The game has been played in Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium
since 1951.
, home of the Hall of fame. Only New York City and Chicago lead Mobile in this distinction.
was a former player for the Bears.
at the University of South Alabama. This team played from 1994–1995. The team folded after the announcement was made that Southern League baseball was returning to Mobile.
. In just the 2nd year, the Mobile BayBears
won the Southern League
Championship over the Jacksonville Suns 3 games to 1. The BayBears were also named 1998 Minor League Team of the Year.
The BayBears were awarded their 2nd Southern League Championship in 2004 when the Southern League cancelled the Championship Series due to Hurricane Ivan. Both the BayBears and The Tennessee Smokies were named Co-Champions.
The Baybears were affiliated with the San Diego Padres from 1997–2006 seasons. Starting with the 2007 season, the Baybears will be affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
of the NBA Development League (NBDL)
played in the 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 seasons in the Mobile Civic Center
. The Mobile Revelers won the NBDL Championship of the 2002–2003 season defeating the Fayetteville Patriots 2 games to 1. The team folded after the season suffering from very poor attendance. The name was originally used for a minor league soccer team based in Mobile.
of the ABA came to Mobile for 2006–07 as an expansion team that was announced on August 4, 2006. The team folded after one season.
will play in the ABA
2010-2011 season. The team will play its home games on the campus of Davidson High School
.
Mobile Seagulls
The Mobile Seagulls played two seasons in Mobile: the 2000 season in the Indoor Professional Football League
(IPFL) in the Mobile Civic Center
, and the 2001 season in the National Indoor Football League
(NIFL) at the Mitchell Center
. The team folded after the AFL2 announced it was coming to town.
The Mobile Seagulls were a professional indoor football team. They were initially a member of the Indoor Professional Football League for the 2000 season before joining the National Indoor Football League for the 2001 season, their final. They played their home games at Mobile Civic Center Arena for the 2000 season and at the Mitchell Center for the 2001 season.
The Seagulls were announced as an expansion franchise as part of the IPFL on February 10, 2000.[1] It was during this press conference that former Houston Oilers receiver Kenny Burrough was announced as the team's general manager and head coach.
On July 3, 2001, it was announced that the team was ceasing operations as a result of the approval of an af2 expansion team for Mobile. [2]
Mobile Wizards
The Mobile Wizards played in AFL2 during the 2002 season in the Mobile Civic Center. The Wizards failed to win one game, finishing 0–16. The Wizards were a very physical arena football team but never seemed to find a coach or an offensive strategy to win. Mobile native and Murphy High School Alumni, Lawrence Pendleton, played both offensive and defensive line the entire season in which many players came and went. Pendleton was the teams' leading defensive player.
in 2011. The team played its home games on the campus of the University of South Alabama
's Mitchell Center
. The team became dormant after five games, finishing with a record of two wins and three losses.
Mobile Mysticks
The Mobile Mysticks played 7 seasons in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) from 1995–2002 in the Mobile Civic Center. The Mysticks averaged 33 wins per season and made the playoffs 5 out of 7 seasons. The team ceased operations for the 02–03 season, then began play as the Gwinnett Gladiators
in the 03-04 Season. Jason Elders holds the record for most career goals in Mysticks history. Jason Elders was also the 1999 MVP of the ECHL All-Star game. Jason Clarke is the all-time PIM record holder in ECHL history. Dave Van Drunen
played in one game in the NHL
for the Ottawa Senators
.
, a member of the NCAA Division I and Sun Belt Conference
. Spring Hill College
and the University of Mobile
are in the NAIA
. South Alabama fielded a football team
in 2009. South Alabama's men's basketball
team has been to the NCAA Tournament
seven times in its history.
NAIA
tennis nationals for both men's and women's tennis are held in Mobile, which has the largest outdoor public tennis facility in the world, featuring over 50 tennis courts.
