# Sports in North Carolina

Athletes and sports teams from North Carolina compete across an array of professional and amateur levels of competition, along with athletes who compete at the World and Olympic levels in their respective sport. Major league professional teams based in North Carolina include teams that compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The state is also home to NASCAR Cup Series races. At the collegiate and university level, there are several North Carolina schools in various conferences across an array of divisions. North Carolina also has many minor league baseball teams. There are also a number of indoor football, indoor soccer, minor league basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams based throughout the state.

## Major league professional teams

| Team | League | Metro area | Stadium | Founded |
| Charlotte Hornets | National Basketball Association | Charlotte | Spectrum Center | 1988 |
| Carolina Panthers | National Football League | Charlotte | Bank of America Stadium | 1995 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | National Hockey League | Raleigh | Lenovo Center | 1972 (based in North Carolina since 1997) |
| North Carolina Courage | National Women's Soccer League | Cary/Raleigh | First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park | 2017 |
| Charlotte FC | Major League Soccer | Charlotte | Bank of America Stadium | 2019 (joined in 2022) |
| Carolina Chaos | Premier Lacrosse League | Charlotte | American Legion Memorial Stadium | 2019 (based in North Carolina since 2024) |
| Carolina Ascent FC | USL Super League | Charlotte | American Legion Memorial Stadium | 2023 (started play in 2024) |

## Baseball

Though it has never been home to a Major League Baseball club, North Carolina is home to numerous minor league and collegiate summer league teams. Many colleges with athletic programs also field baseball teams.
| Team | City | Level | League | Founded | MLB affiliation |
| Charlotte Knights | Charlotte | AAA | International League | 1976 | Chicago White Sox |
| Durham Bulls | Durham | AAA | International League | 1902 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| Asheville Tourists | Asheville | A+ | South Atlantic League | 1976 | Houston Astros |
| Greensboro Grasshoppers | Greensboro | A+ | South Atlantic League | 1979 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Winston-Salem Dash | Winston-Salem | A+ | South Atlantic League | 1945 | Chicago White Sox |
| Carolina Mudcats | Zebulon | A | Carolina League | 1978 | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Fayetteville Woodpeckers | Fayetteville | A | Carolina League | 2017 | Houston Astros |
| Hickory Crawdads | Hickory | A | Carolina League | 1977 | Texas Rangers |
| Kannapolis Cannon Ballers | Kannapolis | A | Carolina League | 1995 | Chicago White Sox |
| Gastonia Honey Hunters | Gastonia | Independent | Atlantic League | 2021 | |
| High Point Rockers | High Point | Independent | Atlantic League | 2018 | |
| Burlington Sock Puppets | Burlington | Collegiate | Appalachian League | 2021 | |
| Asheboro ZooKeepers | Asheboro | Collegiate | Coastal Plain League | 1999 | |
| Edenton Steamers | Edenton | Collegiate | Tidewater Summer League | 1998 | |
| Forest City Owls | Forest City | Collegiate | Coastal Plain League | 2007 | |
| Gastonia Grizzlies | Gastonia | Collegiate | Coastal Plain League | 2002 | |
| Holly Springs Salamanders | Holly Springs | Collegiate | Coastal Plain League | 2015 | |
| Morehead City Marlins | Morehead City | Collegiate | Coastal Plain League | 2010 | |
| High Point-Thomasville HiToms | Thomasville | Collegiate | Coastal Plain League | 1999 | |
| Wilmington Sharks | Wilmington | Collegiate | Coastal Plain League | 1997 | |
| Wilson Tobs | Wilson | Collegiate | Coastal Plain League | 1997 | |