NFL championship – Akron ProsRose Bowl (1919 season):The Harvard Crimson won 7-6 over the Oregon Webfoots to win the college football national championship17 September — the National Football League (NFL) is founded as the American Professional Football Association in Canton, Ohio. Of the teams in the current NFL, only the Decatur Staleys (renamed the Chicago Bears) and the Racine (Chicago) Cardinals (the current Arizona Cardinals) remain in existence.14 December — Notre Dame player George Gipp (1895–1920), mainly remembered for his deathbed quote to coach Knute Rockne: "Win just one for the Gipper".England
The Football League – West Bromwich Albion 60 points, Burnley 51, Chelsea 49, Liverpool 48, Sunderland 48, Bolton Wanderers 47FA Cup final – Aston Villa 1–0 Huddersfield Town (after extra time) at Stamford Bridge, LondonThe Football League is expanded by the formation of the original Third Division. New clubs admitted to the league include Leeds United and Cardiff City, who are both elected to the Second Division. New members in the Third Division are: Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Bristol Rovers, Crystal Palace, Exeter City, Gillingham, Luton Town, Merthyr Town (1920 – 1930), Millwall, Newport County (1920 – 1988), Northampton Town, Norwich City, Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth, Queens Park Rangers (QPR), Reading, Southampton, Southend United, Swansea Town, Swindon Town and Watford.Germany
National Championship – 1. FC Nuremberg 2–0 SpVgg Fürth at Frankfurt WashingtonMen's 100 metres
Jackson Scholz (USA) equals the world record of 10.6 seconds.VFL Premiership
2 October – Richmond wins the 24th VFL Premiership, defeating Collingwood 7.10 (52) to 5.5 (35) in the Grand FinalSouth Australian Football League
18 September – North Adelaide defeat Norwood 10.9 (69) to 3.3 (21) to win its fourth SAFL premiership.West Australian Football League
25 September – East Perth defeats East Fremantle 6.16 (52) to 4.6 (30) to win its second consecutive premiership.Bandy
Sweden
Championship final – IFK Uppsala 3–2 IF LinnéaWorld Series
5–12 October — Cleveland Indians (AL) defeats Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) by 5 games to 2 to win the 1920 World SeriesMajor League Baseball
The sale of Babe Ruth. Boston Red Sox transfers Babe Ruth to New York Yankees for $125,000 and a $350,000 loan. Ruth hits 54 home runs for the Yankees in 1920, nearly double the record of 29 he hit in the 1919 season.16 August — Ray Chapman of Cleveland Indians is hit on the head by a fastball from Carl Mays of New York Yankees. He dies early next day, the second fatality of major league play.Chicago White Sox stars Eddie Cicotte and Shoeless Joe Jackson confess their roles in the Black Sox scandalNegro League Baseball
13 February — the Negro National League is formed2 May — the first game of the new league is played at Indianapolis with the Indianapolis ABCs defeating the Chicago Giants (not to be confused with the Chicago American Giants)Chicago American Giants wins the inaugural Negro National League pennantEvents
6 May – Johnny Wilson wins the World Middleweight Championship by defeating Mike O'Dowd in 12 rounds at Boston.12 October – Georges Carpentier wins the World Light Heavyweight Championship after he knocks out Battling Levinsky in the 4th round at Jersey City, his victory setting up the first "million dollar gate" when he fights Jack Dempsey in 1921.22 December – Joe Lynch defeats Pete Herman in 15 rounds at New York to win the World Bantamweight Championship.Lineal world champions
World Heavyweight Championship – Jack DempseyWorld Light Heavyweight Championship – Battling Levinsky → Georges CarpentierWorld Middleweight Championship – Mike O'Dowd → Johnny WilsonWorld Welterweight Championship – Jack BrittonWorld Lightweight Championship – Benny LeonardWorld Featherweight Championship – Johnny KilbaneWorld Bantamweight Championship – Pete Herman → Joe LynchWorld Flyweight Championship – Jimmy WildeGrey Cup
8th Grey Cup – University of Toronto Varsity Blues 16–3 Toronto ArgonautsEvents
Post-war recovery continues and an English team goes to Australia in November to commence the first Test series since the war.Derbyshire suffer the ignominy of a perfectly bad season, losing all seventeen county matches with any play. This is the second and last time this has occurred in county cricket, and the only time in the official County Championship.England
County Championship – MiddlesexMinor Counties Championship – StaffordshireMost runs – Jack Hobbs 2827 @ 58.89 (HS 215)Most wickets – Frank Woolley 185 @ 14.23 (BB 7–59)Wisden Cricketer of the Year – Plum WarnerAustralia
