It’s no wonder the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame calls Springfield home. Sports Illustrated has ranked Springfield as one of America’s top sports towns, and once you’re here, it’s easy to see why. From professional baseball and nationally ranked college basketball to dozens of golf courses and year-round recreational leagues, Springfield offers something for every kind of athlete and fan.
Springfield has a professional-level baseball team, as well as a professional tennis team.
Our city is near the epicenter of Missouri’s “Cardinal Nation,” and we wear our red loud and proud when cheering for our Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. From April through August, fans pack the 8,000-seat Hammons Field in the heart of downtown to watch these hot-shot rookies work their way up to the major leagues.
The Cooper Tennis Complex is also home to professional tennis through the Springfield Lasers. The facility has hosted Fed Cup play, ATP and WTA professional tournaments, and numerous USTA programs, making it one of the more notable tennis venues in the region.
Springfield’s concentration of colleges and universities makes for a rich college sports scene year-round.
Missouri State University’s men’s and women’s basketball programs compete as members of the Missouri Valley Conference, playing home games at Great Southern Bank Arena in the heart of Springfield. The program has a long history in the conference, and under head coach Cuonzo Martin, who previously led the Bears to their first-ever MVC regular-season title, the program is focused on building back toward that standard.
Missouri State’s Ice Bears Division II and Division III hockey teams continue to draw strong crowds at Mediacom Ice Park, one of the top facilities in the ACHA.
Springfield is also home to the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions, one of the premier high school basketball events in the country. The tournament just celebrated its 40th edition and consistently draws top-ranked programs and nationally recruited players from across the country to compete at Great Southern Bank Arena each January.
Whether you’re looking for a casual league or serious competition, Springfield’s sports infrastructure makes it easy to stay active. The city offers organized programs for softball, volleyball, tennis, soccer, flag football, swimming, disc golf, pickleball, and more.
The Killian Sports Complex features six lighted softball and baseball fields, including artificial turf installed in 2025, and serves as home to Missouri State Softball. The complex hosts state, regional, and national tournaments throughout the season. Mediacom Ice Park offers year-round open skating along with instructional and hockey programs for all skill levels.
The Greater Springfield Community Sports Development Program (CSDP) provides training and development in archery, ice hockey, tennis, and volleyball. The program reaches around 600 athletes per year and is administered through a partnership with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, which provides coaches, equipment, and facilities.
Pickleball has taken off in Springfield in a big way. There are now 19 pickleball locations with 74 courts across the city, ranging from the 12 outdoor lighted courts at Meador Park to indoor options at family centers and private facilities. The Park Board has hosted USA Pickleball Middle States Regional tournaments at Cooper Tennis Complex, drawing hundreds of competitors from across the region each year.
From early morning yoga to weekend obstacle races, Springfield makes it easy to stay fit year-round. The Springfield-Greene County Parks Department, regional YMCA, both major health systems, and surrounding community centers all offer facilities and programming to keep residents active.
The racing calendar stays full, with at least one 5K nearly every weekend. The Bass Pro Shops Conservation Marathon Weekend is Springfield’s premier race event, drawing more than 4,000 participants across a full marathon, half marathon, relay, and 5K. The marathon is a Boston qualifier and has been named the Best Marathon in Missouri by RaceRaves. The month-long Outdoor Fitness Festival surrounds the race weekend with additional events and a free health and wellness expo. Cap off the fall season with the Turkey Trot, the largest Thanksgiving Day 5K in Missouri, attracting more than 7,000 participants through downtown Springfield each year.
Cyclists are well covered too. Springfield holds bronze-level Bicycle-Friendly Community status through its expanding system of greenway trails, multi-use sidepaths, and on-street bicycle routes. The network now spans 110 miles of trails and sidepaths, plus 80 miles of on-street bicycle routes, giving riders of all experience levels plenty of options year-round.
With dozens of public and private courses in and around Springfield and nearby Branson, golfers here are spoiled for choice. Two championship courses stand out locally: Highland Springs Country Club and Payne Stewart Golf Club. The broader Springfield-Branson corridor has long been regarded as one of the top golf destinations in the Midwest, with courses spread across the scenic Ozark hills.
Just outside Branson, the Big Cedar Lodge golf collection has become a bucket-list destination for golfers across the country. Payne’s Valley is the first fully public-access course in the world completed by Tiger Woods’ design firm TGR Design, created in partnership between Johnny Morris and the Payne Stewart family. The course was named Best New Public Course in America by Golf Digest when it opened and has since landed on Golf Magazine’s, Golf Digest’s, and Golfweek’s Top 100 Public Courses lists. Most recently, Payne’s Valley was named America’s Best Public Golf Course in USA Today’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. Big Cedar Lodge has continued expanding its golf offerings, with the 2025 opening of Cliffhangers, a dramatic new par-3 course designed by Johnny Morris and his son, draped across a rugged limestone cliffside overlooking Payne’s Valley.
Yes. Springfield has been the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals since 2005, with the Springfield Cardinals playing home games at Hammons Field in downtown from April through August. The city is also home to the Springfield Lasers professional tennis team at Cooper Tennis Complex. In December 2024, Springfield City Council unanimously approved a letter of intent with the United Soccer League to explore bringing professional men's and women's soccer teams to Springfield, so the professional sports landscape here is still growing.
Missouri State University competes in the Missouri Valley Conference across 16 sports, with basketball drawing the biggest crowds to Great Southern Bank Arena downtown. MSU's men's soccer program has made six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and holds the best overall win percentage in Division I since 2019, and the women's soccer team has been equally strong. Drury University also fields competitive Division II programs across multiple sports.
Yes, Springfield has an extensive recreational sports infrastructure managed largely through the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. Adult and youth leagues are available for softball, volleyball, tennis, soccer, pickleball, swimming, disc golf, flag football, and more. There are also programs through the YMCA, community centers, and private facilities across the city.
The Springfield-Branson corridor is widely regarded as one of the top golf destinations in the Midwest. There are dozens of public and private courses in the area, including championship courses in Springfield and the nationally acclaimed Big Cedar Lodge collection just outside Branson. Payne's Valley, the first fully public course designed by Tiger Woods' TGR Design firm, was named America's Best Public Golf Course in USA Today's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards and consistently ranks among the top public courses in the country.
Pickleball has taken off in Springfield in a big way. There are now 19 pickleball locations with 74 courts across the city, ranging from outdoor lighted courts at Meador Park to indoor options at family centers and private facilities. The Ozarks Pickleball Club has been active since 2008 and hosts leagues, clinics, and tournaments throughout the year. Cooper Tennis Complex has also hosted USA Pickleball Middle States Regional tournaments, drawing hundreds of competitors from across the region. Whether you're a beginner picking up a paddle for the first time or a competitive player looking for league play, Springfield has options at every level.
