1945 in sports

[American football]

• Cleveland Rams defeated the Washington Redskins 15-14 at Cleveland, Ohio to win the NFL championship; the Rams relocate after the season to Los Angeles
• Army Cadets – college football national championship

  [Association football]

• With the end of World War II, the FA Cup is reinstated for the 1945–46 season; played on a two–legged basis. However, clubs are not yet prepared for a full league programme, so the Football League does not resume; regional leagues remain for another year.

• 26 August: French Division 1 football is resumed for the first time since 1938–39.

• There is no major football in Germany due to World War II and the Allied occupation.

• Primeira Liga won by S.L. Benfica.

• La Liga won by Barcelona.

• Serie A – not contested due to World War II.

  [Australian rules football]

• Victorian Football League
• * Carlton wins the 49th VFL Premiership defeating South Melbourne 15.13 to 10.15 in the Grand Final.
• South Australian National Football League:
• * 29 September: West Torrens win their third SANFL premiership, defeating Port Adelaide 15.25 to 15.12.
• Western Australian National Football League:
• * 29 March: After three seasons of football limited to players under 18 or 19, and a proposal to limit eligibility to players under 25, the WANFL decides to restore open-age league football.
• * 13 October: East Fremantle 12.15 defeat South Fremantle 7.9 for their nineteenth senior WANFL premiership.

  [Baseball]

• World Series – Detroit Tigers defeat the Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 3.
• Negro World Series – Cleveland Buckeyes swept the Homestead Grays, 4 games to 0.

  [Basketball]

• Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons win three games to two over the Sheboygan Redskins

• The twelfth South American Basketball Championship in Guayaquil is won by Brazil.

• KK Crvena zvezda, as known well for professional basketball club of Serbia, officially founded on March 3.

  [Cricket]

• With the end of World War II in Europe, a small number of first-class matches are played for the first time since 1939, but it is not practicable to resume the County Championship or the Minor Counties Championship.
• Most runs – Len Hutton 782 @ 48.87
• Most wickets – Dick Pollard 28 @ 24.25

• 23 November – With the lifting of bans on weekday sport at the end of World War II, first-class cricket is played in Australia for the first time since 1 December 1941. The Sheffield Shield, however, is not contested until the following season.

• 4–8 March: Cottari Subbanna Nayudu of Holkar sets two first-class records in the Ranji Trophy final against Bombay, bowling 912 balls and conceding 428 runs in the match.
• Ranji Trophy – Bombay beat Holkar by 374 runs
• Bombay Pentangular – Hindus

• 24 December: The Plunket Shield is resumed after having not been contested, despite a small number of interprovincial first-class matches, since 1939–40.

• 15 December: With the end of World War II, first-class cricket is played in South Africa for the first time since 14 March 1943, though the last regular interprovincial matches had been in 1939–40.

  [Cycling]

• not contested due to World War II

• not contested due to World War II

  [Figure skating]

• not contested due to World War II

  [Golf]

• Masters Tournament – not played due to World War II
• U.S. Open – not played due to World War II
• British Open – not played due to World War II
• PGA Championship – Byron Nelson
• PGA Tour money leader – Byron Nelson – $63,336

• British Amateur – not played due to World War II
• U.S. Amateur – not played due to World War II

• Women's Western Open – Babe Zaharias
• Titleholders Championship – not played due to World War II

  [Horse racing]

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Red Rower
• Grand National – not held due to World War II

• Champion Hurdle – Brains Trust

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Rainbird
• Canada – Queen's Plate won by Uttermost
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Nikellora
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Piccadilly
• English Triple Crown Races:
• # 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Court Martial
• # The Derby – Dante
• # St. Leger Stakes – Chamossaire
• United States Triple Crown Races:
• # Kentucky Derby – Hoop Jr.
• # Preakness Stakes – Polynesian
• # Belmont Stakes – Pavot

  [Ice hockey]

• Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings four games to three.

  [Motor racing]

• Indianapolis 500 – not held due to World War II
• 9 September – The first European Grand Prix since 1939 is held in Paris, being won by Jean-Pierre Wimille.

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• Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is not contested due to World War II

  [Rugby league]

• 1945–46 European Rugby League Championship
• 1945 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1945 NSWRFL season
• 1944–45 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season / 1945–46 Northern Rugby Football League season

  [Rugby union]

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

  [Speed skating]

• not contested due to World War II

  [Tennis]

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – not contested
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – not contested

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – not contested
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – not contested

• French Men's Singles Championship – Yvon Petra defeats Bernard Destremau 7–5, 6–4, 6–2
• French Women's Singles Championship – Lolette Payot defeats Simone Iribarne Lafargue 6–3, 6–4

• American Men's Singles Championship – Frank Parker defeats Bill Talbert 14–12, 6–1, 6–2
• American Women's Singles Championship – Sarah Palfrey Cooke defeats Pauline Betz Addie 3–6, 8–6, 6–4

• 1945 International Lawn Tennis Challenge – not contested