Editing Southwestern United States (section)

==Sports==
===Professional===
[[File:Josh Jacobs Raiders-WFT DEC2021 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Runningback [[Josh Jacobs]] of the [[Las Vegas Raiders]] [[NFL]] team]]
[[File:T. J. McFarland April 29, 2018 (50121467337).jpg|thumb|[[T. J. McFarland]] pitcher for the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] professional baseball team.]]
Of the four [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major professional sports]], Phoenix and Las Vegas are the only metropolitan areas in the Southwest that have representatives. Las Vegas is home to the [[Las Vegas Raiders]] [[NFL]] football team and the [[Vegas Golden Knights]] [[NHL]] hockey team. Phoenix is home to the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] in [[Major League Baseball]], [[Arizona Cardinals]] in the [[National Football League]], and the [[Phoenix Suns]] in the [[National Basketball Association]]. The Greater Phoenix area is home to the [[Cactus League]], one of two spring training leagues for Major League Baseball; fifteen of MLB's thirty teams are now included in the Cactus League.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mlb.mlb.com/springtraining/index.jsp | title=Sun, scenery, history mark Spring Training baseball in Arizona, Florida | publisher=MLB | access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> The region has also been the scene of several NFL super bowls. Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe held [[Super Bowl XXX]] in 1996, when the [[Dallas Cowboys]] defeated the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.onpointevents.com/super-bowl-xxx_578.htm | title=Super Bowl XXX | publisher=onpointevents.com | access-date=February 14, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228071756/http://www.onpointevents.com/super-bowl-xxx_578.htm | archive-date=February 28, 2014 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona hosted [[Super Bowl XLII]] on February 3, 2008, in which the [[New York Giants]] defeated the [[New England Patriots]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ihavenet.com/nfl-superbowl-XLII-giants-patriots.html | title=Super Bowl XLII: Giants 17 Patriots 14; Road Warrior Giants Bring It Home | date=February 6, 2011 | publisher=ihavenet.com | access-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> as well as [[Super Bowl XLIX]], which resulted in the [[New England Patriots]] defeating the [[Seattle Seahawks]] 28–24. The U.S. Airways Center hosted both the [[1995 NBA All-Star Game|1995]] and the [[2009 NBA All-Star Game]]s.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nba.com/history/all-star/index.html | title=NBA All-Star Game History | work=NBA.com | access-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref>

In 1997, the [[Phoenix Mercury]] were one of the original eight teams to launch the [[Women's National Basketball Association]] (WNBA).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.wnba.com/mercury/archives/history_index.html | title=Mercury History | access-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> [[Indoor American football]] is represented by the [[Arizona Rattlers]] located in Phoenix.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/arena/rattlers/2014/08/25/champion-arizona-rattlers-to-parade-through-phoenix/14593565/ | title=Champion Arizona Rattlers to parade through Phoenix | publisher=azcentral.com | access-date=September 10, 2014}}</ref> The region is also host to several major professional golf events: the [[LPGA]]'s [[RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup|Founder's Cup]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lpgafounderscup.com/ | title=LPGA Vision for Founders Cup Now Long-Term Reality | publisher=LPGA | date=November 4, 2013 | access-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> the [[Phoenix Open]] and the [[Shriners Hospitals for Children Open]] (in Las Vegas) of the [[Professional Golfers' Association of America|PGA]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://wmphoenixopen.com/category/history/ | title=Waste Management Phoenix Open | publisher=wmphoenixopen.com | access-date=February 14, 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209051522/http://wmphoenixopen.com/category/history/ | archive-date=February 9, 2014 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.shrinershospitalsopen.com/ | publisher=Shriners Hospitals for Children Open | title=Shriners Hospitals for Children Open | access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref> and the [[Tucson Conquistadores Classic]] (in Tucson), and the [[Charles Schwab Cup Championship]] (in Scottsdale) on the [[Champions Tour]] of the PGA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pgatour.com/champions/news/2014/06/10/tucson-classic-champions-tour-schedule-2015.html |title=Tucson Classic added to Champions Tour schedule |publisher=PGA Tour |date=June 10, 2014 |access-date=June 10, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/charles-schwab-cup-championship.html | publisher=PGA Tour, Inc. | title=Charles Schwab Cup Championship | access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref>

[[NASCAR]] has two venues within the region: The [[Phoenix International Raceway]], was built in 1964 with a one-mile oval, with a one-of-a-kind design, as well as a 2.5-mile road course,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.phoenixraceway.com/About-Us/Timeline.aspx | title=Timeline | publisher=phoenixraceway.com | access-date=February 14, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125084424/http://www.phoenixraceway.com/About-Us/Timeline.aspx | archive-date=November 25, 2010 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and the [[Las Vegas Motor Speedway]], a 1,200-acre (490 ha) complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lvms.com/ | publisher=Speedway Motorsports, Inc. | title=Las Vegas Motor Speedway | access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref> There are several nationally recognized running events in the region, including The Phoenix Marathon, a qualifier for the [[Boston Marathon]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bmo-harris-bank-announces-multi-year-sponsorship-of-the-phoenix-marathon-2013-09-17-121731557 | title=BMO Harris Bank Announces Multi-Year Sponsorship of The Phoenix Marathon | publisher=marketwatch | access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> and the [[Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series]] in both [[Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon|Phoenix]] and [[Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon|Las Vegas]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://competitorgroup.com/brands/events/ | title=Events | publisher=competitorgroup.com | access-date=February 12, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727024028/http://competitorgroup.com/brands/events/ | archive-date=July 27, 2013 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/jun/11/nv-las-vegas-marathon-061109/?california|title=Las Vegas Strip to close for marathon runners|date=June 11, 2009|publisher=The San Diego Union Tribune|access-date=August 24, 2011}}</ref> Las Vegas is also the end point for the annual Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, a 120-mile-long foot race by law enforcement teams from around the world,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bakervegas.com/ |title=BakerVegas |publisher=BakerVegas |access-date=August 7, 2012}}</ref> which is the largest law enforcement athletic event in the world.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://bakervegas.net/about-us/race-history/ | publisher=Baker to Vegas | title=Challenge Cup "Baker To Vegas" History | access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref> 

The [[Professional Bull Riders]] association has its headquarters in Pueblo, Colorado. The [[Professional Bull Riders#World Finals Event Champions|PBR World Finals]] are held annually in Las Vegas,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pbrworldfinals.com/ | publisher=The Professional Bull Riders | title=PBR World Finals | access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref> which also hosts the [[National Finals Rodeo]].

Since the 1950s, Las Vegas has been host to many of professional boxing's largest events, beginning with the Heavyweight non-title bout in 1955 between world light heavyweight champion [[Archie Moore]] and perennial contender [[Niño Valdés]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2193325-how-las-vegas-became-the-boxing-capital-of-the-world|title=How Las Vegas Became the Boxing Capital of the World|first=Jonathan|last=Snowden|website=Bleacher Report}}</ref> [[Muhammad Ali]] fought his last world title bout in Las Vegas against [[Larry Holmes]] in 1980, and [[Floyd Mayweather]] fought many of his major fights there.

===College===
The Southwest is home to a rich tradition of college sports. The [[Big 12 Conference|Big-12 Conference]] has two teams in the region, the [[Arizona State Sun Devils]] and the [[Arizona Wildcats|University of Arizona Wildcats]]. The [[Mountain West Conference]] also has two teams, the [[UNLV Rebels]] and the [[New Mexico Lobos|University of New Mexico Lobos]]. [[Conference USA]] is represented by the [[UTEP Miners|University of Texas at El Paso Miners]]. The [[Big Sky Conference]] has two teams: the [[Northern Arizona Lumberjacks|Lumberjacks]] of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, and the [[Southern Utah Thunderbirds|Southern Utah University Thunderbirds]] in Cedar City, Utah. The [[Western Athletic Conference]] also has two representatives, the [[New Mexico State Aggies|New Mexico State University Aggies]] in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and the [[Grand Canyon Antelopes|Grand Canyon University Antelopes]] in Phoenix.

Las Vegas is becoming the nexus for NCAA league basketball tournaments. The [[Mountain West Conference]], the [[Western Athletic Conference]], the [[West Coast Conference]], and the [[Pac-12 Conference]] all hold their conference basketball tournaments in Las Vegas.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/pac-12-bring-basketball-tourney-mgm-grand-garden | publisher=Las Vegas Review-Journal | title=Pac-12 to bring basketball tourney to MGM Grand Garden | last=Carp | first=Steve | date=March 13, 2012 | access-date=July 14, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715111401/http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/pac-12-bring-basketball-tourney-mgm-grand-garden | archive-date=July 15, 2015 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

The Southwest is the site of six college football bowl games: the Rate Bowl, formerly known as the [[Insight Bowl|Cheez-it Bowl]], in Phoenix;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.football-bowl.com/bowls/insight-bowl.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20140214175040/http://www.football-bowl.com/bowls/insight-bowl.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 14, 2014 | title=Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl | publisher=football-bowl.com | access-date=February 14, 2014 }}</ref> the [[Arizona Bowl]] in Tucson; the [[Fiesta Bowl]], played at the University of Phoenix Stadium;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fiestabowl.org/index.php/insight/ | title=Fiesta Bowl | publisher=fiestabowl.org | access-date=February 14, 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106042237/http://www.fiestabowl.org/index.php/insight | archive-date=January 6, 2009 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> the [[Las Vegas Bowl]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lvbowl.com/media/releases/201300925 | publisher=Las Vegas | title=Royal Purple Announced as Bowl Game's Title Sponsor | date=September 25, 2013 | access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref> the [[New Mexico Bowl]] in Albuquerque;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gildannewmexicobowl.com/ | publisher=ESPN | title=Gildan New Mexico Bowl | access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref> and the [[Sun Bowl]] in El Paso, Texas.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sunbowl.org/ | publisher=Sun Bowl Association | title=Hyundai Sun Bowl | access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref>

The erstwhile [20th century] [[Southwest Conference]] might seem to have been named after this region, but it had no teams from [[Arizona]] nor [[New Mexico]]. All but one of its teams were from schools in [[Texas]].<ref name="SWC">"See also" [the article about the] [[Southwest Conference]].</ref>