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When it comes to sports, San Antonio is a competitive sports fan heaven. With a variety of professional teams, collegiate sports, amateur events, and the venues and weather to accommodate them year-round, the city's vibrant sports and entertainment scene is sure to satisfy anyone looking for big league fun. 1. Alamo Bowl: Since its opening in 1993, the Alamo Bowl has grown and now showcases two of the premier conferences in the country, the Big 12 and Pac-10. The Bowl has quickly become one of the most popular bowls in the country, producing some of the most-watched bowl games in ESPN history. 2. Alamodome: Operated by the City of San Antonio, the Alamodome is the preferred venue for many trade shows, conventions and concerts such as Monster Jam, Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, and the Valero Alamo Bowl. 3. AT&T Center: The AT&T Center is home to the 4-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, the American Hockey League San Antonio Rampage, the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars and the annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. The AT&T Center is one of the nation's leading entertainment venues, hosting acts such as George Strait, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Josh Groban, Shakira, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and many more. 4. AT&T Championship: The AT&T Championship brings the PGA Champions Tour and some of golf's greatest legends to San Antonio every October. It is the final full-field event of the Champions Tour season. 5. Dallas Cowboys Training Camp: From late July through August, the Dallas Cowboys spend several weeks of their training camp in the Alamodome, holding two practices a day - and admission is free! 6. Freeman Coliseum: Since 1947 the Freeman Coliseum has been host to thousands of events varying from three-ring circus acts to concerts and boxing events. One of the most memorable to San Antonians is the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo. The Rodeo was a tenant of Freeman Coliseum since it hosted its first Rodeo in 1950 until the move to the AT&T Center on the Freeman grounds. Millions of local residents and visitors have attended not only the Rodeo, but also the many events that the San Antonio Livestock Exposition hosts in association with the Rodeo throughout the year. 7. Missions Baseball: A double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, the San Antonio Missions compete in the competitive Texas League. The Missions home field, Wolff Stadium, can accommodate up to 9,000 fans. Season begins in April and ends in September. 8. Rampage Hockey: The Hockey AHL team is affiliated with the NHL's Florida Panthers; playing 40 games of 80 at the AT&T Center. Since playing their inaugural season in San Antonio in 2002, the Rampage has been growing in popularity and still offers inexpensive tickets for seats along the ice. 9. Retama Park: Opened in 1995, Retama Park is a premier horse race track located in Selma, Texas, a small community part of the San Antonio metropolitan area. The track features quarter horse and thoroughbred races, open-air and air-conditioned levels, food courts, restaurants and bars. The track is also open year-round for simulcasting from tracks around the country. 10. San Antonio Opera: Provides more than 50 major operas and concerts starring some of the world's greatest opera and music stars. The opera conducts auditions in New York City, Los Angeles, Monterrey, Mexico and Guadalajara, Mexico. The company is scheduled to move into the city's new Performing Arts Center in 2012 as an anchor tenant. 11. San Antonio Sports:For more than 25 years, San Antonio Sports has put San Antonio on the global stage. From NCAA Championships to the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, the premier events they have hosted have delivered more than $357 million for our local economy. But they are not just about big games. They are a nonprofit organization that works every day to keep San Antonio moving. Year 'round, their kids programs deliver sports and fitness programs to thousands of children in every part of the community. They are in 262 local elementary schools with their ING Kids Rock Marathon training program and Go!Kids Challenge™. Their Dreams for Youth Afterschool Program introduces U.I.L. sport fundamentals after school to inner-city children via coaching and equipment. Their new Fit Family Challenge expands kids' fitness efforts with a fun, incentivized four-month, county-wide program for the whole family. 12. San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo: The 6-time Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year is one of the largest and most celebrated stock and rodeo events in the nation and runs for three weeks during the month of February. Its full schedule includes judged animal shows, rodeo competitions, carnival rides, educational exhibits, food booths, shopping and concerts. The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo attracts more than one million visitors each year.
13. San Antonio Symphony: A professional orchestra with more than 70 world-class musicians that presents a diverse array of classical and pop programs. 15. Spurs Basketball: The San Antonio Spurs have been in the city since 1973 and are winners of four NBA titles. They boast one of the highest-winning percentages in the NBA, only missing the playoffs four times in their nearly 40-year history. The Spurs play at the AT&T Center. 16. UTSA Roadrunner Football: The University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners kick off their inaugural college football season in September 2011. The program will enter Division 1 NCAA competition when it joins the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) for the 2012 season. The Roadrunners will play their home games at the Alamodome and will host non-conference games in upcoming seasons against the likes of Oklahoma State, Arizona, Virginia, Houston & Rice. 17. Valero Texas Open: The Valero Texas Open is an official PGA Tour event that takes place in April. The Open dates back to 1922 and was played at some of San Antonio's most historic courses. In 2010 it began play at the AT&T Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio. |