1918 in sports

[American football]

• College football national championship – Pittsburgh Panthers

• Most teams shut down due to World War I and the flu pandemic; those that continue play are forced to delay the start of play until the middle of October or later
• Dayton Triangles defeat Detroit Heralds, both of whom continue full operations despite war and flu, to establish themselves as strongest team in the nation
• Buffalo Niagaras sign Tommy Hughitt for play in a citywide league, establishing a trend of expansion of top-level professional competition outside Ohio

  [Association football]

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

  [Australian rules football]

• South Melbourne wins the 22nd VFL Premiership beating Collingwood 9.8 to 7.15 in the 1918 VFL Grand Final.

• not contested due to World War I

• 21 September: East Fremantle 11.8 defeat East Perth 8.5 for their tenth WAFL premiership.

  [Bandy]

• Championship final – IFK Uppsala 4–1 IK Sirius

  [Baseball]

• 5–11 September — Boston Red Sox defeats Chicago Cubs to win the 1918 World Series by 4 games to 2

• Babe Ruth leads the American League in home runs for the first time, hitting 11
• 2 September — professional baseball is curtailed to accelerate mobilisation for war

  [Boxing]

• No world titles change hands in 1918 but Jack Dempsey, with a series of knockouts including one against Battling Levinsky, is now the main challenger to Jess Willard.

• World Heavyweight Championship – Jess Willard
• World Light Heavyweight Championship – Battling Levinsky
• World Middleweight Championship – Mike O'Dowd
• World Welterweight Championship – Ted "Kid" Lewis
• World Lightweight Championship – Benny Leonard
• World Featherweight Championship – Johnny Kilbane
• World Bantamweight Championship – Pete Herman
• World Flyweight Championship – Jimmy Wilde

  [Canadian football]

• not contested due to World War I

  [Cricket]

• There is no first-class cricket in England, Australia, South Africa or the West Indies due to World War I. A number of first-class matches are arranged in New Zealand but are not part of any official competition.

• Bombay Quadrangular – Hindus shared with Parsees

• Plunket Shield – not contested

  [Cycling]

• not contested due to World War I

• not contested due to World War I

  [Figure skating]

• not contested due to World War I

  [Golf]

• All major championships are cancelled due to World War I

  [Horse racing]

• Grand National – not held due to World War I
• 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Ferry
• 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Gainsborough
• The Derby – Gainsborough
• The Oaks – My Dear
• St. Leger Stakes – Gainsborough

• Melbourne Cup – Night Watch

• Queen's Plate – Springside

• Irish Grand National – Ballyboggan
• Irish Derby Stakes – King John

• Kentucky Derby – Exterminator
• Preakness Stakes – not contested as a single race
• Belmont Stakes – Johren

  [Ice hockey]

• The temporary Toronto Arenas team defeats the Montreal Canadiens 10–7 to win the inaugural National Hockey League championship
• Vancouver Millionaires defeats Seattle Metropolitans 3–2 to win the Pacific Coast Hockey Association championship
• 20–30 March — Toronto Arenas defeats Vancouver Millionaires in the 1918 Stanley Cup Finals by 3 games to 2

• 2 January — Montreal Wanderers disbands following destruction of its home venue by fire
• Allan Cup is won by Kitchener Greenshirts

  [Motor racing]

• No major races are held anywhere worldwide due to World War I

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

  [Rugby league]

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

• NSW Premiership – South Sydney

• 1918 New Zealand rugby league season

  [Rugby union]

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

  [Speed skating]

• not contested due to World War I

  [Tennis]

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

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

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

• American Men's Singles Championship – Lindley Murray defeats Bill Tilden 6–3 6–1 7–5
• American Women's Singles Championship – Molla Bjurstedt Mallory defeats Eleanor E. Goss 6–4 6–3

• 1918 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested