1976 in sports
See also: 1975 in sports, other events of 1976, 1977 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.
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Auto Racing
- Stock car racing:
- Indianapolis 500 - Johnny Rutherford
- USAC Racing - Gordon Johncock won the season championship
- Formula One Championship:
- James Hunt of Britain
- Niki Lauda's famous accident occurred during the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring.
- 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Jacky Ickx / Gijs van Lennep won, driving a Porsche 936
- Rally racing - the team of Sandro Munari / Mario Manucci won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Lancia Stratos HF
- Drag racing: Shirley Muldowney won "Top Fuel" at the NHRA World Finals
Baseball
- April 25 - Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday rescues an American flag just as two protestors are about to burn it in the outfield during a game at Dodger Stadium.
- Sparky Lyle breaks Hoyt Wilhelm's American League record of 154 career saves.
- World Series: The Cincinnati Reds (aka the "Big Red Machine") sweep the New York Yankees, 4 games to 0, to win their second straight championship.
Basketball
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship:
- Indiana wins 86-68 over Michigan
- NBA Finals:
- Boston Celtics win 4 games to 2 over the Phoenix Suns
Boxing
- October 8 in São Paulo, Brazil, former world featherweight champion Eder Jofre fought his last fight, outpointing Mexico's Octavio (Famoso) Gomez in ten rounds.
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Felice Gimondi of Italy
- Tour de France - Lucien Van Impe of Belgium
- World Cycling Championship: Freddy Maertens of Belgium
Figure Skating
- World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: John Curry, Britain
- Women's champion: Dorothy Hamill, United States
- Pairs champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexander Saizew, Soviet Union
Field Hockey
- March 13 - In an international women's field hockey match at Wembley Stadium,England. England beat Scotland 3-0.
- Women's Field Hockey World Cup - Germany are the World Champions.
Football (American)
- Super Bowl X: Pittsburgh Steelers won 21-17 over the Dallas Cowboys
Football (Australian Rules)
- Victorian Football League
- Hawthorn wins the 80th VFL Premiership (Hawthorn 13.22 (100) d North Melbourne 10.10 (70))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Graham Moss (Essendon)
Football (Canadian)
- Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders won 23-20 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Vanier Cup: Western Ontario Mustangs won 29-13 over the Acadia Axmen
Football (Soccer)
- England - FA Cup: Southampton won 1-0 over Manchester United
Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- May - The Masters - Ray Floyd
- June - US Open - Jerry Pate
- July - British Open - Johnny Miller
- August - PGA Championship - Dave Stockton
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Jack Nicklaus - $266,439
- US Women's Open - JoAnne Carner
- LPGA Championship - Betty Burfeindt
- Judy Rankin is the leading money winner on the LPGA tour. With total earnings of $150,734, she is the first to ever earn more than $100,000 in a season.
Thoroughbred Horse Racing
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Van der Hum
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Norcliffe
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Ivanjica
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Malacate
- English Triple Crown Races:
- Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Wollow
- Epsom Derby - Empery
- St. Leger Stakes - Crow
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby - Bold Forbes
- Preakness Stakes - Elocutionist
- Belmont Stakes - Bold Forbes
Harness Racing
- United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
- Cane Pace - Keystone Ore
- Little Brown Jug - Keystone Ore
- Messenger Stakes - Windshield Wiper
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
- Hambletonian - Steve Lobell
- Yonkers Trot - Steve Lobell
- Kentucky Futurity - Quick Pay
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Carclew
- Trotters: Bay Johnny
Ice Hockey
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens
- Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Clarke - Philadelphia Flyers
- Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 0 over the Philadelphia Flyers
- World Hockey Championship:
- Men's champion: Czechoslovakia defeated the Soviet Union
Skiing
- Alpine Skiing
- The men's overall season champion: Ingemar Stenmark, Sweden
- The women's overall season champion: Rosi Mittermaier, W. Germany
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship: Ray Reardon beats Alex Higgins 27-16
- World rankings are introduced. Ray Reardon becomes the first world number one, for 1976/77.
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Australian Open - Mark Edmondson
- French Open - Adriano Panatta
- Wimbledon championships - Björn Borg
- US Open - Jimmy Connors
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
General sporting events
- 1976 Summer Olympics takes place in Montreal, Canada
- USSR wins the most medals (125), and the most gold medals (49).
- 1976 Winter Olympics takes place in Innsbruck, Austria
- USSR wins the most medals (27), and the most gold medals (13).
- Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
- Gerald Riley won with lead dogs: Puppy & Sugar
Births
- January 7 - Éric Gagné, Los Angeles Dodgers closer, 2003 National League Cy Young Award
- March 5 - Sarunas Jasikevicius, Lithuanian basketball player
- March 24 - Peyton Manning, NFL star, league co-MVP in 2003
- April 20 - Big Ben, world champion show-jumping horse
- April 25 - Tim Duncan, basketball player, two-time NBA MVP
- April 25 - Rainer Schuettler, German tennis player
- June 8 - Lindsay Davenport,US tennis star
- July 1 - Patrick Kluivert, Dutch football player
- July 1 - Ruud van Nistelrooy, Dutch football player
- September 10 - Gustavo Kuerten, Brazilian tennis star
- September 20 - Michael Ballack, German football player
- September 22 - Ronaldo, Brazilian football player
- September 29 - Andriy Shevchenko, Ukrainian football player
- October 10 - Bob Burnquist, Brazilian skateboarder
Deaths
- January 18 - Ad Verhoeven, Dutch soccer player
- February 2 - Harry Elliott, English cricket wicketkeeper
- March 6 - Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom, boxer, actor
- March 11 - Larry Gardner, Major League Baseball player (1908-1924)
- May 30 - Max Carey, Major League Baseball player (1910-1929)
- June 15 - Jimmy Dykes, Major League Baseball player (1918-1939)
- September 25 - Red Faber, Major League Baseball, pitcher (1914-1933)
- May 22 - Oscar Bonavena, Argentinian heavyweight boxer