Battleship Rugby Football Club*http://www.battleshiprugby.com/
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
is home to many different sports teams and events. It is also home to several notable athletes.
Azalea Trail Run
The Azalea Trail RunAzalea Trail Run
The Azalea Trail Run is an annual road running event held in late March in Mobile, Alabama which is considered one of the United States' premier road races. Runners, walkers, and wheelchair athletes from around the world and at all levels turn out for the event...
is an annual 10K race and 2-mile fun run held each Spring which winds through the streets of historic downtown Mobile.
GMAC Bowl
The GMAC BowlGMAC Bowl
The GoDaddy.com Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played annually at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama since 1999. It currently matches teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference, and...
is a post-season NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
-sanctioned Division I-A college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
played annually at Ladd Peebles Stadium
Ladd Peebles Stadium
Ladd Peebles Stadium is a stadium in Mobile, Alabama. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field for the Senior Bowl, the GoDaddy.com Bowl, the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic, and the University of South Alabama Jaguars...
in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. It pits a Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
team (home team) against a team from either the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
or the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
.
Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
is an annual post-season college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
which showcases the best NFL draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. The game has been played in Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium
Ladd Peebles Stadium
Ladd Peebles Stadium is a stadium in Mobile, Alabama. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field for the Senior Bowl, the GoDaddy.com Bowl, the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic, and the University of South Alabama Jaguars...
since 1951.
Baseball
Mobile is hometown to five baseball Hall of Fame members and rates as the third city with the most players honored in Cooperstown, New YorkCooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
, home of the Hall of fame. Only New York City and Chicago lead Mobile in this distinction.
Mobile Hall of Famers
- Hank Aaron
- Billy Williams
- Willie McCoveyWillie McCoveyWillie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
- Satchel PaigeSatchel PaigeLeroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
- Ozzie SmithOzzie SmithOsborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
List of baseball teams
- Mobile Swamp Angels, Southern League (1887)
- Mobile Blackbirds, Southern League (1892–1893, 1896)
- Mobile Bluebirds, Southern League (1894–1895)
- Mobile Sea Gulls, Cotton States League (1905–1907)
- Mobile Sea Gulls, Southern Association (1908–1917)
- Mobile Bears, Southern Association (1918–1930, 1944–1961)
- Mobile Marines, Southern Association (1931)
- Mobile Red Warriors, Southeastern League (1932)
- Mobile Shippers, Southeastern League (1937–1942)
- Mobile A's, Southern League (1966)
- Mobile White Sox, Southern League (1970)
- Mobile BaySharks, Texas-Louisiana League (1994–1995)
- Mobile Bay Bears, Southern League (1997-present)
Mobile Bears
Originally known as the Sea Gulls, Mobile changed its name to the Bears in 1918. In just two seasons, the Bears won the Southern Association Championship and the Dixie Series Championship over the Fort Worth Panthers, the Texas League Champions. The Bears relocated to Knoxville in 1931. In 1944, the Southern Association's Knoxville Smokies moved to Mobile and were renamed the Mobile Bears. The Mobile Bears won the 1947 Southern League Championship. After the 1961 season, the team was dissolved. Actor Chuck ConnorsChuck Connors
Chuck Connors was an American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player. His best known role from his forty-year film career was Lucas McCain in the 1960s ABC hit Western series The Rifleman....
was a former player for the Bears.
Mobile BaySharks
After 30 years, baseball returned to Mobile in the form of The Mobile BaySharks of the Texas-Louisiana League. The BaySharks played at Eddie Stanky FieldEddie Stanky Field
Eddie Stanky Field is a baseball park in Mobile, Alabama. During the 90's, it was the home of the Mobile BaySharks. It is currently home to the University of South Alabama Jaguars baseball team and was home to the 2007 Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament. The ballpark has a capacity of 4,500...
at the University of South Alabama. This team played from 1994–1995. The team folded after the announcement was made that Southern League baseball was returning to Mobile.
Mobile BayBears
On April 17, 1997, baseball returned to Mobile in the new Hank Aaron StadiumHank Aaron Stadium
Hank Aaron Stadium is a baseball park in Mobile, Alabama. It hosts the Mobile BayBears, a minor-league professional team in the Southern League. The stadium opened in 1997 and has a capacity of 6,000. The ballpark was named after Major League Baseball's home run king and Mobile native Hank Aaron...
. In just the 2nd year, the Mobile BayBears
Mobile BayBears
The Mobile BayBears are a minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major league club. The BayBears play in Hank Aaron Stadium, named after baseball's former all-time home...
won the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
Championship over the Jacksonville Suns 3 games to 1. The BayBears were also named 1998 Minor League Team of the Year.
The BayBears were awarded their 2nd Southern League Championship in 2004 when the Southern League cancelled the Championship Series due to Hurricane Ivan. Both the BayBears and The Tennessee Smokies were named Co-Champions.
The Baybears were affiliated with the San Diego Padres from 1997–2006 seasons. Starting with the 2007 season, the Baybears will be affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Mobile Revelers
The Mobile RevelersMobile Revelers
The Mobile Revelers were a National Basketball Development League team based in Mobile, Alabama. Playing their home games at the Mobile Civic Center, the Revelers was a charter franchise in the 2001-02 season and folded after the 2002-03 season...
of the NBA Development League (NBDL)
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
played in the 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 seasons in the Mobile Civic Center
Mobile Civic Center
Mobile Civic Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Mobile, Alabama. Owned by the City of Mobile and operated by SMG, the arena comprises three venues: A theater, an expo hall, and an arena. It is suitable for large indoor events; including sporting events and trade shows. The theater has...
. The Mobile Revelers won the NBDL Championship of the 2002–2003 season defeating the Fayetteville Patriots 2 games to 1. The team folded after the season suffering from very poor attendance. The name was originally used for a minor league soccer team based in Mobile.
Southern Alabama Bounce
The Southern Alabama BounceSouthern Alabama Bounce
The Southern Alabama Bounce was a team of the American Basketball Association based in Mobile, Alabama. The team played just one season, in 2006-07....
of the ABA came to Mobile for 2006–07 as an expansion team that was announced on August 4, 2006. The team folded after one season.
Mobile Bay Hurricanes
The Mobile Bay HurricanesMobile Bay Hurricanes
The Mobile Bay Hurricanes are a franchise of the American Basketball Association based in Mobile, Alabama that will debut in the 2010-2011 season. Former NBA star Jason Caffey was named head coach for the team but was relieved of his duties and was replaced by Aaron Tucker 6 games into the 2010-11...
will play in the ABA
American Basketball Association (2000–present)
The American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976...
2010-2011 season. The team will play its home games on the campus of Davidson High School
Davidson High School (Mobile, Alabama)
W. P. Davidson High School is a four-year senior high school located in Mobile, Alabama. Its first class graduated in 1963. The school operates in the Mobile County Public School System...
.
Mobile Admirals
The Mobile Admirals played during the 1999 season in Ladd-Peebles Stadium, which was the only season for the ill-fated RFL. Mobile sold 6,000 season tickets for their only season. Mobile finished the shortened season 6–2. The Admirals Defeated the Ohio Cannon in the first playoff game, then defeated the Houston Outlaws 14–12 to win the only RFL championship. Most famous of the players was Sherman Williams, formally of the 1992 NCAA champions Alabama Crimson Tide and Super Bowl champions Dallas Cowboys. Williams earned $80,000 with the Admirals.Mobile SeagullsMobile SeagullsThe Mobile Seagulls were a professional indoor football team. They were initially a member of the Indoor Professional Football League for the 2000 season before joining the National Indoor Football League for the 2001 season, their final. They played their home games at Mobile Civic Center Arena...
