Sports are one of the few things that can bring entire communities together. When fans attend games, they meet others who have lived completely different lives. At a game, fans rooting for the same teams become the best of friends. Florida is unique thanks to the many different metropolitan areas it has.
For instance, a place like Colorado only has one major city where a professional sports team would be. Florida has four major cities with professional teams – and that’s not including college. Click here to read more about the biggest sports stars born in Florida.
Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville make up the largest four regions in Florida. Each one has teams people love cheering for. Let’s take a look at each team that makes up Florida. For this article, 24/7 Tempo consulted different outside sources. These sources include NBA.com, NFL.com, and NHL.com.
Miami Heat
Not many NBA teams outside of the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs have had the sustained success over the last 20 years quite like the Miami Heat. During this time, the team has been to seven NBA Finals, winning three of those trips. Prior to 2006, the teams first Finals appearance and win, the team wasn’t thought of highly.
Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal changed all that. Wade’s friendship with LeBron James helped as the duo took the Heat to four straight NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014. They won two of those. Ever since James left, the Heat have still done well. They went to the 2020 NBA Finals that were in the bubble and lost the 2023 Finals to the Denver Nuggets.
“Heat culture” is a phrase that’s been coined thanks to the teams’ success over the last two decades. There will be more championships and Finals appearances in the future, thanks to how well the team has drafted and built its roster.
Miami Dolphins
In the entire history of the NFL, only one team has gone undefeated through an entire season. That would be the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Led by head coach Don Shula, the team went 14-0 during the regular season then went on to win Super Bowl VII over Washington.
The team is constantly refrenced whenever a current contender is undefeated for a large portion of the year. The Dolphins were one of the most successful franchises during the 1970s and 1980s, thanks in large part to Dan Marino. They have struggled to find its footing, but ever since they’ve hired Mike McDaniel to be the head coach, things look up for them. Fans love watching the current Dolphins thanks to how great the offense is. Expect to see the Dolphins back to their glory days shortly.
Miami Marlins
Up until 2020, the Miami Marlins had one of the most intriguing fun facts in sports. Every year they made the playoffs, they won the World Series. That’s right! The Marlins only had two postseason appearances as a franchise until 2020, but won the World Series in each of them.
The 1997 team beat the Cleveland Indians and the 2003 Marlins would upset the heavily favored New York Yankees. Sadly, this trend came to an end as the Marlins couldn’t get it done in 2020. They look to be trending up also, thanks to another playoff appearance in 2023.
Miami is a great baseball town, thanks to the Latin community that lives there. If you watched the World Baseball Classic in early 2023, the stadium in Miami was sold out and fans were as loud as can be. Once the Marlins can have sustained success, expect tons of free agents to want to go there. The great weather and amazing community will draw dozens of players out.
Florida Panthers
On the surface, hockey in Florida might seem a little weird. The climate doesn’t exactly make you think of a hockey place. However, the Florida Panthers have proven this to be wrong. It helps that as of late, lots of people who have recently retired have decided to move to Florida from colder places.
These people were big hockey fans and have brought that same passion to the Sunshine state. It also helps that the Florida Panthers are one of the best teams in the NHL. They’ve made two Stanley Cup Finals, with the most recent being in 2023. They’re still looking for their first championship, but are going the right way. Most hockey players grew up in cold environments and have quickly jumped at the chance to play in a warm weather climate.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sadly have spent the bulk of their history for not being that great of a team. In fact, as of 2023, the team has been around for 49 seasons and has only made the playoffs 13 times. However, despite only making the playoffs 13 times, the team still has two Super Bowl championships under their belt.
They won Super Bowl XXXVII and LV, thanks to the leadership of Tom Brady. Along with the Baltimore Ravens, they’re the only team to not lose a Super Bowl that they’ve played in. Even though Tom Brady has retired and there was speculation the team would suffer, they appear to be a contender. Brady left behind the tools needed to continue success.
Tampa Bay Lightning
There aren’t as many NHL teams that have had the same level of success as the Tampa Bay Lightning over the last decade. Since 2015, the team has made four Stanley Cup Finals, winning two of them. In fact, they went to three straight in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
There was always a fear of hockey not working in south Florida because of the climate. Well, having a team with raving success helps grow the fanbase. Since hockey wasn’t as popular in Florida before the Lightning came, nobody had a team. Now, everyone in Tampa Bay is ready for hockey season.
Tampa Bay Rays
Baseball is one of the best sports for those who love numbers. The movie “Moneyball” popularized the idea that teams in smaller markets could be successful. After struggling as a franchise for many years, the Rays dove head first into this theory and have turned their team around.
They’re a constant playoff contender and even have been to the World Series two different times. Sadly, the location of the stadium makes it hard for the team to draw in fans, thanks to how bad the traffic is and how hard the stadium is to get to. The Rays are every sports nerds favorite team, thanks to how they apply data and stats to the game.
Orlando Magic
Basketball fans know the Magic as the team two of the most dominant big men in the history of the game started their careers with. Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard were both drafted number one overall, both led the team to an NBA Finals appearance, and both left the team to play for the Lakers.
The Magic were one of the first teams to truly use analytics and data to put together a team, since many NBA players preferred to play in big markets. They had trouble at first, but have now started to become more and more successful at it. It’s also helped that social media has taken off and now players don’t feel the need to be in big markets to be seen. The Magic look to be one of the NBA’s next big teams.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Being one of the newest expansion teams in the NFL was one of the hardest things for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It also didn’t help they were going into a city that had never had a professional sports team before. The early years for the Jaguars were tough, however, ever since Trevor Lawrence has arrived into town, the team has been consistently talked about as a playoff team.
There were a few years the team made the playoffs, and even an AFC Championship game in 2017. It now appears that the team is going to be at the head of the AFC for years to come. The Jaguars are also important as they play a game in London every year. This is helping football explode in popularity in Europe, something that’s been a long time coming.
Orlando City SC
Soccer in the United States has really started to take off and explode in popularity. One of the reasons is thanks to how Don Garber has quickly been expanding the league. Orlando City SC was founded in 2015 as the 21st team in the league. They have been one of the most successful teams, finishing second in the Eastern Conference in 2023.
They also were the team that helped bring sports back during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The “MLS is Back” tournament took place in Orlando and was the first team league to restart after Covid shut everything down in 2020. Orlando City has a passionate group of fans who flock to Exploria Stadium for matches.
Inter Miami FC
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF controls the ball against the New York City FC during the second half in the Noche d'Or friendly match at DRV PNK Stadium on November 10, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
As previously mentioned, one of the main reasons MLS has gotten so popular in the United States is the fact that there are more teams. Inter Miami FC is one of the newest teams in the league. They also are an example of European players coming to the United States to play.
This was always a common thing, but Inter Miami took it to the next level. In 2023, it was announced that Lionel Messi would join the team. Having a player who is widely regarded as the greatest to ever play in the league has helped grow the sport in so many ways. 2024 will be the first full season for Messi in MLS, so fans are excited to see what he can truly do.
Orlando Pride
Men’s soccer isn’t the only sport that’s been exploding in popularity over the last few years. Thanks to the success of the United States Women’s National Team, women’s soccer has begun to rise in viewership. One of the teams that plays in the NWSL is the Orlando Pride.
The Pride were first founded in 2016 and play their home games at Exploria Stadium in Orlando. 2023 was a really good year for the Pride, as they won 10 matches, their second most in team history. The NWSL is continuing to expand and build on the momentum the league has been carrying of late.
Daytona 500
Sports lovers can’t talk about sports in Florida without mentioning the Daytona 500. Each year, this race kicks off the NASCAR season right after the Super Bowl and for a lot of people signifies the end of winter. Some of the most memorable moments in sports history have taken place at Daytona International Speedway. Richard Petty has the most overall wins at the race with seven to his name. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the race in 2023, etching his name in history alongside some of racings best.
Florida Gators Football
Football will be king in the United States for a long time. The state of Florida has produced some of the best players in NFL history, like Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin. College football in Florida takes center stage on Saturdays, and the Florida Gators are one of the most popular teams to watch.
Tim Tebow is one of the most infamous college football players of all time, as he led them to National Championships in both 2006 and 2008. Prior to this, the team had won three separate championships. Thanks to the talent in Florida, the Gators will always be a force to be reckoned with.
Florida State Seminoles Football
Another legendary program in the state of Florida is the Florida State Seminoles. This team dominated college football during the 1990s and mid 2010s. They have won three National Championships and have been in six championship games during their history.
Bobby Bowden is the man to thank for the bulk of the success of Florida State football. 2023 saw the Seminoles go undefeated, but miss out on the College Football Playoff. Many people think they were subjected to unfair treatment. Others pointed to the fact they lost their starting quarterback late in the year and didn’t look as good as a top team after that. The Seminoles will be back for decades to come, thanks to how great they can recruit top players.
Miami Hurricanes Football
The 1980s and early 2000s of college football went through south Florida and the Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are widely regarded as one of the most influential teams in all of sports, thanks to how outgoing they were. Some people loved how outgoing and different the team was, while others hated it.
Either way, you couldn’t take your eyes off of them while they were playing. It helped that the team was really good, winning five championships and playing in big games every year. The Hurricanes are trying to get back to where they once were, and Mario Cristobal seems to have the team on the right track. Click here to read more about athletes who have joined the military.