The Most Popular Sports in the United States (Top 25 Ranked)

Running/Jogging leads the United States with 48.3 million total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year). Ranking of 25 sports, with

This page ranks the sports of the United States by one number that is collected the same way for all of them: SFIA’s Physical Activity Council survey counts every American aged six and older who took part in at least one of 124 tracked sports, fitness or outdoor activities during the year, which makes it the only yearly, population-wide baseline the individual sport figures below can be measured against. The figures come from Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report.

Running/Jogging is on top, followed by Bowling and Golf (on- or off-course). The full table below covers 25 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.

The Most Popular Sports in the United States

The table counts total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year), not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable. The listed sports account for 242.0 million in total. The reference year is 2023.

#	Sport	Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year)	Governing body
1	Running/Jogging	48.3 million
2	Bowling	47,558 million	United States Bowling Congress (USBC)
3	Golf (on- or off-course)	45,029 million	United States Golf Association (USGA)
4	Cycling (road/paved surface)	42,243 million	USA Cycling
5	Basketball	29.7 million	USA Basketball
6	Swimming (fitness)	28.2 million	USA Swimming
7	Tennis	23,835 million	United States Tennis Association (USTA)
8	Baseball	16.7 million	USA Baseball
9	Table Tennis	15,359 million	USA Table Tennis (USATT)
10	Soccer (outdoor)	14.1 million	U.S. Soccer Federation
11	Pickleball	13,582 million	USA Pickleball
12	Football (flag)	7.3 million	USA Football
13	Volleyball (court)	6.9 million	USA Volleyball
14	Badminton	6,513 million	USA Badminton
15	Softball (slow-pitch)	6.4 million	USA Softball
16	Soccer (indoor)	5.9 million	U.S. Soccer Federation
17	Football (tackle)	5.6 million	USA Football
18	Gymnastics	4.8 million	USA Gymnastics
19	Track and Field	3.9 million	USA Track & Field (USATF)
20	Racquetball	3.55 million	USA Racquetball
21	Ice Hockey	2.5 million	USA Hockey
22	Wrestling	2.1 million	USA Wrestling
23	Lacrosse	2.0 million	USA Lacrosse
24	Squash	1,315 million	US Squash
25	Rugby	1.1 million	USA Rugby

One caveat applies to every ranking of this kind: someone who plays two sports is counted twice, once in each federation, and sports people mostly do on their own, such as running or hiking, barely show up at all.

Most Played and Most Watched Are Not the Same Sport

Membership and license numbers tell you what people do. Audience figures tell you what they watch, and the two lists rarely have the same sport on top.

Sport	Figure	What it measures
American Football (NFL)	127.7 million	Super Bowl LIX in February 2025 was the most-watched Super Bowl and the most-watched single-network telecast in U.S. television history.
Baseball (MLB)	15.81 million	The 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees averaged 15.81 million viewers across its five games, the best performance since 2017.
Basketball (NBA)	75 million	About 75 million people in the United States watched the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers on ABC, up 16 percent from the previous year.

Is There a National Sport of the United States?

the United States has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. No act of Congress has ever designated an official national sport of the United States, unlike the roughly a dozen U.S. states that do have state-level official sports.

• American Football. In a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, more than half of American adults named football as “America’s sport,” far more than any other sport.
• Baseball. Baseball is traditionally called America’s national pastime, and in the same 2023 Pew survey it was the second most-named sport when Americans were asked to pick one sport as “America’s sport.”

Sports That Were Invented in the United States

• Basketball. Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith, an instructor at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• Volleyball. Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William Morgan, a YMCA physical education instructor in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
• Softball. Softball originated in 1887 at the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago, where George Hancock organized an impromptu indoor game that became the sport’s first form.
• American Football. American football took its modern shape through rule changes proposed in 1880 by Walter Camp, a Yale player and coach, who introduced the line of scrimmage, the system of downs and the 11-player team.

#1 Running/Jogging

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 48.3 million (2023)

Running and jogging reached 48.3 million participants in the United States in 2023, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Participation rose 1.0 percent from 2022 but remains 3.5 percent below the 2019 level.

The activity requires no membership, court or league and can be done on streets, trails or a treadmill, which keeps it at the top of nationwide participation counts. It is tracked by SFIA as part of its fitness sports category rather than by a single governing body.

#2 Bowling

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 47,558 million (United States Bowling Congress (USBC), 2023)
• Top national league: PBA (Professional Bowlers Association)
• Best known athlete: EJ Tackett. Tackett is a multiple-time PBA Player of the Year and has won more than a dozen PBA Tour titles including several major championships

Bowling participation climbed to 47,558 million people in 2023, a 12.5 percent jump from the year before, according to SFIA data. The sport benefits from a low cost of entry and thousands of bowling centers spread across the country.

The United States Bowling Congress oversees amateur league and tournament play, while the PBA Tour runs the sport’s top professional competition. Bowling has appeared as a demonstration or exhibition sport at past Olympic-adjacent events but has never been a full Olympic sport.

#3 Golf (on- or off-course)

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 45,029 million (United States Golf Association (USGA), 2023)
• Top national league: PGA Tour
• Best known athlete: Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler was the World No. 1 ranked golfer and won the 2024 Masters Tournament and 2024 Olympic gold medal, followed by the 2025 PGA Championship

Golf, combining on-course rounds with off-course formats such as driving ranges and simulators, reached 45,029 million participants in 2023, up 9.6 percent from 2022, per SFIA. Off-course golf alone grew 18.8 percent as simulator venues and driving-range entertainment concepts expanded nationwide.

The United States Golf Association sets the rules of the amateur game and conducts national championships, while the PGA Tour organizes the leading professional circuit. Golf returned to the Olympic program in 2016 after a 112-year absence.

#4 Cycling (road/paved surface)

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 42,243 million (USA Cycling, 2023)

Recreational cycling on roads and paved surfaces counted 42,243 million participants in the United States in 2023, a 3.0 percent decline from the prior year but still above the 2018 figure. SFIA tracks road cycling separately from mountain biking and BMX.

USA Cycling governs competitive road, track, mountain bike and BMX racing and selects the national teams for world championships and the Olympics. Most of the 42,243 million counted here ride for recreation or transportation rather than in sanctioned competition.

#5 Basketball

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 29.7 million (USA Basketball, 2023)
• Top national league: NBA
• Best known athlete: LeBron James. James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in February 2023, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record, and has won four NBA championships

Basketball participation reached 29.7 million people in 2023, up 5.6 percent year over year and 19.3 percent above 2019, according to SFIA’s team sports data. The 2024 Paris Olympics contributed to the sport’s growth, which SFIA noted across several Olympic disciplines that year.

USA Basketball governs the national teams that compete in the Olympics and World Cup, while the NBA is the sport’s top professional league in the country. Basketball was invented in the United States in 1891, which keeps grassroots participation high relative to most other team sports.

#6 Swimming (fitness)

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 28.2 million (USA Swimming, 2023)
• Best known athlete: Katie Ledecky. Ledecky is the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history, with medals across the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games

Swimming for fitness returned to 28.2 million participants in 2023 after a pandemic-era dip, a 7.2 percent increase from 2022, per SFIA. This figure covers lap and recreational swimming and is tracked separately from organized team swimming.

USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming and selects the U.S. Olympic team. Public and private pools across the country give swimming one of the lowest barriers to entry among fitness activities SFIA tracks.

#7 Tennis

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 23,835 million (United States Tennis Association (USTA), 2023)
• Top national league: ATP Tour / WTA Tour
• Best known athlete: Coco Gauff. Gauff won the 2023 US Open and the 2025 French Open, becoming one of the leading American players on the professional tour

Tennis participation stood at 23,835 million people in 2023, up 1.0 percent from 2022 and 10.1 percent higher than three years earlier, according to SFIA’s racquet sports data. Growth in tennis has tracked the broader boom in racquet sports since 2020.

The United States Tennis Association runs the US Open and oversees grassroots and competitive tennis programs nationwide. Professional players compete on the global ATP and WTA tours rather than in a single domestic league.

#8 Baseball

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 16.7 million (USA Baseball, 2023)
• Top national league: MLB
• Best known athlete: Aaron Judge. Judge was named American League MVP in 2022 and 2024 and set the American League single-season home run record with 62 in 2022

Baseball participation grew 7.6 percent in 2023 to reach 16.7 million players, the largest single-year gain among major team sports tracked by SFIA. Little League and high school programs remain the primary entry point for most of these participants.

USA Baseball is the sport’s national governing body and fields the U.S. national and Olympic teams, while Major League Baseball is the top professional league. Baseball’s participation total sits well below basketball’s despite its long-standing reputation as the country’s traditional pastime.

#9 Table Tennis

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 15,359 million (USA Table Tennis (USATT), 2023)

Table tennis counted 15,359 million participants in 2023, making it the largest racquet sport by participation after tennis itself, per SFIA. It was the only racquet sport SFIA tracks that declined in 2023, falling 2.9 percent from the previous year.

