1972 in sports

Alpine skiing

Alpine Skiing World Cup

Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy

Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria

American football

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.

Super Bowl VI – Dallas Cowboys won 24–3 over the Miami Dolphins

Orange Bowl (1971 season):

The Nebraska Cornhuskers won 38-6 over the Alabama Crimson Tide to win the college football national championship

Association football

Brazil – Palmeiras wins the Campeonato Brasileiro

England – FA Cup – Leeds United won 1–0 over Arsenal

Europe – Cup Winners' Cup – Rangers FC 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

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 Men's Division I 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

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.

Men's amateur

British Amateur – Trevor Homer

U.S. Amateur – Vinny Giles

Women's professional

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 –

1. Cane Pace – Hilarious Way
2. Little Brown Jug – Strike Out
3. Messenger Stakes – Silent Majority

Super Bowl wins the United States Trotting Triple Crown races –

1. Hambletonian – Super Bowl
2. Yonkers Trot – Super Bowl
3. Kentucky Futurity – Super Bowl

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –

Pacers: Welcome Advice

Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Glencaraig Lady

Grand National – Well To Do

Flat races

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:

1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – High Top
2. Epsom Derby – Roberto
3. St. Leger Stakes – Boucher

United States Triple Crown Races:

1. Kentucky Derby – Riva Ridge
2. Preakness Stakes – Bee Bee Bee
3. Belmont Stakes – Riva Ridge

Ice hockey

World Hockey Association (WHA)'s first season. This new league signed several of the top NHL stars including Bobby Hull and Derek Sanderson.

Art Ross Memorial 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

Stanley Cup – Boston Bruins win 4 games to 2 over the New York Rangers

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 hockey showdown.

World Hockey Championship

Men's champion: Czechoslovakia defeated the Soviet Union

NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Boston University Terriers defeat Cornell University Big Red 4–0 in Boston, Massachusetts

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.

Motor racing

Stock car racing –

20 February – A. J. Foyt wins the Daytona 500 in the #21 Mercury for Wood Brothers

28 May – E. W. Baker wins the World 500 in the #6 Dodge for Petty Enterprises

NASCAR Championship – Richard Petty (#43 Plymouth, Petty Enterprises)

USAC Racing

30 May – Mark Donohue wins the 56th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Sunoco Special McLaren-Offenhauser

Joe Leonard wins the season drivers' championship

Formula 5000 – Gijs van Lennep of the Netherlands

Formula One – Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil) wins World Drivers' Champion, driving a Lotus 72D-Cosworth.

24 hours of Le Mans – Henri Pescarolo / Graham Hill win, sharing a Matra MS670

Rally racing – Sandro Munari / Mario Manucci win the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Lancia Fulvia 1.6HF

Drag racing – Don Moody wins Top Fuel at the Supernats.

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:

1. Australian Open – Ken Rosewall
2. French Open – Andrés Gimeno
3. Wimbledon championships – Stan Smith
4. US Open – Ilie Năstase

Grand Slam in tennis women's results:

1. Australian Open – Virginia Wade
2. French Open – Billie Jean King
3. Wimbledon championships – Billie Jean King
4. US 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