Sports in Massachusetts

Sports in Massachusetts have a long history with both amateur athletics and professional teams. Most of the major professional teams have won multiple championships in their respective leagues. For instance, as of July 2025, Massachusetts teams have won 6 Stanley Cups (Boston Bruins), 18 NBA Championships (Boston Celtics), 6 Super Bowls (New England Patriots), and 10 World Series (9 Boston Red Sox, 1 Boston Braves). Additionally, the New England Revolution won the U.S. Open Cup in 2007 and the MLS Supporter's Shield in 2021. Massachusetts is also notable for being the birthplace of both basketball and volleyball, and it is home to the Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield) and the Volleyball Hall of Fame (Holyoke). Moreover, the state hosts the Cape Cod Baseball League and prestigious sports events such as the Boston Marathon and the Head of the Charles Regatta (Boston). Other popular sports events in Massachusetts include the Falmouth Road Race in running, which started in 1973, and the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, an annual bicycle race held from 1960 to 2020.

The Greater Boston region is the only city/surrounding area in American professional sports in which all facilities are privately owned and operated. The Kraft Sports Group, which holds ownership of both the Patriots and New England Revolution (a Major League Soccer team), owns Gillette Stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Fenway Sports Group, led by principal owner John W. Henry, owns both Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox. TD Garden is owned by Delaware North, and its chairman, Jeremy M. Jacobs, along with his family, owns the Bruins. The Celtics rent TD Garden from Delaware North.

The PGA Tour Deutsche Bank Championship was a regular professional golf tournament held from 2003 to 2018 in Norton, Massachusetts. As of July 2025, Massachusetts has played host to ten U.S. Opens, four U.S. Women's Opens, two Ryder Cups, and two U.S. Senior Open.

Massachusetts is home to many colleges and universities that are active in college athletics, hosting several NCAA Division I (D-I) institutions that compete in multiple sports. The D-I schools include Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern University, Harvard University, College of the Holy Cross, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Merrimack College, and Stonehill College.

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