Sports in Alaska
Encyclopedia
Alaska
is home to a number of sports teams and events, nearly all of which are based or located in Anchorage
, the state's
largest city. In Anchorage, the Sullivan Arena
is home to the Alaska Aces of the ECHL
and the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves of the NCAA Division II. The city's only other professional franchise is the Alaska Wild
, an arena football
team that began playing with the Intense Football League
in April 2007 and joined other league members in the Indoor Football League
in 2008. A third professional franchise scheduled to begin play in November 2008 is the Alaska Dream
, a basketball team in the American Basketball Association. The Anchorage Bucs Baseball Club
is a summer collegiate baseball
team, attracting players from universities throughout the world. The Anchorage Glacier Pilots
are a member of the National Baseball Congress
. Both baseball clubs play at Mulcahy Stadium
.
The University of Alaska Anchorage
(UAA) is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
. It has Division I teams in gymnastics
and hockey
, as well as several other Division II teams.
Anchorage hosts a number of sporting events. UAA sponsors the annual Great Alaska Shootout
, an annual NCAA Division I basketball tournament featuring colleges and universities from across the United States
. Anchorage is the finish line for the Sadler's Ultra Challenge
wheelchair race, and holds the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The city was a candidate for hosting the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, but it lost to Albertville
and Lillehammer
respectively.
Anchorage is probably the premier cross-country skiing city on the planet, in terms of density of groomed trails within the urban core. There are 105 miles (169 km) of maintained ski trails in the city, some of which reach downtown. The same trail system also provides access to Chugach State Park, a 495000 acres (2,003.2 km²) high alpine park. The Tour of Anchorage is an annual 50-kilometer ski race within the city.
There are four Rugby union
clubs in Anchorage, including the Bird Creek Barbarians RFC, Anchorage Thunderbirds , Mat Valley Maulers RFC, and Spenard Green Dragons. The season runs from April through September.
Many Alaskan athletes in the 1990s appeared on the popular Television show, Sports Talk Alaska
. For many athletes this was their first major introduction to the city of Anchorage. However, many notable professional sports figures are from Anchorage. They include:
Notable sports figures from outside the Anchorage area include:
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
is home to a number of sports teams and events, nearly all of which are based or located in Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, the state's
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
largest city. In Anchorage, the Sullivan Arena
Sullivan Arena
The George M. Sullivan Arena is an arena in Anchorage, Alaska. The arena opened in 1983 and has a seating capacity of 8,700 for basketball, 6,251 for hockey...
is home to the Alaska Aces of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
and the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves of the NCAA Division II. The city's only other professional franchise is the Alaska Wild
Alaska Wild
The Alaska Wild was a professional indoor football team, a member of the Indoor Football League. The Alaska Wild played their home games in the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska...
, an arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
team that began playing with the Intense Football League
Intense Football League
The Intense Football League was a professional indoor football league that initially began operations in 2004. Its focus was in Texas, but was notable for being the first professional football league to place a franchise in Alaska.-History:...
in April 2007 and joined other league members in the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
in 2008. A third professional franchise scheduled to begin play in November 2008 is the Alaska Dream
Alaska Dream
The Alaska Dream was a basketball team in the American Basketball Association. They began playing in 2008-09. Based in Anchorage, they are Alaska's first professional basketball franchise since the CBA's Anchorage Northern Knights, who were coached by Ron Moore, folded in 1982...
, a basketball team in the American Basketball Association. The Anchorage Bucs Baseball Club
Anchorage Bucs Baseball Club
The Anchorage Bucs Baseball Club is a college summer baseball team in Anchorage, Alaska. The team has been a member of the Alaska Baseball League since 1981....
is a summer collegiate baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team, attracting players from universities throughout the world. The Anchorage Glacier Pilots
Anchorage Glacier Pilots
The Anchorage Glacier Pilots are a college summer baseball team in Anchorage, Alaska. They are part of the Alaska Baseball League, and a member of the National Baseball Congress....
are a member of the National Baseball Congress
National Baseball Congress
The National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
. Both baseball clubs play at Mulcahy Stadium
Mulcahy Stadium
Mulcahy Stadium is a 3,500-capacity baseball park in Anchorage, Alaska. Built in 1964, it is home to two teams of the Alaska Baseball League: the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and Anchorage Bucs. In addition to the Glacier Pilots and Bucs, high school and American Legion games are played at Mulcahy. The...
.
The University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
The University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest school of the University of Alaska System, with about 16,500 students, about 14,000 of whom attend classes at Goose Lake, its main campus in Anchorage....
(UAA) is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
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...
. It has Division I teams in gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, as well as several other Division II teams.
Anchorage hosts a number of sporting events. UAA sponsors the annual Great Alaska Shootout
Great Alaska Shootout
The Great Alaska Shootout is an annual college basketball tournament in Anchorage, Alaska that features colleges from all over the United States. The University of Alaska Anchorage hosts the tournament every Thanksgiving. Tournament games are played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage...
