With 14 professional sports venues within an hour’s drive – a higher concentration than any city in the world – as well as multiple new or renovated college facilities, not to mention one of the world’s largest amateur sports complexes and enviable weather, Phoenix has amassed a diverse hosting resume.
The Valley has been the site for multiple Super Bowls, most recently in 2023, and NCAA Division I Men’s Final Fours; a CFP National Championship; the 2024 NCAA Convention; the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa, featuring the U.S. women’s national team and NFL annual league meetings. In March, the city hosted the WWE Smackdown and then the NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four in April.
That's why Phoenix is ranked as No. 8 in the country among the Best Sports Cities in 2026 by Sports Business Journal, an affiliated publication of Phoenix Business Journal. That's a jump in the rankings for the Arizona capital, which was No. 10 when the previous rankings were released in 2023.
