Editing Huntsville, Alabama (section)

==Sports==
Huntsville is home to a number of adult sports teams and leagues. The [[Huntsville Havoc]] are a professional [[ice hockey]] team with the [[SPHL]] that play home games at the Von Braun Center.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Homepage |url=https://www.huntsvillehavoc.com/ |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website= huntsvillehavoc.com |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Huntsville City FC]], a reserve team for [[Nashville SC]] of [[Major League Soccer]], began playing in 2023 in [[MLS Next Pro]], the third level of soccer in the US.<ref>{{cite news |last=Silverman |first=Alex |date=April 11, 2023 |title=Nashville SC charts new MLS Next Pro territory, adding a team in Huntsville |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/04/11/nashville-sc-charts-new-mls-next-pro-territory.html |work=[[Nashville Business Journal]] |access-date=June 12, 2023}}</ref> The Huntsville Adult Soccer League, based at Merrimack Sports Complex, is an amateur adult soccer league with seven teams, including four men's divisions, a premier team, a women's team, and a master's team. The [[Rocket City Roller Derby]] is part of the [[Women's Flat Track Derby Association]] (WFTDA) and plays at the NSS Conference Center.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rocket City Roller Derby |url=https://rocketcityderby.com/ |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=Rocket City Roller Derby |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[Alabama–Huntsville Chargers]] (University of Alabama in Huntsville) [[Men's Basketball|Men's]] and [[Women's basketball|Women's Basketball]] teams are part of [[NCAA Division II|NCAA D-II]] and play at Spragins Hall.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UAH Athletics - Official Athletics Website |url=https://uahchargers.com/index.aspx |access-date=December 20, 2022 |website=UAH Athletics |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Facilities |url=https://uahchargers.com/facilities/spragins-hall/3 |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=UAH Athletics |language=en}}</ref> The [[Alabama A&M Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs|Alabama A&M Bulldogs]] (Alabama A&M University) Men's [[American football|Football]] team is part of [[NCAA Division I|NCAA D-I FCS]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alabama A&M Quick Facts |url=https://aamusports.com/sports/2009/8/28/GEN_0828092700.aspx |access-date=December 22, 2022 |website=Alabama A&M Athletics |language=en}}</ref>

Huntsville has numerous sports venues. The Von Braun Center has a maximum [[seating capacity]] of 9,000.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2018 |title=VBC Propst Arena Rental Rates |url=https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/vonbrauncenter/VBC_EventPlanners_1118_PropstArena_b82ec8e2-f940-4283-a423-e0461596f086.pdf |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=Von Braun Center |language=en}}</ref> [[Toyota Field (Madison, Alabama)|Toyota Field]] is a baseball park with a capacity of about 7,000 in nearby Madison that is home to the AA-minor league [[Rocket City Trash Pandas]] team.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 27, 2020 |title=Toyota Field officially open for Trash Pandas baseball |url=https://www.al.com/news/huntsville/2020/02/toyota-field-officially-open-for-trash-pandas-baseball.html |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=AL.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Trash Pandas' first season pays off at the bank for city of Madison |url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/03/trash-pandas-first-season-pays-off-at-the-bank-for-city-of-madison.html |date= March 29, 2022 |access-date= December 23, 2022 |website=Al.com |language=en-US}}</ref> A former baseball park, [[Joe Davis Stadium]], was converted into a 6,000-seat [[soccer-specific stadium]] in 2023 for Huntsville City FC. The soccer field was named the Wicks Family Field to honor and recognize the Wicks family's contributions.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gattis |first=Paul |date=May 1, 2023 |title=Once an eyesore, Joe Davis Stadium wraps up $29 million facelift |url=https://www.al.com/news/2023/05/once-an-eyesore-joe-davis-stadium-wraps-up-29-million-facelift.html |work=AL.com |access-date=June 12, 2023}}</ref> A number of smaller stadiums are used by universities or public schools, including [[Louis Crews Stadium]] with a capacity of 21,000,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facilities |url=https://aamusports.com/facilities/louis-crews-stadium/4 |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=Alabama A&M Athletics |language=en}}</ref> and [[Milton Frank Stadium]] with a capacity of 12,000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Milton Frank Stadium |url=https://www.huntsville.org/listing/milton-frank-stadium/1679/ |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website= huntsville.org |language=en-us}}</ref> The Merrimack Soccer Complex has 14 soccer fields used by youth soccer organizations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Merrimack Soccer Complex |url=https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/environment/parks-recreation/recreation/sports-complexes/merrimack-soccer-complex/ |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=City of Huntsville |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 19, 2020 |title=Merrimack Soccer Complex - Turf |url=https://northalabamasc.demosphere-secure.com/resources/fields/merrimack-soccer-complex-turf |access-date=May 25, 2023 |website=North Alabama Soccer Coalition}}</ref> The [[Huntsville Speedway]] is a quarter mile oval race track used for race days and other events.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Huntsville Speedway |url=https://www.huntsvillespeedway.com/ |access-date=December 20, 2022 |website=Huntsville Speedway |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Huntsville Speedway |url=https://www.huntsville.org/listing/huntsville-speedway/1708/ |access-date=May 25, 2023 |website=Huntsville.org |language=en-us}}</ref>

