New Jersey is a small state in the Northeastern region of the United States known for its diners, miles of beaches and ski resorts. However, the state of New Jersey is mostly known for a handful of sports clubs that either come from New Jersey or play on their stadiums and arenas. After allowing NJ sports books to run their business legally in 2018, sports have become more popular than ever across the state. Our article includes a small list of the most popular sports in New Jersey played on a high-school, college, semi-pro, and professional level.

Hockey

It is to no surprise that hockey finds itself on top of the list, as New Jersey is home to National Hockey League's team, the New Jersey Devils. Not only that it is the only team bearing the name of the city, but it's also the only team that is in the big league playing with the big boys. The team was founded in 1974 in Kansas City under the name Kansas City Scouts that it was bearing until an architect and a businessman John J. McMullen, a Jersey City native, purchased the team and moved the whole franchise to where they are currently located. The team had little success in its early years, but they won the Stanley Cup in 1995, 2000 and 2003 under the management of Lou Lamoriello. The Devils share home with Seton Hall Pirates and Metropolitan Riveters and can be found playing games in a multi-purpose indoor arena by the name of Prudential Center. The arena hosts 16,514 people for hockey games and has up to 18,711 seats for basketball games.

Soccer

New Jerseyans love their soccer, and a testament to that is the number of soccer teams residing in New Jersey. Whether you join the stadiums to cheer for their teams or you merely do it for the love of the sport, you can find Sky Blue FC playing in the NWSL, New York's Red Bulls in MLS and New York's Red Bulls II playing in the USL. Founded in 2007, Sky Blue Football Club has been playing at Yurcak Field as a member of the National Women's Soccer League ever since 2013. From 2009 to 2011, they were even a part of the WPS that they won in 2009. Even though they are not native to New Jersey, New York Red Bulls use the Red Bull Arena in Harrison as their home field. This stadium is the third largest stadium in the United States, specifically designed for soccer, with a capacity of approximately 25,000 seats.

Basketball

Even though New Jersey lost its main representative in the NBA, New Jersey Nets have spread the love for the sport throughout the whole state. Before moving to New York and becoming Brooklyn Nets, the team was calling New Jersey their home from 1977 to 2012. Among more notable basketball teams in New Jersey, you can also find Jersey Express that started as Newark Express playing in a semi-professional American Basketball Association.

Baseball

Baseball and New Jersey have a long history as the baseball in Newark started back in the 1850s. The state had Newark Bears representing them as a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball; unfortunately, they folded after the 2013 season. Currently, many prominent college teams, such as the Trenton Thunder, Lakewood BlueClaws, Somerset Patriots, New Jersey Jackals, and Sussex County Miners, are representing New Jersey. The two oldest clubs, Trenton Thunder established in 1980 and BlueClaws established in 1987, are both members of the MiLB league with three titles each under their belts.

Football

When it comes to football, New Jersey doesn't have many representatives, aside from the New Jersey Titans that compete in the Women's Spring Football League. Many of the teams, such as the Newark Bears and Tornadoes, have ceased to exist. However, the sport remains one of the more popular ones in the state, as New Jerseyans can treat themselves with the games of New York Giants and New York Jets that are members of the biggest football league in the US, NFL. Both teams call MetLife Stadium their home and the venue is located nowhere else but in East Rutherford, NJ, that is only 8 miles outside of New York City. Out of the two, the New York Giants are the more prominent one with 4 Super Bowl championships under their name.

Conclusion

New Jersey doesn't abstain from the norm, as the most popular sports in the state are the same sports that are popular across the United States. Among the other more notable sports, you can find boxing and wrestling, or even MMA. New Jersey is a great place to be if you're a sports fan, as the broad representation of teams and sports caters to everyone's taste.