1972 in sports

1972 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Alpine skiing

 * Alpine Skiing World Cup
 * Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy
 * Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria

American football

 * 16 January − Super Bowl VI: the Dallas Cowboys (NFC) won 24−3 over the Miami Dolphins (AFC)
 * Location: Tulane Stadium
 * Attendance: 81,023
 * MVP: Roger Staubach, QB (Dallas)
 * Orange Bowl (1971 season):
 * The Nebraska Cornhuskers won 38–6 over the Alabama Crimson Tide to win the college football national championship
 * 23 December – In the first Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game in 25 years (and the franchises first playoff win), rookie Franco Harris salvages and converts into a touchdown a final seconds Terry Bradshaw incomplete pass in what has been called the greatest play in NFL history—The Immaculate Reception—to beat the Oakland Raiders 13–7.

Association football

 * Brazil – Palmeiras wins the Campeonato Brasileiro
 * England – FA Cup – Leeds United won 1–0 over Arsenal
 * Europe – Cup Winners' Cup – Rangers F.C. won 3–2 over Dinamo Moscow
 * West Germany beat the Soviet Union 3–0 to win the European Championship.

Athletics

 * September – Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich

Australian rules football

 * Victorian Football League
 * Carlton wins the 76th VFL Premiership (Carlton 28.9 (177) d Richmond 22.18 (150))
 * Brownlow Medal awarded to Len Thompson (Collingwood)

Baseball

 * The Washington Senators move to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas to become the Texas Rangers.
 * 19 January – The BBWAA elects Sandy Koufax (344 votes), Yogi Berra (339), and Early Wynn (301) to the Hall of Fame.
 * Sparky Lyle saves 35 games for the New York Yankees, breaking Ron Perranoski's 1970 records for AL pitchers and left-handers. Lyle also becomes the first left-hander to save 100 career games in the American League.
 * World Series – Oakland Athletics win their first World Championship since the team was based in Philadelphia in 1930, and sixth in franchise history, by defeating the Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 3.
 * 31 December – The Pittsburgh Pirates' legendary right fielder Roberto Clemente dies in a plane crash near Puerto Rico on his way to bring relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims.

Basketball

 * NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship –
 * UCLA wins 81–76 over Florida St.
 * NBA Finals –
 * Los Angeles Lakers won 4 games to 1 over the New York Knicks
 * 1972 ABA Finals –
 * Indiana Pacers defeat New York Nets 4 games to 2

Boxing

 * 26 June – Roberto Durán stopped Ken Buchanan in the thirteenth round to win the WBA Lightweight Championship.

Canadian football

 * Grey Cup – Hamilton Tiger-Cats won 13–10 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * Vanier Cup – Alberta Golden Bears won 20–7 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

Cycling

 * Giro d'Italia won by Eddy Merckx of Belgium
 * Tour de France – Eddy Merckx of Belgium
 * UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Marino Basso of Italy

Disc sports

 * Disc sports are introduced to Canada at the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships in Toronto

Field hockey

 * Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Munich, West Germany
 * Gold Medal: West Germany
 * Silver Medal: Pakistan
 * Bronze Medal:

Figure skating

 * World Figure Skating Championships –
 * Men's champion: Ondrej Nepela, Czechoslovakia
 * Ladies' champion: Trixi Schuba, Austria
 * Pair skating champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexei Ulyanov, Soviet Union
 * Ice dancing champions: Lyudmila Pakhomova & Alexandr Gorshkov, Soviet Union

Golf
Men's professional Men's amateur Women's professional
 * Masters Tournament – Jack Nicklaus
 * U.S. Open – Jack Nicklaus
 * British Open – Lee Trevino
 * PGA Championship – Gary Player
 * PGA Tour money leader – Jack Nicklaus – $320,542
 * The European Tour begins its first season of competition.
 * British Amateur – Trevor Homer
 * U.S. Amateur – Vinny Giles
 * LPGA Championship – Kathy Ahern
 * U.S. Women's Open – Susie Berning
 * Titleholders Championship – Sandra Palmer
 * LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $65,063

Harness racing

 * 21 September – Strike Out became the first Canadian owned harness racing horse to ever win the Little Brown Jug.
 * United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
 * Cane Pace – Hilarious Way
 * Little Brown Jug – Strike Out
 * Messenger Stakes – Silent Majority
 * Super Bowl wins the United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
 * Hambletonian – Super Bowl
 * Yonkers Trot – Super Bowl
 * Kentucky Futurity – Super Bowl
 * Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
 * Pacers: Welcome Advice

Horse racing
Steeplechases Flat races
 * Cheltenham Gold Cup – Glencaraig Lady
 * Grand National – Well To Do
 * Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Piping Lane
 * Canada – Queen's Plate won by Victoria Song
 * France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by San San
 * Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Steel Pulse
 * English Triple Crown Races:
 * 2,000 Guineas Stakes – High Top
 * The Derby – Roberto
 * St. Leger Stakes – Boucher
 * United States Triple Crown Races:
 * Kentucky Derby – Riva Ridge
 * Preakness Stakes – Bee Bee Bee
 * Belmont Stakes – Riva Ridge

Ice hockey

 * 18 March - NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Boston University Terriers defeat Cornell University Big Red 4–0 in Boston, Massachusetts
 * 22 April - Czechoslovakia defeats the Soviet Union to win the 1972 Ice Hockey World Championships.
 * 11 May - The Boston Bruins defeat the New York Rangers 3–0 to win the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals four games to two.
 * 14 May - The Cornwall Royals defeat the Peterborough Petes to win the 1972 Memorial Cup Canadian amateur ice hockey junior men's championship.
 * 15 May - The Spokane Jets defeat the Barrie Flyers 6–3 to win the 1972 Allan Cup Canadian amateur ice hockey senior men's championship.
 * Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins
 * Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
 * 28 September – Paul Henderson scored the "goal of the century" to give Canada the win in the Summit Series, the first ever Canada versus the Soviet Union challenge series.
 * 7 October - The National Hockey League begins the 1972–73 season.
 * 11 October - The World Hockey Association (WHA) professional league begins play in its first season. This new league signed several of the top NHL stars including Bobby Hull and Derek Sanderson.

Lacrosse

 * The Long Branch P.C.O.'s win the first Founders Cup.
 * The New Westminster Salmonbellies win the Mann Cup.
 * The Peterborough PCO's win the Minto Cup.

Rugby league

 * 1972 NSWRFL season
 * 1972 New Zealand rugby league season
 * 1971–72 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season
 * 1972 Rugby League World Cup

Rugby union

 * 78th Five Nations Championship series is undecided after two matches are not played for political reasons

Snooker

 * World Snooker Championship – Alex Higgins beats John Spencer 37–32

Swimming

 * XX Olympic Games, held in Munich, West Germany (28 August – 4 September)

Tennis

 * Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
 * Australian Open – Ken Rosewall
 * French Open – Andrés Gimeno
 * Wimbledon championships – Stan Smith
 * U.S. Open – Ilie Năstase
 * Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
 * Australian Open – Virginia Wade
 * French Open – Billie Jean King
 * Wimbledon championships – Billie Jean King
 * U.S. Open – Billie Jean King (first player in Open Era to repeat as singles champion)
 * Davis Cup – United States wins 3–2 over Romania in world tennis.

General sporting events

 * 1972 Summer Olympics takes place in Munich, Germany
 * USSR wins the most medals (99), and the most gold medals (50)
 * 1972 Winter Olympics takes place in Sapporo, Japan
 * USSR wins the most medals (16), and the most gold medals (8)
 * Seventh Winter Universiade held in Lake Placid, New York, United States

Awards

 * Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Mark Spitz, Swimming
 * Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Olga Korbut, Gymnastics