Sheffield Shield – New South WalesMost runs – Roy Park 648 @ 72.00 (HS 228)Most wickets – Stork Hendry 29 @ 18.13 (BB 7–34)India
Bombay Quadrangular – HindusNew Zealand
Plunket Shield – AucklandSouth Africa
Currie Cup – not contestedWest Indies
Inter-Colonial Tournament – not contestedTour de France
Philippe Thys (Belgium) wins the 14th Tour de FranceGiro d'Italia
Gaetano Belloni of Bianchi wins the eighth Giro d'ItaliaOlympic Games (Men's Competition)
Gold Medal – Great BritainSilver Medal – DenmarkBronze Medal – BelgiumWorld Figure Skating Championships
The championships are not contested1920 Summer Olympics
Men's individual – Gillis Grafström (Sweden)Women's individual – Magda Mauroy-Julin (Sweden)Pairs – Ludowika Jakobsson and Walter Jakobsson (Finland)Major tournaments
British Open – George DuncanUS Open – Ted RayUSPGA Championship – Jock HutchisonOther tournaments
British Amateur – Cyril TolleyUS Amateur – Chick EvansEvents
The inaugural Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is won by ComradeEngland
Grand National – Troytown1,000 Guineas Stakes – Cinna2,000 Guineas Stakes – TetratemaEpsom Derby – Spion KopEpsom Oaks – CharlebelleSt. Leger Stakes – CaligulaAustralia
Melbourne Cup – PoitrelCanada
Queen's Plate – St. PaulFrance
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – ComradeIreland
Irish Grand National – HalstonIrish Derby Stakes – He GoesUSA
Kentucky Derby – Paul JonesPreakness Stakes – Man o' WarBelmont Stakes – Man o' WarEvents
Ice hockey is held at the 1920 Summer Olympics and is the second winter sport to feature at the Olympics — 4 years before the inaugural Winter Games is held1920 Summer Olympics
Gold Medal – CanadaSilver Medal – USABronze Medal – CzechoslovakiaStanley Cup
22 March – 1 April — Ottawa Senators (NHL) defeats Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA) in the 1920 Stanley Cup Finals by three games to twoEvents
Allan Cup – Winnipeg Falcons1920 Memorial Cup – Toronto Canoe Club Paddlers defeated Selkirk Fishermen by two game total of 15-522 December — Hamilton Tigers, the reconstituted Quebec Bulldogs franchise, wins its first-ever NHL game in Hamilton, defeating Montreal Canadiens 5–0Grand Prix racing
No Grand Prix races are held in Europe from 1915 to 1920 inclusive.Indianapolis 500
31 May — 8th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is won by Gaston Chevrolet (USA) in a Monroe.1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics takes place in AntwerpThe 1916 Summer Olympics planned for Berlin having been cancelled due to World War I, the 1920 Games are awarded to Antwerp to "honour the suffering of the Belgian people"United States wins the most medals (95) and the most gold medals (41)The Boat Race
28 March — Cambridge wins the 72nd Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, contested for the first time since March 1914The 1920 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand takes place mid-year.England
Championship – HullChallenge Cup final – Huddersfield 21–10 Wigan at Headingley Stadium, LeedsLancashire League Championship – WidnesYorkshire League Championship – HuddersfieldLancashire Cup – Oldham 7–0 Rochdale HornetsYorkshire Cup – Huddersfield 24–5 LeedsAustralia
NSW Premiership – Balmain (outright winner)Five Nations Championship
33rd Five Nations Championship series is shared by England, Scotland and WalesSpeed Skating World Championships
not contestedAustralia
Australian Men's Singles Championship – Pat O'Hara Wood (Australia) defeats Ronald Thomas (Australia) 6–3 4–6 6–8 6–1 6–3England
Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Bill Tilden (USA) defeats Gerald Patterson (Australia) 2–6 6–3 6–2 6–4Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Suzanne Lenglen (France) defeats Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers 6–3 6–0France
French Men's Singles Championship – André Gobert (France) defeats Max Decugis (France) 6–3 3–6 1–6 6–2 6–3French Women's Singles Championship – Suzanne Lenglen defeats Marguerite Broquedis 6–1 7–5USA
American Men's Singles Championship – Bill Tilden (USA) defeats Bill Johnston (USA) 6–1 1–6 7–5 5–7 6–3American Women's Singles Championship – Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (Norway) defeats Marion Zinderstein (USA) 6–3 6–1Davis Cup
1920 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – United States 5–0 Australasia at Domain Cricket Club (grass) Auckland, New ZealandAmerica's Cup
The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Resolute defeats British challenger Shamrock IV, of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, 10 races to 2 