Contents
Get the scoop on when all the major sports seasons are so you never miss a game!
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Introduction
Sports fans rejoice! Here is a list of the approximate start and end dates for each major sport’s season. Although some seasons overlap, generally each sport has a dedicated time of year. This guide will help you plan your fandom schedule so you don’t miss a single game.
-Major League Baseball (MLB): late March/early April to late September/early October
-National Football League (NFL): early September to mid-January
-National Basketball Association (NBA): late October to mid-April
-National Hockey League (NHL): early October to late April/early May
Winter Sports
There are four main types of winter sports: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ice hockey, and figure skating. Alpine skiing is where the skier uses specially designed skis to race down a slopes. Cross-country skiing is a slower paced sport where the skier travels across very long distances using their own body power. Ice hockey is a fast-paced sport played on an ice rink by two teams of six players each who use sticks to hit a puck into the other team’s net. Figure skating is an individual or pairs sport where athletes complete jumps, spins, and other moves on the ice.
The professional alpine skiing season generally runs from November to April. The cross-country skiing season can start as early as October and last until May. The professional ice hockey season runs from October to April, with the playoffs continuing into June. The figure skating season usually starts in August and continues through December, culminating in the National Championships and then the World Championships.
Spring Sports
Spring sports are a great way to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather. But when do they start? Here is a list of common spring sports and their seasons.
Golf: late February to early November
Tennis: late April to early November
Baseball: late March to early November
Lacrosse: late February to early November
Track and Field: late March to mid-June
Summer Sports
Most sports have a regular season that generally lasts from early fall to late spring, with a playoff tournament at the end of the season to determine the champion. However, there are also many summer sports leagues, both professional and amateur.
The most popular summer sport is baseball, which is played at both the major league and minor league level. Baseball’s regular season runs from late March/early April to late September/early October, with a postseason consisting of the World Series in October.
Another popular summer sport is basketball. The National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season runs from October to April, with the NBA Finals taking place in June. There is also a Professional Summer Basketball League (PSBL) that runs from May to August.
Other popular summer sports include football (both American and European), golf, tennis, and track and field.
Fall Sports
In the United States, the calendar of sports seasons generally goes like this:
Fall Sports:
-Football (NFL): September – February
-College Football: Late August – early January
-Soccer (MLS): March – December
-Tennis: April – November
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics are a major international sporting event that takes place every four years. The next Winter Olympics will be held in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Summer Olympics
The quadrennial Summer Olympic Games are held in the month of August. The 2020 Tokyo Games will take place from July 24 to August 9. The 2024 Games will be held in Paris, France from July 26 to August 11.
Paralympics
The Paralympic Games are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their respective Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Special Olympics
The Special Olympics is a year-round program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. We offer more than 32 Olympic-style individual and team sports that provide meaningful year-round opportunities to repeat and improve upon previous successes. Most of our athletes compete in multiple sports throughout the year.
Conclusion
If you’re a fan of one or more particular sports, you’re likely to want to know when the seasons are. Depending on the sport, the season can last anywhere from a couple of months to almost an entire year. Here is a look at the approximate start and end dates for some of the most popular sports seasons.
baseball – late March/early April (spring training) to late September/early October (World Series)
basketball – early October (pre-season) to late June (Finals)
football – early September (pre-season) to late January/early February (Super Bowl)
hockey – early October (pre-season) to late April/early May (Stanley Cup Playoffs)
