Springfield, Missouri

===Sports===
Springfield hosts college teams from [[Missouri State University]] ([[NCAA Division I]]), [[Drury University]] ([[NCAA Division II]]), and [[Evangel University]] ([[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]]). [[Great Southern Bank Arena]] (capacity 11,000) opened in 2008 and hosted the [[Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears]] basketball teams, and the [[O'Reilly Family Event Center]], which opened in 2010, hosts the [[Drury Panthers]] men's and women's basketball teams. 
[[File:United States Army Corps of Engineers in Kansas (14710014375).jpg|thumb|[[Hammons Field]]]]
The [[Springfield Cardinals]], the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] affiliate of the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], have played at [[Hammons Field]] in downtown Springfield since their inaugural season in 2005 after the team moved from [[El Paso Diablos|El Paso]]. There have been more than 100 Springfield Cardinals who have gone on to play for St. Louis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20081124&content_id=41102746&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_t440&sid=t440|title=FAQ's {{!}} Springfield Cardinals Content|website=Springfield Cardinals|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> Springfield has had minor league teams dating back to 1905, and this city has hosted various exposition games.

Springfield Rugby Football Club (SRFC) was established in 1983 and is a well-known rugby club in the [[Midwestern United States]]. SRFC plays in Division II of the Frontier Region of the Western Conference which runs teams for men, women and youth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.springfieldrugby.com/page/show/1363590-about-srfc-rugby-and-some-history|title=About|website=Springfield Rugby Club, Missouri|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>

The [[PGA Tour|PGA]] sponsored [[Price Cutter Charity Championship]] is played at Highland Springs Country Club on the southeast side of Springfield every year. The event is sponsored by [[Dr Pepper]]. Since the event started in 1990, more than $14 million has been raised for local children's charities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pricecuttercc.org/history/|title=History|website=Price Cutter Charity Championship|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> 
[[File:JQHArenaExterior.08.2010.jpg|thumb|[[JQH Arena]]]]
Springfield has hosted various sporting events. Missouri State's campus in Springfield has hosted the Missouri [[Special Olympics]] several times. Springfield has also hosted the Show-Me Games and regularly hosts the Missouri Winter Games in the sports of [[racquetball]], [[trap shooting]], [[Swimming (sport)|swimming]], [[volleyball]] and [[gymnastics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mowintergames.org/swimming|title=Swimming {{!}} Missouri Winter Games|website=missouriwintergames|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> In 2019 and 2020, Springfield will the host of the [[NAIA Softball Championship]] [[World Series]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=211717982&DB_OEM_ID=27900|title=Softball World Series Heads to Springfield, Mo., in 2019 and 2020|website=NAIA.org|date=June 7, 2018|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> Springfield has also been the host of the [[Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament]], as well as finals for the [[Missouri Valley Conference]] in sports like tennis and volleyball.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mvc-sports.com/sports/2018/6/18/18CHAMPS.aspx|title=2018-19 Championships|website=mvc-sports.com|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> As a city with a [[World TeamTennis]] team, the [[Springfield Lasers]], Springfield has hosted final games at [[Cooper Tennis Complex]].

The [[Missouri Sports Hall of Fame]] is located in the city. Opening in 1994, the hall of fame contains over four thousand sports related items and exhibits. Each year the hall inducts new members who have contributed to sports in the state of Missouri, including athletes, broadcasters, coaches, physical therapists, winning sports teams and [[Olympic Games|Olympic athletes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mosportshalloffame.com/inductees1/|title=Missouri Sports Hall of Fame {{!}} Inductees|website=Missouri Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>

Beginning in 2003, Springfield was only one of thirteen cities in the United States to be a part of the [[US Olympic Committee]]'s Olympic Development Program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.teamusa.org:443/About-the-USOC/Community/Partner-Programs/CODP|title=CODP|website=Team USA|access-date=March 10, 2019}}{{dead link|date=September 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The goal of the program was to develop beginning athletes into elite athletes, with Springfield's program focusing on archery, hockey, tennis and volleyball. Despite the end of the Olympic program in all cities, the city maintains the program as the Community Sports Development Program sponsored by the Springfield Greene County Park Board.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parkboard.org/338/Community-Sports-Development-Program-CSD|title=Community Sports Development Program (CSDP) {{!}} Springfield-Greene County Park Board|website=www.parkboard.org|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>

On March 9, 2023, Springfield was announced as the first of four teams in [[The Arena League]], an indoor football league with its inaugural season in 2024. The [[Ozarks Lunkers]] hosts games at the [[Wilson Logistics Arena]] at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds.

====Sports teams====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" | Club
! scope="col" | League
! scope="col" | Sport
! scope="col" | Venue
! scope="col" | Established
! scope="col" | Championships
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;text-align:left;" | [[Springfield Cardinals]]
| [[Texas League]] 
| Baseball
| [[Hammons Field]]
| 2005
| 1
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;text-align:left;" | [[Springfield Lasers]]
| [[World TeamTennis|WTT]] 
| Team tennis
| [[Cooper Tennis Complex]]
| 1996
| 1
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;text-align:left;" |
[[Demize NPSL]]
| [[National Premier Soccer League|NPSL]]
| Soccer
| Cooper Stadium
| 2014
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;text-align:left;" |[[Ozarks Lunkers]]
| [[The Arena League]]
| Arena Football
| [[Wilson Logistics Arena]]
| 2024
| 0
|}