1916 in sports

1916 in sports describes the year’s events in world sport.

Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War I

American football

Final score of the 1916 Cumberland vs. Georgia Tech football game

College championship

• College football national championship – Pittsburgh Panthers

Events

• 7 October — Georgia Tech Engineers defeats the Cumberland College Bulldogs by a score of 222–0, the most one-sided game in college football history.

Association football

Europe

• There is no major football in Europe due to World War I

South America

• 9 July — CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American football, is founded

Australian rules football

VFL Premiership

• 2 September: Fitzroy wins the 20th VFL Premiership: Fitzroy 12.13 (85) d Carlton 8.8 (56) at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Fitzroy wins the title despite having finished last in the regular season.

South Australian Football League:

• not contested due to World War I

West Australian Football League:

• 9 September: South Fremantle 7.12 (54) defeat East Fremantle 5.5 (35) for their first WAFL premiership.

Bandy

Sweden

• Championship final – IFK Uppsala 3–2 Djurgårdens IF

Baseball

World Series

• 7–12 October — Boston Red Sox defeats the Brooklyn Robins by 4 games to 1 to win the 1916 World Series.

Events

• The Philadelphia Athletics finish the season with a record of 36–117 or a .235 winning percentage, the worst Major League Baseball record since 1900.
• Winnipeg Maroons wins the Northern League Championship
• The Federal League goes out of business in a settlement with organised baseball that leaves out one club; the Baltimore Terrapins pursue a legal remedy

Boxing

Events

• Having already lost to him earlier in the year, Battling Levinsky defeats Jack Dillon in 12 rounds at Boston to claim the World Light Heavyweight Championship.
• The series of fights between Ted "Kid" Lewis and Jack Britton continues with Britton taking the World Welterweight Championship into 1917.

Lineal world champions

• World Heavyweight Championship – Jess Willard
• World Light Heavyweight Championship – Jack Dillon → Battling Levinsky
• World Middleweight Championship – Al McCoy
• World Welterweight Championship – Ted "Kid" Lewis → Jack Britton
• World Lightweight Championship – Freddie Welsh
• World Featherweight Championship – Johnny Kilbane
• World Bantamweight Championship – Kid Williams
• World Flyweight Championship – Jimmy Wilde

Canadian football

Grey Cup

• not contested due to World War I

Cricket

Events

• There is no first-class cricket in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or the West Indies due to World War I

India

• Bombay Quadrangular – Europeans

Cycling

Tour de France

• not contested due to World War I

Giro d'Italia

• not contested due to World War I

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships

• not contested due to World War I

Golf

Events

• The inaugural USPGA Championship is held as a matchplay tournament

Major tournaments

• British Open – not contested due to World War I
• US Open – Chick Evans
• USPGA Championship – Jim Barnes

Other tournaments

• British Amateur – not contested due to World War I
• US Amateur – Chick Evans

Horse racing

England

• Grand National – not held due to World War I
• 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Canyon
• 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Clarissimus
• Epsom Derby – Fifinella
• Epsom Oaks – Fifinella
• St. Leger Stakes – Hurry On

Australia

• Melbourne Cup – Sasanof

Canada

• Queen's Plate – Mandarin

Ireland

• Irish Grand National – All Sorts
• Irish Derby Stakes – Furore

USA

• Kentucky Derby – George Smith
• Preakness Stakes – Damrosch
• Belmont Stakes – Friar Rock

Ice hockey

Stanley Cup

• Montreal Canadiens wins the National Hockey Association (NHA) championship
• Portland Rosebuds wins the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) championship, the first United States team to do so
• 20–30 March — Montreal Canadiens defeats Portland Rosebuds in the 1916 Stanley Cup Finals by 3 games to 2

Events

• Winnipeg 61st Battalion wins the Allan Cup

Motor racing

Grand Prix racing

• No Grand Prix races are held in Europe from 1915 to 1920 inclusive.

Indianapolis 500

• 30 May — 6th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is won by Dario Resta (Great Britain) in a Peugeot L45.

Vanderbilt Cup

• 16 November — 11th and final running of the original Vanderbilt Cup at Santa Monica is won by Dario Resta (Great Britain) driving a Peugeot EX3.

American Grand Prize

• 18 November — 7th and final running of the American Grand Prize takes place at Santa Monica over 648.934 km (13.519 km x 48 laps) and is won by Howdy Wilcox and Johnny Aitken (both USA) driving a Peugeot EX5 in 4:42:47. The race is eventually revived in 1958 as the Formula One United States Grand Prix.

Olympic Games

1916 Summer Olympics

• The 1916 Summer Olympics, due to take place in Berlin, are cancelled due to World War I

Rowing

The Boat Race

• Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race – not contested due to World War I

Rugby league

England

• All first-class competitions are cancelled due to World War I

Australia

• NSW Premiership – Balmain 5–3 South Sydney (grand final)

New Zealand

• 1916 New Zealand rugby league season

Rugby union

Five Nations Championship

• Five Nations Championship series is not contested due to World War I

Speed skating

Speed Skating World Championships

• not contested due to World War I

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men’s Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I

France

• French Men’s Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I
• French Women’s Singles Championship – not contested due to World War I

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship – Richard Norris Williams (USA) defeats Bill Johnston (USA) 4–6 6–4 0–6 6–2 6–4
• American Women’s Singles Championship – Molla Bjurstedt Mallory (Norway) defeats Louise Hammond Raymond (USA) 6–0 6–1

Davis Cup

• 1916 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested