1917 in sports


 * Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War I

1917 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

American football
College championship
 * College football national championship – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (coached by John Heisman)
 * Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers, opens

Association football
Europe Norway
 * There is no major football in Europe due to World War I
 * Foundation of Rosenborg BK at Trondheim

Athletics
Men's 1500 metres
 * John Zander (Sweden) breaks the world record by running a time of 2:19.1

Australian rules football
VFL Premiership: South Australian Football League: West Australian Football League:
 * Collingwood wins the 21st VFL Premiership: Collingwood 9.20 (74) d Fitzroy 5.9 (39) at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
 * not contested due to World War I
 * 15 September: South Fremantle 6.5 (41) defeats East Fremantle 3.8 (26) for their second consecutive WAFL premiership.

Bandy
Sweden
 * Championship final – IFK Uppsala 11–2 AIK

Baseball
World Series
 * 6–15 October — The Chicago White Sox (AL) defeat the New York Giants (NL) to win the 1917 World Series by 4 games to 2.

Boxing
Events Lineal world champions
 * Ted "Kid" Lewis regains the World Welterweight Championship and holds it until 1919.
 * Al McCoy loses the World Middleweight Championship title to Mike O'Dowd, who knocks him out in the 6th round at Brooklyn
 * Benny Leonard, widely regarded as the greatest-ever lightweight, defeats Freddie Welsh at New York to win the World Lightweight Championship, which he holds until he retires in 1925
 * Another great champion, Pete Herman defeats Kid Williams over 20 rounds at New Orleans to take the World Bantamweight Championship, which he holds until 1920
 * World Heavyweight Championship – Jess Willard
 * World Light Heavyweight Championship – Battling Levinsky
 * World Middleweight Championship – Al McCoy → Mike O'Dowd
 * World Welterweight Championship – Jack Britton → Ted "Kid" Lewis
 * World Lightweight Championship – Freddie Welsh → Benny Leonard
 * World Featherweight Championship – Johnny Kilbane
 * World Bantamweight Championship – Kid Williams → Pete Herman
 * World Flyweight Championship – Jimmy Wilde

Canadian football
Grey Cup
 * not contested due to World War I

Cricket
Events India
 * There is no first-class cricket in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or the West Indies due to World War I
 * Bombay Quadrangular – Europeans shared with Parsees

Cycling
Tour de France Giro d'Italia
 * not contested due to World War I
 * not contested due to World War I

Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships
 * not contested due to World War I

Golf
Events
 * All major championships are cancelled due to World War I

Handball

 * The first official handball match was played on December 2 in Berlin, Germany.

Horse racing
England Australia Canada Ireland USA
 * Grand National – not held due to World War I
 * 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Diadem
 * 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Gay Crusader
 * The Derby – Gay Crusader
 * The Oaks – Sunny Jane
 * St. Leger Stakes – Gay Crusader
 * Melbourne Cup – Westcourt
 * King's Plate – Belle Mahone
 * Irish Grand National – Pay Only
 * Irish Derby Stakes – First Flier
 * Kentucky Derby – Omar Khayyam
 * Preakness Stakes – Kalitan
 * Belmont Stakes – Hourless

Ice hockey
Stanley Cup Events
 * 17–26 March — Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA) defeats Montreal Canadiens (NHA) in the 1917 Stanley Cup Finals by 3 games to 1
 * Allan Cup – Toronto Dentals
 * 10 November — after Eddie Livingstone, owner of the Toronto NHA team, refuses to sell, the NHA votes to suspend operations
 * 26 November — in a secret meeting, several owners of the NHA form the National Hockey League (NHL) to force out the owner of the Toronto Blueshirts NHA team. Toronto's Arena Gardens will operate a temporary franchise in Toronto while Quebec Bulldogs becomes an NHL member but is suspended for the inaugural season.
 * 19 December — the opening NHL games are played to begin the new league's inaugural season

Motor racing
Events
 * No major races are held anywhere worldwide due to World War I

Multi-sport events
Far Eastern Championship Games
 * Third Far Eastern Championship Games held in Tokyo, Empire of Japan

Rowing
The Boat Race
 * Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race – not contested due to World War I
 * International Eight Boat Race - England v Australia. Rowed Putney To Hammersmith, London, 20th Oct. 1917. Won By Australia by 3/4 length.

Rugby league
England Australia New Zealand
 * All first-class competitions are cancelled due to World War I
 * NSW Premiership – Balmain (outright winner)
 * 1917 New Zealand rugby league season

Rugby union
Five Nations Championship
 * Five Nations Championship series is not contested due to World War I

Speed skating
Speed Skating World Championships
 * not contested due to World War I

Tennis
Australia England France USA Davis Cup
 * Australian Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
 * Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
 * Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
 * French Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
 * French Women's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
 * American Men's Singles Championship – Lindley Murray (USA) defeats Nathaniel Niles (USA) 5–7 8–6 6–3 6–3
 * American Women's Singles Championship – Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (Norway) defeats Marion Vanderhoef Morse (USA) 4–6 6–0 6–2
 * 1917 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested