Alabama is home to a number of professional teams in various sports. The National Basketball Developmental League (NBDL) is an affiliate with the NBA and has teams in Mobile and Huntsville. The Birmingham Power is a member of the National Womens Basketball League (NWBL) and the Birmingham Steeldogs are an Arena League2 football squad. The Birmingham Steel Magnolias are a professional women's football team. There are minor league baseball clubs at Birmingham, Mobile, and Huntsville, and minor league hockey teams at Birmingham, Huntsville, and Mobile. Two major professional stock car races, the DieHard 500 and the Winston 500, in April and October, respectively, are held at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega. Dog racing was legalized in Mobile in 1971. Four of the major hunting-dog competitions in the US are held annually in the state.
Football reigns supreme among collegiate sports. The University of Alabama finished number one in 1961,1964, 1965 (against Michigan State), 1978 (against USC), 1979, and 1992 and is a perennial top-ten entry. Competing in the Southeastern Conference, Alabama's Crimson Tide won the Sugar Bowl in 1962, 1964, 1967, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1993; the Orange Bowl in 1943, 1953, 1963, and 1966; the Cotton Bowl in 1942 and 1981; the Sun Bowl in 1983 and 1988; the Gator Bowl in 1993; the Florida Citrus Bowl in 1995; and the Outback Bowl in 1997. They also captured the 2001 Independence Bowl. The Crimson Tide have won a total of 12 national championships and 21 SEC titles. Auburn University, which also competes in the Southeastern Conference, won the Sugar Bowl in 1984; the Florida Citrus Bowl in 1982 and 1987; the Gator Bowl in 1954, 1971, and 1972; the Peach Bowl in 1990; the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1990; and the Sun Bowl in 1968. The Tigers have won 14 bowl games and have produced two Heisman trophy winners (Pat Sullivan and Bo Jackson). The Blue-Gray game, an all-star contest, is held at Montgomery on Christmas Day, and the Senior Bowl game is played in Mobile in January. Additionally, Alabama-Huntsville won NCAA Division II hockey championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Boat races include the annual Dauphin Island Race, the largest one-day sailing race in the United States. The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is located at Birmingham.
There are several famous athletes who were born in Alabama. Among the most notable are Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Jesse Owens, and Bo Jackson.