Huntsville has had many professional sports teams in its past, most of which were discontinued due to lack of funding or being transferred to a different city. Huntsville's first sports team was the [[Huntsville Rockets]] football team, launched in 1962 and folded in 1967 due to lack of funding.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chick |first=Bob |date=October 18, 1966 |title=Huntsville's Dead, Buried |pages=14–A |work=[[St. Petersburg Independent]] |location=St. Petersburg, Florida |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19661018&id=LMFaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R1cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6120,3120933 |access-date=December 23, 2022}}</ref> The [[Alabama Hawks]] were a football team founded in 1963 and were discontinued in 1969 due to lack of funding.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 10, 1969 |title=Will the COFL's Alabama Hawks move to Birmingham? |url=http://www.birminghamprosports.com/otherteamsalabamahawks.html |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website= birminghamprosports.com}}</ref> The [[Huntsville Stars]] were a Minor League Baseball team founded in 1985, originally as the [[Nashville Sounds]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee]], but were transferred to Huntsville soon after. In 2014, they were transferred to [[Biloxi, Mississippi]] and renamed the [[Biloxi Shuckers]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCarter |first=Mark |date=January 15, 2014 |title=A timeline of Huntsville Stars' history (gallery) |url=https://www.al.com/sports/2014/01/a_timeline_of_huntsville_stars.html |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=AL.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[Huntsville Blast]] were a minor league ice hockey team, originally founded in 1981 as the [[Roanoke Valley Rampage]] in [[Vinton, Virginia]], and were relocated to Huntsville in 1993. The following season, the team was relocated to [[Tallahassee, Florida]] as the [[Tallahassee Tiger Sharks]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=McCarter |first=Mark |date=March 25, 2015 |title=Von Braun Center has celebrated much sports success, but also been graveyard for some franchises |url=https://www.al.com/news/huntsville/2015/03/von_braun_center_has_celebrate.html |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=AL.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[Huntsville Fire]] were an indoor soccer team founded in 1997 and dissolved in 1998 due to lack of funding.<ref>"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19980929&id=4L4fAAAAIBAJ&pg=1349,3075252 Huntsville Fire ceases operations]". ''[[The Gadsden Times]]''. Gadsden, AL: [[New York Times Company]]. September 29, 1998. p. B3. Retrieved June 5, 2013.</ref> The [[Huntsville Channel Cats]] were an ice hockey team founded in 1995 and renamed the Huntsville Havoc in 2004.<ref name=":7" /> The [[Huntsville Flight]] were a basketball team founded in 2001 and were moved to [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]] in 2005. Today, they are the [[Cleveland Charge]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dyer |first=Jessica |date=July 8, 2011 |title=T-Birds Sold, Moving to Ohio |url=https://www.abqjournal.com/234690/t-birds-sold-moving-to-ohio.html |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=Albuquerque Journal}}</ref> The [[Tennessee Valley Raptors]] were an indoor football team established in 2000 and relocated to [[Rockford, Illinois]] in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 26, 2005 |title=Tennessee Valley Football renamed Raptors |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/tennessee-valley-football-renamed-raptors/n-3120471 |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=OurSports Central |language=en}}</ref> The [[Alabama Hammers]], which played at the Von Braun Center, were an indoor football team established in 2010 and folded in 2016 due to the collapse of the league.<ref name=":7" />