Shreveport, Louisiana Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Sports== {{Main|Sports in Shreveport-Bossier}} [[File:Shreveport September 2015 012 (Independence Stadium).jpg|thumb|Independence Stadium, 2015|alt=|left]] Dating back to 1911, the state fairgrounds (and later [[Independence Stadium (Shreveport)|Independence Stadium]], formerly State Fair Stadium) has traditionally hosted a college football game or two during the State Fair of Louisiana, an event currently dubbed the [[Red River State Fair Classic]]. Since 1976, Independence Stadium has served as host of college football's annual [[Independence Bowl]].<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/s/sn/20071228/sp_sn/shreveportthegrandaddyofbadbowlgames]{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Also, the [[Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football]] team occasionally hosts games at Independence Stadium. Shreveport was also home to a few now defunct football teams. The Houston franchise of the professional [[World Football League]] relocated to Shreveport rebranded as the [[Shreveport Steamer]] midway through the 1974 season, but the franchise along with the WFL folded midway through the 1975 season. Another franchise named the [[Shreveport Steamers]] played as a member of the [[American Football Association (1978–1983)|American Football Association]] from 1979 until folding in 1981. Shreveport's Independence Stadium was also home to the [[Shreveport Pirates]], an unsuccessful professional [[Canadian Football League]] franchise that opened play in 1994 but folded after the 1995 season. Baseball in Shreveport has an extensive past. The city had affiliated [[Minor League Baseball]] teams from 1968 to 2002. The most memorable team was the [[Shreveport Captains]] of the [[Texas League]]. Baseball teams in Shreveport have gone through eight different name changes and seven different leagues all since 1895. Shreveport's most recent independent minor league baseball team, the [[Shreveport-Bossier Captains]], ceased operations in 2011 and moved to [[Laredo, Texas]]. The city also has an extensive history in basketball and soccer. The [[Shreveport Crawdads]] and Shreveport Storm operated in 1994 and 1995 as members of the [[Continental Basketball Association]]. The [[Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks]] of the [[American Basketball Association (2000–present)|American Basketball Association]] played from 2013 to 2015 before relocating to [[Owensboro, Kentucky]]; since 2021, the Mavericks returned as the [[Shreveport Mavericks]] within [[The Basketball League]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-17|title=Shreveport Mavericks win home opener|url=https://www.arklatexhomepage.com/sports/local-sports/shreveport-mavericks-win-home-opener/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=ArkLaTexHomepage|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gibson|first=Kaitlyn|title=Shreveport Mavericks secure first win of the season|url=https://www.ksla.com/2021/04/11/shreveport-mavericks-secure-first-win-season/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=KSLA|date=April 11, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref> The Shreveport/Bossier Lions played in 1998 as affiliates of the [[United Soccer League]]. [[National Premier Soccer League|NPSL]]-affiliate [[Shreveport Rafters FC]] operated from 2016 to 2018; their expansion team for the [[Women's Premier Soccer League]] operated for one season in 2017. Shreveport almost had a USL expansion team in 2020 before its rejection by the city council,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bayliss|first=Deborah|title=City Councilman calls Cross Bayou Point lawsuit 'a bunch of malarkey'|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2020/01/13/cross-bayou-point-project-shreveport-faces-legal-hurdle/4454391002/|access-date=2020-07-29|website=Shreveport Times|language=en-US}}</ref> though [[USL League Two]] announced the establishment of [[Blue Goose SC]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=USLLeagueTwo com|date=2022-01-13|title=United Soccer League Welcomes Blue Goose Soccer Club to League Two for the 2022 Season|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/news_article/show/1203083-united-soccer-league-welcomes-blue-goose-soccer-club-to-league-two-for-the-2022-season|access-date=2022-02-13|website=USL League Two|language=en-us}}</ref> The city was once considered as location for an [[NBA G League]]-affiliate of the [[New Orleans Pelicans]]. The city council unanimously rejected the proposal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ridiculousupside.com/2017/9/13/16304326/shreveport-denies-arena-for-g-league-team-pensacola-sits-as-favorite-nba-pelicans|title=Shreveport Denies Arena For Pelicans G League Team; Pensacola Sits As Favorite|last=Schmidt|first=Dakota|date=2017-09-13|website=Ridiculous Upside|language=en|access-date=2020-02-12}}</ref> The [[Shreveport Mudbugs]] are a [[Junior ice hockey#Tier II|Tier II junior ice hockey]] team that has competed in the [[North American Hockey League]] since 2016. The [[Centenary Gentlemen and Ladies]] compete in [[NCAA Division III]] as a member of the [[Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference]]. The [[LSU–Shreveport Pilots]] compete in the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] as a member of the [[Red River Athletic Conference]]. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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