There’s no doubt about it – the United States love sport. The country plays host to many world-famous clubs and brands, but nothing comes close to New York City. Name a sport and chances are the Big Apple will have a team or four. With a population of nearly nine million, there are certainly enough fans around to support many of NYC’s world famous clubs. By UCFB teaming up with the Reb Bull Arena, home of MLS side New York Red Bulls, students will experience sport in the city in a whole new way…
- Perhaps the biggest sign that NYC really is the place to be for US sport is the fact that the city is the base for the headquarters for each of America’s main sports. The NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB all count the Big Apple as home, not to mention the ever-growing MLS.
- So many sports, so many teams. NYC is home to eight franchises across the four most popular professional leagues. The Giants and Jets ply their trade in the NFL; the Knicks and Nets in the NBA; in MLB the Yankees and Mets represent the city, and in the NHL the Rangers and Islanders are firm NYC favourites. Add in the Red Bulls and City from the MLS, America’s fastest growing league, and suddenly that’s a lot of elite sport.
- UCFB students and alumni are looking forward to visiting the Red Bull Arena – America’s leading soccer specific stadium. Many of the other teams listed above also play their games at some of the most iconic stadiums and arenas in the world. Yankee Stadium, a mecca for baseball fans around the world, also plays host to New York City in the MLS; the 82,000 capacity MetLife stadium opened in 2010 and is home to both NFL sides. It also played host to the Super Bowl in 2014 – the first ever Super Bowl to be played in New York, and is expected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Then of course there is Madison Square Garden, home to the Knicks and Rangers, not to mention countless world-class boxing bouts. Is The Garden perhaps the most famed indoor arena in the world? Probably.
- Perhaps it’s down to being the most cosmopolitan city in the US, but NYC has gone mad for the world’s game in the last decade – soccer. The Red Bulls are now one of the most established sides in the MLS following their launch in 1994, and were joined by City, who launched in 2013. Between them the clubs have brought the likes of David Villa, Thierry Henry and Frank Lampard to the east coast, wowing fans in the process.
- Set in the romantically named Flushing Meadows, each August and September the US Open gives tennis fans the chance to indulge in the final major event of the season. Crowds from around the world flock to New York City’s summer climate to watch the best players in the world take each other on at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. Serena Williams and Chris Evert currently hold the record for most US Open titles in the open era with six, and Williams is desperate to win a seventh following defeat in the 2018 final.
New York’s Red Bull Arena, Atlanta’s brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Toronto FC’s BMO Field and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) play host to the Global Institute of Sport hubs, enabling students and graduates to enhance their knowledge and expertise of the international sports industry.
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The Global Insight Series is a thought leadership series, exclusively collated and made available for all UCFB & GIS on-campus and online students. The series provides unprecedented access to our elite sports network.
