See also: 1972 in sports, other events of 1973, 1974 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Richard Petty wins the Daytona 500 in which singer Marty Robbins made his first appearance as a driver.
  • NASCAR Championship - Benny Parsons
• Indianapolis 500 - Gordon Johncock
• USAC Racing - Roger McCluskey
• Formula One Championship - Jackie Stewart of Great Britain
• 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Henri Pescarolo / Gérard Larrousse won, driving a Matra MS670B
• Rally racing - Jean-Claude Andruet / Michele Petit ("Biche") won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Alpine-Renault A110 . This year's rally was the first ever Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship event.
• Drag racing - Don Garlits won "Top Fuel" at the NHRA Supernationals

Baseball

• January 18: Orlando Cepeda signs with the Boston Red Sox, making him the first player signed by a team specifically to be a designated hitter.

• The American League uses the designated hitter rule for the first time. Ron Blomberg is the first player to bat as a DH.

• World Series: Oakland Athletics won 4 games to 3 over the New York Mets

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship:
  • UCLA wins 87-66 over Memphis State.

• NBA Finals:
  • New York Knicks won 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers

Boxing

• January 22 - George Foreman beats Joe Frazier by a knockout in two rounds to lift the world's Heavyweight championship from Frazier. It is HBO Boxing's first telecast.

Cycling

• Tour de France - Luis Ocaña of Spain
• World Cycling Championship: Felice Gimondi, of Italy

Field Hockey

• March 10 - In an international women's hockey match at Wembley Stadium,England. England are beaten by Ireland 2-1.

Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Ondrej Nepela , Czechoslovakia
  • Women's champion: Karen Magnussen, Canada
  • Pairs champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexander Zaitsev, Soviet Union

Football (American)

• O. J. Simpson becomes the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season.

• Super Bowl VII: Miami Dolphins won 14-7 over the Washington Redskins

Football (Australian Rules)

• Victorian Football League
  • Richmond wins the 77th VFL Premiership (Richmond 16.20 (116) d Carlton 12.14 (86))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Keith Greig (North Melbourne)

Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders win 22-18 over the Edmonton Eskimos
• Vanier Cup: St. Mary's Huskies win 14-6 over the McGill Redmen

Football (Soccer)

• England - FA Cup: Sunderland wins 1-0 over Leeds United

Golf

Men's Golf

• Major Championship results:
  1. May - The Masters - Tommy Aaron
  2. June - US Open - Johnny Miller
  3. July - British Open - Tom Weiskopf
  4. August - PGA Championship - Jack Nicklaus

• PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Jack Nicklaus - $308,362

• Ryder Cup: United States won 19-13 over Britain & Ireland in world team golf.

Women's Golf

• US Women's Open - Susie Berning
• LPGA Championship - Mary Mills
• Kathy Whitworth: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $82,854

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Gala Supreme
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Royal Chocolate
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Rheingold
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Weaver's Hall

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Mon Fils
  2. Epsom Derby - Morston
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Peleid

• Secretariat, ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte, becomes the first horse in 25 years to win the United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby - Secretariat
  2. Preakness Stakes - Secretariat
  3. Belmont Stakes - Secretariat

Harness Racing

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Smog
  2. Little Brown Jug - Melvin's Woe
  3. Messenger Stakes - Valiant Bret

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Flirth
  2. Yonkers Trot
  3. Kentucky Futurity

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Hondo Grattan
  • Trotters: Precocious

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins

• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Clarke - Philadelphia Flyers

• Stanley Cup - Montreal Canadiens defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4 games to 2

• World Hockey Association:
• AVCO Cup - New England Whalers defeat the Winnipeg Jets 4 games to 1 for first league championship.

• World Hockey Championship:
  • Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden

Skiing

• Alpine Skiing
  • The men's overall season champion: Gustavo Thoeni , Italy
  • The women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll , Austria

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship: Ray Reardon beats Eddie Charlton 38-32

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open - John Newcombe
  2. French Open - Ilie Nastase
  3. Wimbledon - Jan Kodes
  4. US Open - John Newcombe

• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  1. Australian Open - Margaret Smith Court
  2. French Open - Margaret Smith Court
  3. Wimbledon - Billie Jean King
  4. US Open - Margaret Smith Court

• Davis Cup: Australia wins 5-0 over the United States in world tennis.
• Men and women players receive equal prize money at the US Open.

General sporting events

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
  • Dick Wilmarth won with lead dog: Hotfoot

Births

• January 1 - Britta Becker,German field hockey international
• February 26 - Jenny Thompson, U.S. Olympic swimmer
• February 26 - Marshall Faulk, American football star
• February 28 - Eric Lindros, ice hockey star
• April 24 - Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricketer
• May 1 - Oliver Neuville, German international footballer
• May 19 - Dario Franchitti, automobile racer
• June 15 - Vanina Oneto , Argentinian field hockey international
• June 21 - Alyson Annan , Australian field hockey international
• July 20 - Peter Forsberg, ice hockey player
• September 28 - Kathryn Leng , English cricketer
• October 22 - Ichiro Suzuki, Japanese baseball star, American League MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2001
• November 29 - Ryan Giggs, Welsh international footballer
• December 2 - Monica Seles, Yugoslavia-born American tennis champion

Deaths

• February 8 - Herbie Taylor , South African cricketer
• March 12 - Frankie Frisch, Major League Baseball player (1919-1937)
• March 26 - George Sisler, Major League Baseball hall of famer (1915-1930)
• July 2 - Swede Savage 26, USAC race car driver
• July 8 - Wilfred Rhodes, English cricketer
• July 29 - Formula One driver, Roger Williamson burns to death at the Dutch Grand Prix
• August 7 - Wilbur Cooper , Major League Baseball pitcher (1912-1926)
• August 9 - Charlie Daniels, U.S. Olympic Gold medal swimmer
• October 2 - Paavo Nurmi, Finnish runner
• December 3 - Count Fleet, thoroughbred racehorse and Triple Crown champion.
• December 16 - Syd Barnes , Australian cricketer