City of Champions

Durham is home to national championships, hall-of-fame coaches, the site of the first interracial basketball game, more state high school basketball titles than any other community in the state, and the backdrop for the best sports movie of all time according to many outlets.

The Duke University Blue Devils compete in 25 NCAA Division I sports in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), but the Duke men’s basketball team and its home arena, Cameron Indoor Stadium, are the most notable. That team’s resume includes four NCAA championships, 10 NCAA championship games, 15 Final Fours, 11 national players of the year, and 71 players selected in the NBA draft.

The Durham Bulls Baseball Club, founded in 1902, is the Triple-A baseball affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and is the most famous minor league baseball team in the country thanks to Bull Durham, the best sports movie of all time according to Sports Illustrated. The team plays 72 of 144 regular season home games at the 10,000 seat Durham Bulls Athletic Park. In 2009, the Bulls won their first Triple-A national championship and in 2011 earned their 6,000th win in franchise history.

The North Carolina Central University Eagles compete in 14 men’s and women’s NCAA sports as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). In 2012, NCCU completed a five-year transition to the NCAA Division I (Football Subdivision), which will bring even more national recognition to the historically black university.

With so many great sports teams, it’s easy to cheer for a hometown favorite. Sports enthusiasts can get tickets to local or home games and view the action live and in person!