Editing Shreveport, Louisiana (section)

==Sports==
{{Main|Sports in Shreveport-Bossier}}
[[File:Shreveport September 2015 012 (Independence Stadium).jpg|thumb|Independence Stadium, 2015|alt=|left]]
Dating back to 1911, the state fairgrounds (and later [[Independence Stadium (Shreveport)|Independence Stadium]], formerly State Fair Stadium) has traditionally hosted a college football game or two during the State Fair of Louisiana, an event currently dubbed the [[Red River State Fair Classic]]. Since 1976, Independence Stadium has served as host of college football's annual [[Independence Bowl]].<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/s/sn/20071228/sp_sn/shreveportthegrandaddyofbadbowlgames]{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Also, the [[Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football]] team occasionally hosts games at Independence Stadium.

Shreveport has been home to several professional football teams. The Houston franchise of the professional [[World Football League]] relocated to Shreveport rebranded as the [[Shreveport Steamer]] midway through the 1974 season, but the franchise along with the WFL folded midway through the 1975 season. Another franchise named the [[Shreveport Steamers]] played as a member of the [[American Football Association (1978–1983)|American Football Association]] from 1979 until folding in 1981. Shreveport's Independence Stadium was also home to the [[Shreveport Pirates]], an unsuccessful professional [[Canadian Football League]] franchise that opened play in 1994 but folded after the 1995 season.

Baseball in Shreveport has an extensive history. The city had affiliated [[Minor League Baseball]] teams from 1968 to 2002. The most memorable team was the [[Shreveport Captains]] of the [[Texas League]]. Baseball teams in Shreveport have gone through eight different name changes and seven different leagues all since 1895. Shreveport's most recent independent minor league baseball team, the [[Shreveport-Bossier Captains]], ceased operations in 2011 and moved to [[Laredo, Texas]].

The city also has an extensive history in basketball and soccer. The [[Shreveport Crawdads]] and Shreveport Storm operated in 1994 and 1995 as members of the [[Continental Basketball Association]]. The [[Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks]] of the [[American Basketball Association (2000–present)|American Basketball Association]] played from 2013 to 2015 before relocating to [[Owensboro, Kentucky]]; since 2021, the Mavericks returned as the [[Shreveport Mavericks]] within [[The Basketball League]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 17, 2021|title=Shreveport Mavericks win home opener|url=https://www.arklatexhomepage.com/sports/local-sports/shreveport-mavericks-win-home-opener/|access-date=April 19, 2021|website=ArkLaTexHomepage|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gibson|first=Kaitlyn|title=Shreveport Mavericks secure first win of the season|url=https://www.ksla.com/2021/04/11/shreveport-mavericks-secure-first-win-season/|access-date=April 19, 2021|website=KSLA|date=April 11, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref> The Shreveport/Bossier Lions played in 1998 as affiliates of the [[United Soccer League]]. [[National Premier Soccer League|NPSL]]-affiliate [[Shreveport Rafters FC]] operated from 2016 to 2018; their expansion team for the [[Women's Premier Soccer League]] operated for one season in 2017. Shreveport almost had a USL expansion team in 2020 before its rejection by the city council,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bayliss|first=Deborah|title=City Councilman calls Cross Bayou Point lawsuit 'a bunch of malarkey'|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2020/01/13/cross-bayou-point-project-shreveport-faces-legal-hurdle/4454391002/|access-date=July 29, 2020|website=Shreveport Times|language=en-US}}</ref> though [[USL League Two]] announced the establishment of [[Blue Goose SC]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=January 13, 2022|title=United Soccer League Welcomes Blue Goose Soccer Club to League Two for the 2022 Season|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/news_article/show/1203083-united-soccer-league-welcomes-blue-goose-soccer-club-to-league-two-for-the-2022-season|access-date=February 13, 2022|website=USL League Two|language=en-us}}</ref> The city was also considered as location for an [[NBA G League]]-affiliate of the [[New Orleans Pelicans]]. The city council unanimously rejected the proposal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ridiculousupside.com/2017/9/13/16304326/shreveport-denies-arena-for-g-league-team-pensacola-sits-as-favorite-nba-pelicans|title=Shreveport Denies Arena For Pelicans G League Team; Pensacola Sits As Favorite|last=Schmidt|first=Dakota|date=September 13, 2017|website=Ridiculous Upside|language=en|access-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref>

The [[Shreveport Mudbugs]] are a [[Junior ice hockey#Tier II|Tier II junior ice hockey]] team that has competed in the [[North American Hockey League]] since 2016.

On the collegiate front, the [[Centenary Gentlemen and Ladies]] compete in [[NCAA Division III]] as a member of the [[Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference]]. The [[LSU–Shreveport Pilots]] compete in the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] as a member of the [[Red River Athletic Conference]].