Top Stadiums to Check Out on Your Next Visit to Memphis
If you don’t think Memphis, Tennessee, is a hotbed for sports, think again. Whether pro or college sports, there's a lot going on in Memphis outside of the city’s great music and food scenes. Sports fans who have spent time there know that the city of Memphis stadiums and sports venues are among the best in the country, even if the average sports fan doesn’t realize it. To prove our point, let’s look at the top stadiums and other sports venues every fan should see for themselves the next time they visit Memphis.
FedExForum
Nowadays, the crown jewel of the Memphis sports scene is FedExForum. Nicknamed The Grindhouse, FedExForum is located in the heart of downtown Memphis on the city’s famous Beale Street. It serves primarily as the home court of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team. That makes it one of the rare venues that is home to both an NBA team and a college basketball team. FedExForum is also used frequently to host concerts and other major events, including boxing, pro wrestling, and UFC fights. There was even a preseason NHL game played there once. The venue opened in 2004 but has undergone several renovations to upgrade the sound system and scoreboard while also providing better amenities for both fans and players, helping to make it one of the top basketball venues in the country.
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
When most sports fans think about the city of Memphis, the Liberty Bowl is usually the first venue that comes to mind. The stadium opened in 1965 as Memphis Memorial Stadium and was renamed Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium until it was renamed Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in 2022. While located east of downtown, the venue is located near the Memphis Fairgrounds and is one of the city’s biggest landmarks. Even though the Liberty Bowl is a little old, the stadium received an extensive renovation in 2013 to keep it in tip-top shape.
Since the stadium opened in 1965, it has been the home of the University of Memphis Tigers football team and the Liberty Bowl, which is one of the oldest and most distinguished college football bowl games. The annual Southern Heritage Classic between Tennessee State and Jackson State is also played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Over the years, there have also been many pro teams that have called the Liberty Bowl home. The Tennessee Oilers played the 1997 NFL season there before moving to Nashville permanently and becoming the Titans. The Memphis Express of the AAF played one season at the Liberty Bowl in 2019. The Memphis Maniax of the XFL played one season there in 2001. There was even a Memphis team in the CFL for two seasons that played its games at the Liberty Bowl in 1995.
AutoZone Park
For baseball games in Memphis, fans always visit AutoZone Park. The stadium is located just a few blocks from FedExForum in downtown Memphis. It first opened in 2000 and has served as the home field for the Memphis Redbirds, a triple-A team that has long been the affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2009, AutoZone Park was named by Baseball America as the Best Minor League park in the country, so it’s a venue that’s always been held in high esteem, even hosting MLB exhibition games on occasion. In 2019, AutoZone Park also started to host soccer games, serving as the home field of Memphis 901 FC, which plays in the USL Championship.
Landers Center
Officially, the Landers Center is located outside of the Memphis city limits in Southaven, Mississippi. But it’s located less than 20 miles from downtown Memphis and is very much a part of the city’s sports landscape. The venue opened in 2000 as the DeSoto Civic Center but was renamed in 2011. Currently, two pro teams play their games in the Landers Center. The most notable is the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League, as they serve as the affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies. The other is the Memphis Americans, an indoor soccer team that plays in the NISL. Between 2007 and 2018, the Landers Center also hosted a minor league hockey team called the Mississippi RiverKings. The Landers Center is also used as a concert venue when it’s not needed for sporting events.
Elma Roane Fieldhouse
While the high-profile University of Memphis sports teams play off-campus, Elma Roane Field House is the most important on-campus area. It has a capacity of over 2,500 fans and serves as the home for the women’s basketball and volleyball teams at Memphis.
Mike Rose Soccer Complex
Located in the southeast part of Memphis is the Mike RoseSoccer Complex. This is a large complex for amateur soccer, including youth tournaments and the University of Memphis men’s and women’s soccer teams. In total, the complex has 16 fields, including the main stadium. The Memphis Twilight Invitational, a cross-country race that’s run at night, is also hosted at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.