, an annual NCAA Division I basketball tournament featuring colleges and universities from across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Anchorage is the finish line for the Sadler's Ultra Challenge
Sadler's Ultra Challenge
The Sadler's Ultra Challenge is a wheelchair and handcycle race that runs between Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska. It is the world's longest wheelchair race. Divisions include Men's Handcycle , Men's Wheelchair, and Women's Handcycle. The 267 mile -long race is run in eight stages and...
wheelchair race, and holds the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The city was a candidate for hosting the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, but it lost to Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
and Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
respectively.
Anchorage is probably the premier cross-country skiing city on the planet, in terms of density of groomed trails within the urban core. There are 105 miles (169 km) of maintained ski trails in the city, some of which reach downtown. The same trail system also provides access to Chugach State Park, a 495000 acres (2,003.2 km²) high alpine park. The Tour of Anchorage is an annual 50-kilometer ski race within the city.
There are four Rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
clubs in Anchorage, including the Bird Creek Barbarians RFC, Anchorage Thunderbirds , Mat Valley Maulers RFC, and Spenard Green Dragons. The season runs from April through September.
Many Alaskan athletes in the 1990s appeared on the popular Television show, Sports Talk Alaska
Sports Talk Alaska
Sports Talk Alaska was a short run cable TV show in Anchorage, AK that aired during the years of 1995-96. The show was hosted by then Service High School Sophomore Kirk Caudle. The 30-minute show included mostly high school athletes from around the state...
. For many athletes this was their first major introduction to the city of Anchorage. However, many notable professional sports figures are from Anchorage. They include:
- Matt CarleMatt CarleMatthew Carle is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe 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...
hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player for the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... - Brandon DubinskyBrandon DubinskyBrandon Dubinsky is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe 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...
ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player for the New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... - Scott GomezScott GomezScott Carlos Gomez is an American ice hockey center of both Mexican and Colombian descent, currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe 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...
hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player for the Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... - Trajan LangdonTrajan LangdonTrajan Shaka Langdon is a retired American professional basketball player. A 210 lb. shooting guard, he gained fame in the U.S. while playing college basketball at Duke University with the Duke Blue Devils.-Biography:...
, former basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player in Europe, most notably with CSKA MoscowPBC CSKA MoscowPBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
, and member of the Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade TeamULEB Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade TeamThe ULEB Euroleague 2001-10 All-Decade Team consists of basketball players named to the Euroleague's All-Decade Team for the first 10 years of the ULEB competition from 2001-10.There were 50 players nominated for the All-Decade Team... - Josh PhelpsJosh PhelpsJoshua Lee Phelps is a Major League Baseball first baseman who plays for the Telemarket Rimini. He bats and throws right-handed...
, MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player for the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... - Mark SchlerethMark SchlerethMark Frederick Schlereth is a former professional football player and current television sportscaster. Schlereth played guard in the NFL for 12 seasons with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN on NFL Live, Sportscenter, and other programs...
, Former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
guard and current ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
analyst - Dave Williams (2000s pitcher), MLB pitcher for the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
- Shawn ChaconShawn ChacónShawn Anthony Chacón is a Major League pitcher, currently a free agent. He last played in the Majors for the Houston Astros...
, Pitcher for the Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field... - Ty ConklinTy ConklinTy Curtis Conklin is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League....
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe 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...
goalie for the Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... - Curt SchillingCurt SchillingCurtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
, former starting pitcher for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"... - Erik EllingtonErik EllingtonErik Ellington is a professional skateboarder. Ellington is goofy footed. He currently resides in Hollywood, California.Ellington was/is a member of the "Piss Drunx" c...
, Professional SkateboarderSkateboardA skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,... - Mario ChalmersMario ChalmersAlmario Vernard "Mario" Chalmers is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the NBA. He was selected 34th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves...
, guard for the NBA's Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami... - Zackary BowmanZackary BowmanZackary Bowman is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, cornerback for the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - Alan AlbornAlan AlbornAlan Jacob Alborn is a former American ski jumper who has been competing since 1998. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, he finished 11th in the team large hill and 11th in the individual normal hill events....
, American Olympian Ski Jumper, 2002 Winter Olympics2002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout... - Kelsey GriffinKelsey GriffinKelsey Griffin is a professional basketball player currently playing for the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA. She was drafted 3rd overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft. Griffin played college ball for Nebraska, leading the Cornhuskers to their best ever season...
, player for the WNBA'sWomen's National Basketball AssociationThe Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
Connecticut SunConnecticut SunThe Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
Notable sports figures from outside the Anchorage area include:
- Carlos BoozerCarlos BoozerCarlos Austin Boozer, Jr. is an American professional basketball player with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association...
, power forward for the Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
– grew up in Juneau