The Mobile Seagulls played two seasons in Mobile: the 2000 season in the Indoor Professional Football LeagueIndoor Professional Football League
The Indoor Professional Football League was the new incarnation of the Professional Indoor Football League , which started in 1998. Two of its teams left the league and their owner, Kerry Ecklund, founded the Indoor Football League in 1999...
(IPFL) in the Mobile Civic Center
Mobile Civic Center
Mobile Civic Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Mobile, Alabama. Owned by the City of Mobile and operated by SMG, the arena comprises three venues: A theater, an expo hall, and an arena. It is suitable for large indoor events; including sporting events and trade shows. The theater has...
, and the 2001 season in the National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL...
(NIFL) at the Mitchell Center
Mitchell Center
Mitchell Center is a 10,041-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It was completed in 1998 and is the home court for University of South Alabama Jaguars basketball teams...
. The team folded after the AFL2 announced it was coming to town.
The Mobile Seagulls were a professional indoor football team. They were initially a member of the Indoor Professional Football League for the 2000 season before joining the National Indoor Football League for the 2001 season, their final. They played their home games at Mobile Civic Center Arena for the 2000 season and at the Mitchell Center for the 2001 season.
The Seagulls were announced as an expansion franchise as part of the IPFL on February 10, 2000.[1] It was during this press conference that former Houston Oilers receiver Kenny Burrough was announced as the team's general manager and head coach.
On July 3, 2001, it was announced that the team was ceasing operations as a result of the approval of an af2 expansion team for Mobile. [2]
Mobile Tarpons
The Mobile Tarpons were members of the North American Football League in 1964 and 1965 playing their home games at Ladd Memorial Stadium (home of the Senior Bowl). Each of the teams in the league had an affiliation with either an NFL or AFL team, and many former NFL stars played for various teams. One of the stars of the Tarpons was Hugh McInnis who holds the Minor League Football record for most catches in a season by a receiver. The Annapolis Sailors defeated the Tarpons in the championship game in 1965. Former Arizona QB John Torak led the Tarpons.Mobile WizardsMobile WizardsThe Mobile Wizards were an af2 arena football team that played their home games in Mobile, Alabama at the Mobile Civic Center. The team went 0-16 in 2002 and was disbanded after only one season, making them the only af2 team never to have won a game in their franchise history.- External links :*...
The Mobile Wizards played in AFL2 during the 2002 season in the Mobile Civic Center. The Wizards failed to win one game, finishing 0–16. The Wizards were a very physical arena football team but never seemed to find a coach or an offensive strategy to win. Mobile native and Murphy High School Alumni, Lawrence Pendleton, played both offensive and defensive line the entire season in which many players came and went. Pendleton was the teams' leading defensive player.Port City Monarchs
They are the NAFL football team in Mobile. Their rival is the Alabama Lightning based in Orange Beach in Baldwin County. In 2006, the Monarchs beat the Lightning to be crowned the best NAFL Gulf Coast team. This year every team in the Monarchs division made it to the playoffs. They were also beat by the Alabama Lighting.Mobile Bay Tarpons
The Mobile Bay Tarpons played in the SIFLSouthern Indoor Football League
The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
in 2011. The team played its home games on the campus of the University of South Alabama
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...
's Mitchell Center
Mitchell Center
Mitchell Center is a 10,041-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It was completed in 1998 and is the home court for University of South Alabama Jaguars basketball teams...
. The team became dormant after five games, finishing with a record of two wins and three losses.
Mobile MysticksMobile MysticksThe Mobile Mysticks were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Mobile, Alabama that played in the ECHL. They played their home games at the Mobile Civic Center. The team was founded in 1995 as an expansion franchise, joining the ECHL alongside the Louisville River Frogs and the...
