1966 in sports

1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

 * FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –
 * Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France
 * Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France

American football

 * Orange Bowl (1965 season):
 * The Alabama Crimson Tide won 39–28 over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to win the AP Poll national championship after the previous #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans lost in the Rose Bowl and the #2 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks lost in the Cotton Bowl. This was the first time the AP conducted its final rankings at the conclusion of the postseason bowl games.
 * June 8: The AFL and NFL reach an agreement to merge as equals into one league under the NFL name, to take effect with the 1970 season.
 * AFL Championship – Kansas City Chiefs won 31–7 over the Buffalo Bills to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
 * NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 34–27 over the Dallas Cowboys to advance to Super Bowl I in Jan. 1967
 * Each of the two existing top-level professional leagues added a new team for the 1966 season. The Atlanta Falcons joined the NFL, and the Miami Dolphins joined the AFL.
 * 1966 NCAA University Division football season:
 * November 19 – The top-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the second-ranked Michigan State Spartans play to a 10–10 tie; Notre Dame retains its No. 1 ranking in the polls and are later named AP and UPI national champions.

Artistic gymnastics

 * World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
 * Men's all-around champion: Mikhail Voronin, USSR
 * Women's all-around champion: Věra Čáslavská, Czechoslovakia
 * Men's team competition champion: Japan
 * Women's team competition champion: Czechoslovakia

England

 * FA Cup final – Everton win 3–2 against Sheffield Wednesday

International

 * World Cup – England defeats Germany to win the 1966 World Cup Final.
 * FIFA decide to give the right to host the 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1978 FIFA World Cup and 1982 Football World Cup to West Germany, Argentina and Spain respectively

Athletics

 * July 17 – American runner Jim Ryun sets a new world record for the mile at 3:51.3
 * August – 1966 Commonwealth Games held at Kingston, Jamaica
 * September – 1966 European Championships in Athletics held at Budapest
 * December – 1966 Asian Games held at Bangkok

Australian rules football

 * Victorian Football League
 * St Kilda wins the 70th VFL Premiership (St Kilda 10.14 (74) d Collingwood 10.13 (73))
 * Brownlow Medal awarded to Ian Stewart (St Kilda)

Baseball

 * Milwaukee Braves move to Atlanta, Georgia and become the Atlanta Braves.
 * January 20 – The BBWAA elects Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.
 * Roberto Clemente is the National League MVP.
 * Frank Robinson is the American League MVP.
 * Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the Major League Baseball Cy Young Award
 * Tommie Agee of the Chicago White Sox is the American League MLB Rookie of the Year award
 * Tommy Helms of the Cincinnati Red is the National League MLB Rookie of the Year award
 * Ted Williams is inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.
 * World Series – Baltimore Orioles win 4 games to 0 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Series MVP: Frank Robinson, Baltimore
 * College World Series – Ohio State defeats Oklahoma State 8–2 at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Ohio State pitcher Steve Arlin is named tournament Most Outstanding Player

Basketball

 * NCAA University Division Basketball Championship –
 * Texas Western wins 72–65 over Kentucky
 * NBA Finals –
 * Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers. This would be the last of the Celtics' record eight straight NBA titles.
 * NBA MVP – Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain
 * A first season of Basketball Bundesliga was held in Germany on October 1.
 * A first Basketball Super League of Turkey games was held on December 13, replace from three regional (Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir) basketball league were merger.
 * An NBA club, Chicago Bulls was founded in Illinois, United States on January 16.

Boxing

 * March 29, Muhammad Ali defeats George Chuvalo in a 15-round unanimous decision
 * April 25 at New York City, World Welterweight Champion Emile Griffith won a 15-round unanimous decision over Dick Tiger to also become the World Middleweight Champion.
 * May 21 Muhammad Ali defeats Henry Cooper with a 6th-round TKO
 * August 6 Muhammad Ali defeats Brian London with a 3rd-round KO
 * September 10 Muhammad Ali defeats Karl Mildenberger with a 12th-round TKO
 * November 14, Muhammad Ali knocks out Cleveland Williams in three rounds to retain the WBC heavyweight title.

Canadian football

 * Grey Cup – Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29–14 over the	Ottawa Rough Riders
 * Vanier Cup – St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40–14 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

Cycling

 * Giro d'Italia won by Gianni Motta of Italy
 * Tour de France – Lucien Aimar of France
 * Vuelta a España – Francisco Gabica of Spain
 * UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Rudi Altig of Germany

Figure skating

 * World Figure Skating Championships –
 * Men's champion: Emmerich Dänzer, Austria
 * Ladies' champion: Peggy Fleming, United States
 * Pair skating champions: Ludmila Belousova & Oleg Protopopov, Soviet Union
 * Ice dancing champions: Diane Towler & Bernard Ford, Great Britain

Golf
Men's professional Men's amateur Women's professional
 * July 24 – Tony Lema (32), American golf champion, died in an air crash at Munster, Indiana
 * Masters Tournament – Jack Nicklaus
 * U.S. Open – Billy Casper
 * British Open – Jack Nicklaus becomes the fourth player to win all four major professional championships.
 * PGA Championship – Al Geiberger
 * PGA Tour money leader – Billy Casper – $121,945
 * British Amateur – Bobby Cole
 * U.S. Amateur – Gary Cowan
 * Women's Western Open – Mickey Wright
 * LPGA Championship – Gloria Ehret
 * U.S. Women's Open – Sandra Spuzich
 * Titleholders Championship – Kathy Whitworth
 * LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $33,517

Harness racing

 * Romeo Hanover wins the United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
 * Cane Pace – Romeo Hanover
 * Little Brown Jug – Romeo Hanover
 * Messenger Stakes – Romeo Hanover
 * United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
 * Hambletonian – Kerry Way
 * Yonkers Trot – Polaris
 * Kentucky Futurity – Governor Armbro
 * Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
 * Pacers: Chamfer Star
 * Trotters: Yamamoto

Horse racing
Steeplechases Flat races
 * Cheltenham Gold Cup – Arkle
 * Grand National – Anglo
 * Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Galilee
 * Canada – Queen's Plate won by Titled Hero
 * France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Bon Mot
 * Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sodium
 * English Triple Crown Races:
 * 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Kashmir
 * The Derby – Charlottown
 * St. Leger Stakes – Sodium
 * United States Triple Crown Races:
 * Kentucky Derby – Kauai King
 * Preakness Stakes – Kauai King
 * Belmont Stakes – Amberoid

Ice hockey

 * Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
 * Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens won 4–2 over the Detroit Red Wings
 * World Hockey Championship
 * Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia
 * NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan State University Spartans defeat Clarkson University Golden Knights 6–1 in Minneapolis

Orienteering

 * First Orienteering World Championships held 1–2 October in Fiskars, Finland.

Rugby league

 * 1966 New Zealand rugby league season
 * 1966 NSWRFL season
 * 1965–66 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1966–67 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

 * 72nd Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales

Snooker

 * World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Fred Davis 5–2 in matches.

Speed skating

 * January 4 – death of Inga Artamonova (29), Russian world speed-skating champion, who was murdered by her husband

Tennis
Australia England France USA Davis Cup
 * Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Arthur Ashe (USA) 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3
 * Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) walkover
 * Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Manuel Santana (Spain) defeats Dennis Ralston (USA) 6–4, 11–9, 6–4
 * Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
 * French Men's Singles Championship – Tony Roche (Australia) defeats István Gulyás (Hungary) 6–1, 6–4, 7–5
 * French Women's Singles Championship – Ann Haydon Jones (Great Britain) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) 6–3, 6–1
 * American Men's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
 * American Women's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968
 * 1966 Davis Cup – 4–1  at Kooyong Stadium (grass) Melbourne, Australia

Volleyball

 * 1966 FIVB Men's World Championship in Prague won by Czechoslovakia

Multi-sport events

 * Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand
 * 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica
 * Central American and Caribbean Games held in San Juan, Puerto Rico
 * Fourth Winter Universiade held in Sestriere, Italy

Awards

 * Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Frank Robinson, Major League Baseball
 * Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Kathy Whitworth, LPGA golf
 * Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year - Jim Ryun, running