Professional Sports
A Major League City
When it comes to sports, Milwaukee plays in the big leagues. From championship-caliber professional teams and high-energy college athletics to some of the nation’s most celebrated golf courses, sports are an important part of life in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin.
Milwaukee’s headline teams are the Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers. The Bucks brought the city an NBA championship in 2021—the franchise’s second NBA title—and play at downtown’s Fiserv Forum. The Brewers draw fans to American Family Field, where summer baseball, tailgating and the famous Racing Sausages are Milwaukee traditions.
But Milwaukee sports go well beyond the NBA and Major League Baseball. The Milwaukee Admirals, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Nashville Predators, and the Milwaukee Wave, one of the country’s longest-running professional indoor soccer franchises, both play at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
And don’t overlook the Milwaukee Milkmen. The professional baseball team plays at Franklin Field in suburban Franklin as a member of the American Association of Professional Baseball. Milkmen games offer an affordable, family-friendly way to enjoy professional baseball in a more intimate ballpark setting—and have quickly become another fun part of the region’s summer sports scene.
Football fans don’t have far to travel either. About two hours north is legendary Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers and one of the most iconic venues in American sports. Packers loyalty runs deep throughout southeastern Wisconsin, making fall weekends as much about green and gold as they are about changing leaves.
College Sports Bring Plenty of Excitement
Milwaukee is also a great college sports town. The Marquette Golden Eagles bring nationally prominent NCAA Division I basketball to Fiserv Forum, while the UW-Milwaukee Panthers compete in Division I athletics and play men’s basketball at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
A little more than an hour west in Madison, the Wisconsin Badgers give fans access to Big Ten athletics, including football at Camp Randall Stadium, basketball, hockey and nationally prominent women’s volleyball. On football Saturdays, the energy surrounding Camp Randall—and traditions like “Jump Around”—make a Badgers game a quintessential Wisconsin experience.
Wisconsin Has Become a National Golf Destination
Wisconsin has also earned a place among America’s premier golf destinations, with spectacular public and resort courses that have attracted many of the game’s biggest championships. The state has hosted the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, PGA Championship, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur and Ryder Cup, among other major events.
Courses such as Whistling Straits, Erin Hills and Blackwolf Run have put Wisconsin on the international golf map, while dozens of outstanding public and private courses throughout southeastern Wisconsin make golf accessible much closer to home.
Whether your idea of a perfect sports day is Bucks basketball, Brewers baseball, Admirals hockey, Wave soccer, a Milkmen game, Big Ten football or 18 holes on a championship-caliber golf course, Milwaukee puts an impressive variety of sports within easy reach.
In Milwaukee, being a sports fan isn’t just something to do—it’s part of the culture.
For information about sporting events, visit the following websites:
Milwaukee Brewers (baseball): milwaukeebrewers.com
Milwaukee Bucks (basketball): bucks.com
Milwaukee Wave (indoor soccer): milwaukeewave.com
Milwaukee Admirals (hockey): milwaukeeadmirals.com
Milwaukee Milkmen (baseball): milwaukeemilkmen.com
Green Bay Packers (football): packers.com