The Mobile Mysticks played 7 seasons in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) from 1995–2002 in the Mobile Civic Center. The Mysticks averaged 33 wins per season and made the playoffs 5 out of 7 seasons. The team ceased operations for the 02–03 season, then began play as the Gwinnett GladiatorsGwinnett Gladiators
The Gwinnett Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Gladiators play their home games at the Arena at Gwinnett Center....
in the 03-04 Season. Jason Elders holds the record for most career goals in Mysticks history. Jason Elders was also the 1999 MVP of the ECHL All-Star game. Jason Clarke is the all-time PIM record holder in ECHL history. Dave Van Drunen
David Van Drunen (ice hockey)
David Van Drunen is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Odessa Jackalopes of the Central Hockey League. He played in one National Hockey League game for the Ottawa Senators during the 1999–2000 NHL season....
played in one game in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
College athletics
Mobile is represented in college athletics by the South Alabama JaguarsSouth Alabama Jaguars
The South Alabama Jaguars represent the University of South Alabama in NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics.USA competes in the Sun Belt Conference; it is the conference's only remaining charter member from its inception. USA's athletics teams are nicknamed the Jaguars. Popular sports are...
, a member of the NCAA Division I and Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
. Spring Hill College
Spring Hill College
Spring Hill College is a private, Roman Catholic Jesuit liberal arts college in the United States. It was founded in 1830 on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama, by Most Rev. Michael Portier, Bishop of Mobile, Alabama...
and the University of Mobile
University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is an American four-year, private, Baptist-affiliated university in Mobile, Alabama. The master's-level university has an enrollment of 1,577.-History:...
are in the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
. South Alabama fielded a football team
South Alabama Jaguars football
The South Alabama Jaguars football program, established in 2009, will be a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I FBS and the Sun Belt Conference in 2013.-History:...
in 2009. South Alabama's men's basketball
South Alabama Jaguars men's basketball
The South Alabama Jaguars basketball program has competed in the Sun Belt Conference since 1978 when the league was formed. In their 42 year history, the Jaguars have compiled an overall record of 694-507 . Ronnie Arrow returned as head coach in 2007, succeeding John Pelphrey after the 2006-07 season...
team has been to the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
seven times in its history.
NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
tennis nationals for both men's and women's tennis are held in Mobile, which has the largest outdoor public tennis facility in the world, featuring over 50 tennis courts.
Rugby
Spring Hill College's rugby team began playing in 1969 and continues to play today. In 1975 former Spring Hill players formed The Mobile Rugby Football Club and in 1978 began playing at Battleship Memorial Park and changed the name to Battleship Rugby Football Club. In 1992 Battleship won the Division II National Championship and in 2001 won the Division III National Champmionship. Battleship has also won 14 local league championships. Battleship hosts an annual tournament every November attracting teams from across the United States. Battleship has hosted teams from 7 foreign countries. Battleship currently fields a mens team in Division II and Battleship Old Boys, an over 35 years of age team that plays locally and abroad, posting a 8 – 1 record in Ireland, Argentina and New Zealand.See also
- Alabama Sports Hall of FameAlabama Sports Hall of FameThe Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history...
- History of Mobile, AlabamaHistory of Mobile, AlabamaMobile was founded as the capital of colonial French Louisiana in 1702 and remained a part of New France for over 60 years. During 1720, when France warred with Spain, Mobile was on the battlefront, so the capital moved west to Biloxi. In 1763, Britain took control of the colony following their...
- Mobile Sports Hall of FameMobile Sports Hall of FameThe Mobile Sports Hall of Fame honors sports figures who have made a significant impact in the Mobile Area. The organization is a section 501 non-profit and is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors...
- South Alabama Jaguars men's basketballSouth Alabama Jaguars men's basketballThe South Alabama Jaguars basketball program has competed in the Sun Belt Conference since 1978 when the league was formed. In their 42 year history, the Jaguars have compiled an overall record of 694-507 . Ronnie Arrow returned as head coach in 2007, succeeding John Pelphrey after the 2006-07 season...
External links
Battleship Rugby Football Club*http://www.battleshiprugby.com/