Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany
American football
Super Bowl XXX – Dallas Cowboys won 27-17 over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Tempe, Arizona.
World Bowl 96 – The Scottish Claymores won 32-27 over the Frankfurt Galaxy.
Fiesta Bowl (1995 season)
The Nebraska Cornhuskers won 62-24 over the Florida Gators to win the national championship
Cleveland Browns deactivate and move to Baltimore where they become the Baltimore Ravens The Browns are later reactivated in Cleveland in 1999.
The Big 12 Conference begins with its first college football game between Texas Tech and Kansas State. Kansas State won 21–14.
Athletics
July–August – Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics held at Atlanta, United States
Australian rules football
Australian Football League
North Melbourne wins the 100th AFL premiership (North Melbourne 19.17 (131) d Sydney Swans 13.10 (88))
Brownlow Medal awarded to James Hird (Essendon) and Michael Voss (Brisbane Bears)
At the end of the season Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears merge, forming the Brisbane Lions.
Baseball
January 8; For the first time in 25 years, no one garners 75 percent of the votes needed to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Phil Niekro comes closest with 68 percent.
The New York Yankees won 1996 World Series defeating the Atlanta Braves.
Basketball
April 1 – NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
Kentucky wins 76-67 over Syracuse
NBA Finals –
Chicago Bulls win 4 games to 2 over the Seattle SuperSonics, after a record-breaking 72-10 regular season.
National Basketball League (Australia) Finals:
South East Melbourne Magic defeated the Melbourne Tigers 2-1 in the best-of-three final series.
Boxing
March 16 – Christy Martin loses to Deirdre Gogarty by a decision in six rounds to retain her Women's boxing world title in front of a national TV audience. This fight is credited with making the general public aware of women's boxing.
March 30 to April 7 – 31st European Amateur Boxing Championships held in Vejle, Denmark
June 7 - Oscar de la Hoya defeats Julio César Chávez by 8th round to win the WBC's world Junior Welterweight championship.
Canadian football
Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts win 43-37 over the Edmonton Eskimos
Vanier Cup – Saskatchewan Huskies win 31-12 over the St. Francis Xavier X-Men
Ottawa Rough Riders fold
Cricket
Cricket World Cup – Final: Sri Lanka beat Australia by 7 wickets
Cycling
Giro d'Italia won by Pavel Tonkov of Russia
Tour de France – Bjarne Riis of Denmark
UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Johan Museeuw of Belgium
Dogsled racing
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
Jeff King wins with lead dogs: Jake & Booster
Field hockey
Olympic Games Men's Competition: Netherlands
Olympic Games Women's Competition: Australia
Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships –
Men's champion: Todd Eldredge, United States
Ladies' champion: Michelle Kwan, United States
Pairs' champions: Marina Eltsova / Sergei Bushkov, Russia
Ice dancing champions: Oksana Grishuk / Evgeny Platov, Russia
Gaelic Athletic Association
Camogie
All-Ireland Camogie Champion: Galway
National Camogie League: Cork
Gaelic football
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship – Kerry 2-9 died Mayo 1-11
National Football League – Derry 1-16 died Donegal 1-9
Ladies' Gaelic football
All-Ireland Senior Football Champion: Monaghan
National Football League: Monaghan
Hurling
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship – Wexford 1-13 died Limerick 0-14
National Hurling League –
Golf
Men's professional
Masters Tournament - Nick Faldo
U.S. Open - Steve Jones
British Open - Tom Lehman
PGA Championship - Mark Brooks
PGA Tour money leader - Tom Lehman - $1,780,159
Senior PGA Tour money leader - Jim Colbert - $1,627,890
Tiger Woods turns professional in September. In the last five regular tournaments of the year on the PGA Tour, his finishes were T5-T3-1-3-1, placing him among the tour's top 30 money-winners for the year and thereby qualifying him for the season-ending The Tour Championship. Woods named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
Men's amateur
British Amateur - Warren Bladon
U.S. Amateur - Tiger Woods becomes the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles. This was the sixth consecutive year in which he won a USGA championship, one short of Bobby Jones' record of seven.
European Amateur - Daniel Olsson
Women's professional
Nabisco Dinah Shore - Patty Sheehan
LPGA Championship - Laura Davies
U.S. Women's Open - Annika Sörenstam
Classique du Maurier - Laura Davies
LPGA Tour money leader - Karrie Webb - $1,002,000 - becomes the first ever woman to earn more than a million dollars in one golf season.
The United States team retained the Solheim Cup beating the European team 17 to 11.
Handball
Men's European Championship: Russia
Women's European Championship: Denmark
Harness racing
June 22 - the fastest race mile in harness racing history was set by Jenna's Beach Boy (1:47.3) at Meadowlands Racetrack
North America Cup - Arizona Jack
United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
Cane Pace - Scoot To Power
Little Brown Jug - Armbro Operative
Messenger Stakes - Go For Grins
United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
Hambletonian - Continentalvictory
Yonkers Trot - Continentalvictory
Kentucky Futurity - Running Sea
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
Pacers: Young Mister Charles
Trotters: Pride Of Petite
Horse racing
Inaugural running of the Dubai World Cup, promoted as the "world's richest horse race", at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai.