USA Table Tennis governs the competitive side of the sport and selects national and Olympic teams. Most of the participation counted here happens casually, in homes, recreation centers and basements rather than in club play.

#10 Soccer (outdoor)

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 14.1 million (U.S. Soccer Federation, 2023)
• Top national league: MLS (Major League Soccer)
• Best known athlete: Christian Pulisic. Pulisic captains the U.S. men’s national team and in 2021 became the first American to score in a UEFA Champions League final

Outdoor soccer participation reached 14.1 million people in 2023, up 8.1 percent from 2022, according to SFIA. Indoor soccer added a further 5.9 million participants that year, tracked separately by SFIA.

The U.S. Soccer Federation governs the men’s and women’s national teams, and Major League Soccer is the top domestic professional league. SFIA’s report noted that pickleball, at 13,582 million participants in 2023, had grown to nearly the size of outdoor soccer.

#11 Pickleball

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 13,582 million (USA Pickleball, 2023)
• Top national league: PPA Tour
• Best known athlete: Ben Johns. Johns holds the record for the longest continuous run at world No. 1 in professional pickleball (50 months, February 2020 to April 2024) and has won more PPA Tour titles than any other player

Pickleball was the fastest-growing sport tracked by SFIA for a fourth consecutive year, reaching 13,582 million participants in 2023, a 51.8 percent increase from 2022 and a 223.5 percent increase from 2020. SFIA singled out pickleball’s growth as nearly matching the participant count of outdoor soccer.

USA Pickleball is the sport’s national governing body, and the PPA Tour is its leading professional circuit. Low equipment cost and court sizes that fit inside existing tennis or basketball courts have driven the sport’s rapid spread.

#12 Football (flag)

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 7.3 million (USA Football, 2023)
• Best known athlete: Vanita Krouch. Krouch is a three-time IFAF Flag Football World Championship winner (2018, 2021, 2024) with the U.S. women’s national team and was named tournament MVP in 2021

Flag football counted 7.3 million participants in 2023, ahead of tackle football’s 5.6 million in the same SFIA data set. The format is set to debut as an Olympic sport at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

USA Football is the national governing body for flag and tackle football at the grassroots and national-team level. Flag football’s lower equipment and contact requirements have made it one of the faster-growing team sports in the SFIA data.

#13 Volleyball (court)

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 6.9 million (USA Volleyball, 2023)
• Top national league: LOVB (League One Volleyball)
• Best known athlete: Jordan Larson. Larson won Olympic gold with the U.S. women’s national team at the Tokyo 2020 Games after two earlier Olympic medals, and long served as team captain

Indoor court volleyball participation rose 13.4 percent in 2023 to 6.9 million people, one of the largest percentage gains among team sports SFIA tracks that year. SFIA attributed part of the increase across volleyball and other disciplines to interest generated by the 2024 Olympic cycle.

USA Volleyball governs the Olympic and national team programs, and League One Volleyball launched in 2025 as a new professional women’s indoor league. SFIA tracks court, beach/sand and grass volleyball as three separate categories.

#14 Badminton

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 6,513 million (USA Badminton, 2023)

Badminton participation held roughly steady at 6,513 million people in 2023, essentially flat from the prior year but up 11.1 percent over three years, per SFIA. Most participation in the SFIA survey is casual, at 1 to 12 sessions per year.

USA Badminton is the sport’s national governing body and selects the U.S. Olympic team. Badminton has been part of the Olympic program since 1992, though the United States has not historically been a leading medal contender.

#15 Softball (slow-pitch)

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 6.4 million (USA Softball, 2023)

Slow-pitch softball reached 6.4 million participants in 2023, up 5.3 percent from 2022 but still 10.1 percent below its 2019 level, according to SFIA. It is the more recreational of the two softball formats SFIA tracks, alongside fast-pitch.

USA Softball is the sport’s national governing body and runs the amateur and Olympic-qualifying programs. Softball returned to the Olympic program at the Tokyo 2020 Games after a 12-year absence, though only the fast-pitch format is contested there.

#16 Soccer (indoor)

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 5.9 million (U.S. Soccer Federation, 2023)
• Top national league: MASL (Major Arena Soccer League)

Indoor soccer participation reached 5.9 million people in 2023, a 7.5 percent increase from the year before, according to SFIA’s team sports data. It is tracked separately from outdoor soccer, which had more than double the participants at 14.1 million.

