Virginia is home to a number of college sports teams. What Virginia doesn't have, however, are professional sports teams.
Residents in Virginia claim pro teams located in Washington, D.C. as their own while choosing from 11 different Division 1 programs to follow. Virginia sports betting laws give fans an option to bet on pro sports teams but doesn't allow betting on in-state college teams.
Major Pro Sports Teams in Virginia
Though Virginia is home to a handful of minor league sports teams, VA is one of the few states unable to claim any major professional sports teams. In fact, Virginia has the highest population with no major pro sports teams in the U.S.
That doesn't mean the state hasn't tried, however. There have been multiple attempts to relocate franchises to Alexandria, Virginia such as the Washington Commanders in 1992 and most recently the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals in 2023. Additionally, three separate MLB teams – the Houston Astros, Montreal Expos, and Miami Marlins in 1996, 2004, and 2012, respectively – all at the very least explored moving their franchise to Norfolk, VA.
That said, Virginia residents claim a number of teams as their own with multiple pro sports teams located near Virginia.
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College Sports Teams in Virginia
While Virginia college sports teams aren't the most popular across the U.S. there are plenty to choose from across the state. Norfolk is home to two D1 collegiate sports teams with 10 other Virginia cities playing host to notable colleges and universities.
As long as you're in the state you won't find any of the college teams below on VA sportsbook apps.
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List of All Virginia Sport Team Nicknames
Like we stated above, there are actually no major pro sports teams in Virginia. But Virginia claims nearby D.C.-area teams so we included them for this list of Virginia sports team nicknames:
None. Virginia is the most populated state in the United States with no major professional sports teams.
Yes, you can bet on college sports teams while in Virginia but you can't bet on any in-state college teams. That means if you're located in Virginia you can bet on the Tennessee Volunteers but not the Virginia Tech Hokies.
There are 11 Division-1 sports teams located in Virginia. Most notably are the Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Tech Hokies. James Madison, located in Harrisonburg, recently joined the college football D1 landscape.
There are no major NASCAR teams located in Virginia. There are, however, four races in Virginia every year between Martinsville and Richmond. Additionally, popular NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin calls the state of Virginia home.
A question asked on Reddit, many people in Virginia claim to follow and cheer for D.C. teams such as the Washington Commanders, Capitals, Nationals, and Wizards. The most popular college sports team in Virginia is Virginia Tech due to the size of the school and recent success in football.
Tyler Olson has worked in sports media for over a decade, writing, editing, and optimizing primarily NFL and sports betting content. His primary focus is giving users in Virginia the most up-to-date information on operators and sharing the latest promo code offerings they have to offer.
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