Steeplechases
Cheltenham Gold Cup – Imperial Call
Grand National – Rough Quest
Flat races
Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Saintly
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Victor Cooley
Dubai – Dubai World Cup won by Cigar
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Helissio
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Zagreb
Japan – Japan Cup won by Singspiel
English Triple Crown races:
2,000 Guineas Stakes – Mark of Esteem
Epsom Derby – Shaamit
St. Leger Stakes – Shantou
United States Triple Crown races:
Kentucky Derby – Grindstone
Preakness Stakes – Louis Quatorze
Belmont Stakes – Editor's Note
Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships:
Breeders' Cup Classic – Alphabet Soup
Breeders' Cup Distaff – Jewel Princess
Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Boston Harbor
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – Storm Song
Breeders' Cup Mile – Da Hoss
Breeders' Cup Sprint – Lit de Justice
Breeders' Cup Turf – Pilsudski
Ice hockey
Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
Stanley Cup - the Colorado Avalanche defeat the Florida Panthers 4 games to 0 for their first-ever Stanley Cup title. It was also the franchise's first season since relocating from Quebec City, where they were known as the Nordiques.
World Hockey Championship
Men's champion: Czech Republic defeated Canada
Junior Men's champion: Canada defeated Sweden
Lacrosse
The Buffalo Bandits defeat the Philadelphia Wings 13–12 to win the Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship
Mixed martial arts
The following is a list of major noteworthy MMA events during 1996 in chronological order.
It should be noted that before 1997, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was considered the only major MMA organization in the world and featured much fewer rules then are used in modern MMA.
Motor racing
Stock car racing –
Dale Jarrett won the Daytona 500
NASCAR Championship - Terry Labonte
Rusty Wallace wins the Suzuka NASCAR Thunder 100 at Suzuka City November 24, the first NASCAR event held in Japan.
Jeff Gordon wins the Tyson Holly Farms 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway September 29,which was the final event at that track
Indy Racing League - Scott Sharp and Buzz Calkins tie for the inaugural IRL championship
Indianapolis 500 - Buddy Lazier
CART - Jimmy Vasser won the season championship
Formula One Championship - Damon Hill of Great Britain
24 hours of Le Mans – won by the team of Manuel Reuter / Davy Jones / Alexander Wurz driving a TWR-Porsche
Rallying - Tommi Mäkinen won the World Rally Championship
the team of Patrick Bernardini / Bernard Occelli won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Drag racing - Kenny Bernstein won the NHRA "Top Fuel" championship.
Professional Wrestling
July 7: Hulk Hogan becomes a villain and forms the New World Order.
Radiosport
The second World Radiosport Team Championship held in San Francisco, California, US Gold medals go to Jeff Steinman KRØY and Dan Street K1TO of the United States.
Rugby league
January: England - The 1995–96 Rugby Football League season ends with Wigan declared champions.
March 29: Paris – the new Super League competition, the first ever season of professional rugby to be played in summer, begins with new team Paris Saint-Germain's first match: a 30-24 win over Sheffield Eagles at Charlety Stadium before 17,873.
April 27: London, England - The 1996 Challenge Cup tournament culminates in St Helens' 40-32 victory over Bradford Bulls in the final at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 75,994.
August 31: Salford, England - The 1996 Student Rugby League World Cup culminates in Australia's 28 - 16 defeat of Samoa
September 29: Sydney, Australia - The 1996 ARL season culminates the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles' 20–8 grand final victory over the St. George Dragons at the Sydney Football Stadium before a crowd of 40,985
June 26: Cardiff, Wales - The 1996 European Rugby League Championship is won by England who defeated Wales 26-12 at Cardiff Arms Park before a crowd of 5,245
The 1996 Queensland Cup Season is won by the Toowoomba Clydesdales
June 3: Sydney, Australia - The 1996 State of Origin series is wrapped up as New South Wales defeat Queensland 18–6 in Game II at the Sydney Football Stadium before a crowd of 41,955.
Super League I ends with St. Helens being crowned champions for finishing on top of the League
The Great Britain national team go on a their tour of the Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand.
Rugby union
102nd Five Nations Championship series is won by England
SANZAR's new leagues the Super 12 (now Super 14) and the Tri Nations Series begin. The Super 12 is won by the Auckland Blues and the Tri Nations is won by the New Zealand All Blacks
Snooker
World Snooker Championship – Stephen Hendry beats Peter Ebdon 18-12
World rankings – Stephen Hendry remains world number one for 1996-97
Swimming
XXVI Olympic Games, held in Atlanta United States (July 20 – July 26)
First European SC Championships, held in Riesa, Germany (December 13 – 15)
Germany wins the most medals (39) and the most gold medals (14)
December 1 – American swimmer Misty Hyman clocks 58:29 to break the world record in the women's 100m butterfly (short course)
Tennis
Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
Australian Open - Boris Becker
French Open - Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Wimbledon championships - Richard Krajicek
US Open - Pete Sampras
Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
Australian Open - Monica Seles
French Open - Steffi Graf
Wimbledon championships - Steffi Graf
US Open - Steffi Graf
1996 Summer Olympics
Men's Singles Competition – Andre Agassi
Women's Singles Competition – Lindsay Davenport
Men's Doubles Competition – Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde
Women's Doubles Competition – Gigi Fernández & Mary Joe Fernández
Davis Cup final:
France wins 3-2 over Sweden
Fed Cup final:
USA wins 5-0 over Spain
Volleyball
Men's World League: Netherlands
Women's World Grand Prix: Brazil
Olympic Games Men's Competition: Netherlands
Olympic Games Women's Competition: Cuba
Water polo
Olympic Games Men's Competition: Spain
Olympic Games Women's Competition: Netherlands
Multi-sport events
1996 Summer Olympics takes place in Atlanta, United States
United States wins the most medals (101), and the most gold medals (44).
Winter Asian Games held in Harbin, China
Athletic competition in the Big 12 Conference is inaugurated with a football game between Kansas State University and Texas Tech University, in Manhattan, Kansas on August 31.
Awards
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Michael Johnson, Track and field
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Amy Van Dyken, Swimming