The U.S. Soccer Federation oversees the indoor and outdoor game alike, while the Major Arena Soccer League runs the sport’s leading domestic indoor competition. Indoor soccer is played on a smaller, walled or boarded field, which lets it operate through winter months when outdoor play is limited.

#17 Football (tackle)

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 5.6 million (USA Football, 2023)
• Top national league: NFL
• Best known athlete: Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has won three Super Bowl titles and two Super Bowl MVP awards with the Kansas City Chiefs, along with three NFL Most Valuable Player awards

Tackle football participation grew 3.3 percent in 2023 to 5.6 million people, according to SFIA, a smaller total than flag football’s 7.3 million in the same data set. The Super Bowl remains the single most-watched annual sporting broadcast in the country.

USA Football governs the amateur and youth game, and the NFL is the sport’s dominant professional league by both revenue and television audience. SFIA’s participation count reflects people who actually play tackle football, which is a much smaller pool than the sport’s television viewership.

#18 Gymnastics

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 4.8 million (USA Gymnastics, 2023)
• Best known athlete: Simone Biles. Biles is the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history, with more than 30 World Championship medals plus multiple Olympic gold medals across the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Games

Gymnastics participation reached 4.8 million people in 2023, up 4.1 percent from 2022, according to SFIA. SFIA noted gymnastics among several disciplines that saw participation increases of nearly 7 percent or higher tied to the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle.

USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for the sport and selects the U.S. Olympic team. Most participants counted by SFIA take part recreationally or in youth club programs rather than in elite competition.

#19 Track and Field

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 3.9 million (USA Track & Field (USATF), 2023)
• Best known athlete: Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson won the 100 meters at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, becoming world champion in the event

Track and field participation rose 5.8 percent in 2023 to 3.9 million people, according to SFIA, though it remains 5.7 percent below its 2019 level. SFIA grouped track and field among Olympic-adjacent sports that saw notable one-year gains ahead of the Paris 2024 Games.

USA Track & Field is the national governing body for the sport and selects the U.S. teams for the Olympics and World Athletics Championships. Most participation in the SFIA survey comes from school, club and recreational running and field events rather than elite competition.

#20 Racquetball

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 3.55 million (USA Racquetball, 2023)

Racquetball participation was essentially flat in 2023 at 3.55 million people, up 0.8 percent from 2022, according to SFIA’s racquet sports breakdown. Participation has stayed within a narrow band of roughly 3.3 to 3.6 million since 2018.

USA Racquetball is the sport’s national governing body and organizes national championships and Olympic-qualifying events for the related sport of racquetball at the Pan American Games. The sport is played almost entirely on enclosed indoor courts, unlike most other racquet sports SFIA tracks.

#21 Ice Hockey

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 2.5 million (USA Hockey, 2023)
• Top national league: NHL
• Best known athlete: Auston Matthews. Matthews is the first United States-born captain in Toronto Maple Leafs history, appointed in August 2024, and has led the NHL in goals scored in multiple seasons

Ice hockey participation grew 9.6 percent in 2023 to 2.5 million people, one of the larger percentage increases among team sports tracked by SFIA that year. Access to ice rinks, which are far more common in northern states, limits the sport’s overall reach compared with sports played outdoors year-round.

USA Hockey is the sport’s national governing body and oversees the U.S. national and Olympic teams. The NHL is the top professional league, and it draws a growing share of American-born players such as Matthews to its rosters.

#22 Wrestling

• Total active participants (age 6+, at least one activity per year): 2.1 million (USA Wrestling, 2023)
• Best known athlete: Gable Steveson. Steveson won the men’s freestyle heavyweight gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the last American heavyweight to do so

Wrestling participation reached 2.1 million people in 2023, up 4.2 percent from 2022 and 9.1 percent above the 2019 level, according to SFIA. The sport is most commonly practiced through school and club programs rather than adult recreational leagues.

USA Wrestling governs the folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines and selects the U.S. Olympic team. Wrestling has been part of the modern Olympics since 1904, with a brief removal from the program in 2013 that was later reversed.

Sources

• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Nielsen
• FOX Sports / Nielsen
• NBA Communications
• CBS News New York, reporting on state legislative efforts to name baseball New York’s official sport
• Pew Research Center
• Springfield College
• International Volleyball Hall of Fame
• 16-Inch Softball Hall of Fame
• College Football Hall of Fame
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) / Physical Activity Council, 2024 U.S. Topline Participation Report

Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.

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