Georgia Sports Teams and Events You Need to See

It may have taken 26 years for the Atlanta Braves to snag their second World Series championship, but when they did, the path to victory was filled with as much heart and soul as any great sports story. A Ted-Lasso-like tale of players coming together as a team, the win broke a sports curse that most Georgians didn’t even want to acknowledge.

If you’re even the slightest bit of a baseball fan, a Braves game at Truist Park in Cobb County should be on your to-do list. Regular season tickets are usually easy to come by, and there’s not a bad seat in the house. And what I love about the stadium is that you don’t even have to sit in your seat. Any ticketholder can walk to the top deck and watch the game from the Xfinity Rooftop and Patio or various terraces overlooking the field. There’s also plenty of fun for the whole family at Hope and Will’s Sandlot, where for an extra charge, you can zipline, play carnival games, or scale a rock-climbing wall.

Before or after the game, stop by one of the many bars and restaurants in the mixed-use development outside the stadium known as The Battery Atlanta. Favorites for drinks include Terrapin Taproom, PBR Atlanta, and Punch Bowl Social, while El Super Pan, Antico Pizza, and the Yard House are best bets for a meal.

Another Georgia sports team that put any talk of a curse to rest this year is the University of Georgia, which won its third national championship in football after a 41-year dry spell. With the Dawgs on top, now is a great time to watch a game in Athens with elite college players competing at the highest level. Single game tickets go on sale in the late summer at georgiadogs.com. The UGA-operated website also sells tickets for men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, and gymnastics.

Other Division 1 teams in Georgia include the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Georgia State University Panthers, and the Kennesaw State University Owls. The Panthers’ football team plays in Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, which was built for the 1996 Olympic Games. The stadium later served as Turner Field, the home of the Atlanta Braves for 19 years. Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field is located in midtown Atlanta and has an unbeatable view of the city skyline. You can watch the Yellow Jackets take on ACC opponents including Clemson and University of Miami at home in 2022.

Just five short years ago, the Atlanta Falcons met the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. The outcome wasn’t what Falcons fans were hoping for, but I feel sure they’ll get another shot someday. In the meantime, you can support the Falcons at their regular season home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The stadium has a state-of-the-art retractable roof surrounded by an impressive 360-degree, 63,000-square-foot high-definition halo video screen. Ticketholders can also enjoy a wide variety of premium concessions and craft beers from one of the stadium’s specialty vendors. And at a time when everything is getting more expensive, Mercedes-Benz Stadium continues to offer “fan-first” pricing, including $5 cheeseburgers and $1.50 hot dogs.

Before the game, enjoy some football-related activities on the Home Depot Backyard, an 11-acre greenspace in front of the stadium. And don’t forget to take a picture with the Atlanta Falcon sculpture, which perches atop a bronze football at the stadium’s main entrance. Crafted from 32 tons of stainless-steel, the enormous Falcon stands 41 feet tall and has a wingspan of 68 feet.  

Atlanta United, the city’s major league soccer team, already has an impressive record in its short history. The team won the MLS Cup in 2018 in only its second season, giving the city of Atlanta its first major sports championship since the Braves won the World Series in 1995. Atlanta United also hosted and won the Campeones Cup the following year.

Like the Falcons, Atlanta United plays in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The stadium’s vast size plus the ardent devotion of the team’s fans has led Atlanta United to hold the record for the top-10 most attended regular-season games in MLS history. The number one attendance record of 72,548 fans was set on August 4, 2019, at the match with the L.A. Galaxy.

Atlanta United games feature an array of Atlanta-oriented traditions. To commemorate Atlanta’s origins as the terminus of the Western and Atlantic Railway line, a celebrity or person of honor ceremoniously hammers an eight-foot golden spike into a platform before each game, and a train whistle blasts each time the team scores. And even the soccer chants include the city’s nickname: “A – T – L.”

The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club is one of the premier golf tournaments in the world, and it’s located right here in Georgia. If you’re a golf fan, going to the The Masters is undoubtedly on your bucket list. But even if you’re not really a golf fan, you should make every effort to attend at least once.

The perfectly manicured greens, the azaleas, the white-columned clubhouses, the $1.50 pimento cheese sandwiches, the world’s most famous golfers everywhere you look—it’s a whole vibe. And if you’re a person who appreciates ambiance a lot and golf even a little, you’re going to have fun.

Unfortunately, it’s tough to get Masters tickets (called badges) because it’s such a sought-after event, but you can apply online each June to win the right to purchase a badge to either a practice round or a tournament round. The drawing is usually held in July for the event the following April.

If you’re lucky enough to score a badge, be sure to follow the appropriate rules of decorum at Augusta National, including leaving your cell phone at home. Cameras are also prohibited during the tournament but are allowed during the practice rounds.

Gearheads and adrenaline junkies alike should check out Atlanta Motor Speedway, which hosts two different NASCAR Cup Series events each year. In 2022, racing aficionados can watch the Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 in March and the Quaker State 400 in July. Tickets are available online and range from $39 to $109 for adults. Tickets for kids 12 and under are just $10 a piece.

If you’ve never been to a NASCAR race, you might not realize that the higher in the stands you sit, the more expensive the ticket. Why? Because the cars are loud and fast, and pieces of tires and other debris shower down on you if you’re right next to the track. It’s also important to bring ear protection to the race no matter where you’re seated.

NASCAR is another event that’s all about the experience. Even if you’re not usually a racing fan, there’s something thrilling about seeing stock cars roar past you again and again at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour.