1948 in sports

[American football]

• NFL Championship: the Philadelphia Eagles won 7–0 over the Chicago Cardinals at Shibe Park in a blizzard
• Michigan Wolverines – college football national championship
• Cleveland Browns defeated the Buffalo Bills 49–7 in the All-America Football Conference championship game.

[Association football]

• Egyptian Premier League founded.

• First Division – Arsenal win the 1947–48 title.
• FA Cup – Manchester United beat Blackpool 4–2.

Athletics">sport of athletics">Athletics

[Australian rules football]

• Melbourne wins the 52nd VFL Premiership, drawing the 1948 VFL Grand Final with Essendon 10.9 to 7.27, and winning the replay 13.11 to Essendon's 7.8
• Brownlow Medal awarded to Bill Morris

• 2 October – Norwood wins its twenty-first SANFL premiership, defeating West Torrens 15.16 to 7.7
• Magarey Medal awarded to Ron Phillips

• 9 October – South Fremantle wins its fourth premiership and second in succession, defeating West Perth 13.9 to 9.9
• Sandover Medal awarded to Merv McIntosh

[Baseball]

• January 29 – Commissioner Happy Chandler fines the Yankees, Cubs, and Phillies $500 each for signing high school players.
• February 27 – Hall of Fame election – voters select the recently deceased Herb Pennock, and Pie Traynor, as the newest inductees; Traynor is the first third baseman elected by the writers in 9 elections.
• August 16 – death of Babe Ruth
• World Series – Cleveland Indians defeat Boston Braves, 4 games to 2.
• Negro World Series – Homestead Grays defeat the Birmingham Black Barons, 4 games to 1.
• College World Series - University of Southern California defeat Yale in the 2nd 2 games to 1

[Basketball]

• Kentucky beat Baylor 58–42

• Baltimore Bullets over the Philadelphia Warriors

• Minneapolis Lakers over Rochester Royals

[Boxing]

• June 25 – At New York's Yankee Stadium – Joe Louis knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 11th round to retain his heavyweight title for the 25th time. Shortly after the bout, Louis announced his retirement from boxing.

[Field hockey]

• Olympic Games (men's competition) in London, Great Britain
• * Gold: India
• * Silver: Great Britain
• * Bronze: Netherlands

[Figure skating]

• World Figure Skating Championships
• * Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
• * Ladies' champion: Barbara Ann Scott, Canada
• * Pair skating champions: Micheline Lannoy & Pierre Baugniet, Belgium

[Golf]

• Masters Tournament – Claude Harmon
• PGA Championship – Ben Hogan
• U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
• British Open – Henry Cotton

• British Amateur – Frank Stranahan
• U.S. Amateur – Willie Turnesa

• Women's Western Open – Patty Berg
• U.S. Women's Open – Babe Zaharias
• Titleholders Championship – Patty Berg

[Ice hockey]

• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Michigan Wolverines defeat Dartmouth College Big Green 8–4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado to win the first official NCAA championship
• [1948 1948 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup] – Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings in 4 straight games to win their 5th Stanley Cup title.

[Horse racing]

• Citation becomes the 8th horse to win the US Triple Crown
• Shiela's Cottage becomes the first mare to win the Grand National since 1902 and only the twelfth since the race's inception

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Cottage Rake
• Grand National – Sheila's Cottage

• Champion Hurdle – National Spirit

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Rimfire (horse)
• Canada – King's Plate won by Last Mark
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Migoli
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Nathoo
• English Triple Crown Races:
• # 2,000 Guineas Stakes – My Babu
• # The Derby – My Love
• # St. Leger Stakes – Black Tarquin
• United States Triple Crown Races:
• # Kentucky Derby – Citation
• # Preakness Stakes – Citation
• # Belmont Stakes – Citation

[Olympic Games]

• 1948 Summer Olympics takes place in London, United Kingdom
• * United States wins the most medals and the most gold medals.
• 1948 Winter Olympics takes place in St. Moritz, Switzerland
• * Norway, Sweden and Switzerland all win the most medals, and Norway and Sweden win the most gold medals.

[Radiosport]

• First held in October and November. This annual event would go on to become the radio contest with the largest participation worldwide.

Rowing">Rowing (sport)">Rowing

• 27 March — Cambridge wins the 94th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

[Rugby league]

• 1948–49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France

• 1948 NSWRFL season

• 1947–48 Northern Rugby Football League season/1948–49 Northern Rugby Football League season

[Rugby union]

• 54th Five Nations Championship series is won by Ireland who complete the Grand Slam, their last for 61 years.

[Snooker]

• World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 84–61.

[Speed skating]

• Men's All-round Champion – Odd Lundberg
• Women's All-round Champion – Maria Isakova

• 500m – gold medal: Finn Helgesen
• 1500m – gold medal: Sverre Farstad
• 5000m – gold medal: Reidar Liaklev
• 10000m – gold medal: Åke Seyffarth

• not contested

[Tennis]

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – Adrian Quist defeats John Bromwich 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – Nancye Wynne Bolton defeats Marie Toomey 6–3, 6–1

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Bob Falkenburg defeats John Bromwich 7–5, 0–6, 6–2, 3–6, 7–5
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough Clapp defeats Doris Hart 6–3, 8–6

• French Men's Singles Championship – Frank Parker defeats Jaroslav Drobný 6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 5–7, 7–5
• French Women's Singles Championship – Nelly Adamson Landry defeats Shirley Fry 6–2, 0–6, 6–0

• American Men's Singles Championship – Pancho Gonzales defeats Eric Sturgess 6–2, 6–3, 14–12
• American Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Osborne defeats Louise Brough 4–6, 6–4, 15–13

• 1948 Davis Cup – 5–0 at West Side Tennis Club New York City, United States

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Lou Boudreau, Major League Baseball
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Fanny Blankers-Koen, Track and field