Jacksonville’s All-Time Greatest Minor League Sports Franchises

While Jacksonville’s biggest professional sports franchise is inarguably the NFL’s Jaguars, the city has a rich history of hosting successful sports teams that long predates the arrival of the Jags.

Jax has hosted several championship-caliber franchises over the years. Some helped pave the way for future teams, while a few are still in operation here today.

We’ve compiled a list of the best minor-league professional sports franchises to call Jacksonville their home. Let us know if you agree or disagree!

Jacksonville Braves

Before becoming the founder of the Jacksonville Suns, Samuel Wolfson helmed another minor-league baseball franchise in Jax.

The Jacksonville Braves came into existence when Wolfson purchased a lowly local baseball franchise, the Tars, and cleaned house, converting the team into a new affiliate for the Boston Braves.

The Braves affiliation – combined with Wolfson’s support of racial integration – meant that Jax crowds got to witness future MLB stars like Felix Mantilla and even a young Hank Aaron.

Playing in the South Atlantic League, the Jax Braves finished in first place three times, advanced to the championship game four times, and won the league championship in 1956.

The team initially played its games at a field in the Durkeeville neighborhood, but thanks to the Braves’ success – and strong attendance numbers – a new downtown baseball park was built in 1955 to accommodate them.

Wolfson sold the team a year after their championship run, and by 1960 it lost its Braves affiliation and ceased operations. But its success helped paved the way for another entry on this list: the Suns.

Jacksonville Barracudas

The Barracudas were the most successful of several attempts to bring minor-league hockey to Jacksonville. The team struggled with finding stability, bouncing between leagues and even home arenas, but the one thing they managed to do relatively consistently was win.

The ‘Cudas began play in 2002 in the ACHL, a league that would exist for just one season before falling apart. It then moved to the WHA2 for the 2003-04 season – that league would also last exactly one season, but the Barracudas brought Jacksonville its first pro hockey title by winning the league’s first and final championship series.

Local investors took over the team and it joined the SPHL. Finally finding themselves in a stable league, the Barracudas would make the playoffs in three out of four seasons. The team advanced to the SPHL championship round twice, losing both times.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough fan interest in the ‘Cudas for them to stay around. Despite their success, the team was forced out of the Veterans Memorial Arena and relegated to Jacksonville Ice for its final season. When that venue proved inadequate, the team folded permanently.

Though they didn’t last long, the Barracudas brought Jax its first hockey championship and left the door wide open for the city’s newest hockey franchise, the Icemen.

Jacksonville Sharks

Since forming in 2010, the Jacksonville Sharks have been one of the most successful arena football franchises in the country.

The team won its division during its first season in the AFL – and would win four straight division titles to start their stint in the league. In 2011, the Sharks won ArenaBowl XXIV in just their second season.

On top of their on-field success, the team also quickly became one of the AFL’s leaders in attendance – averting a key issue that has brought several other franchises to an early demise.

In the Sharks’ seven seasons in the AFL, they failed to make it to the playoffs just once.

When the AFL started running into operating complications, the franchise bolted for the newly-formed NAL. The team then became the inaugural NAL champions, winning the league title in 2017.

The Sharks are now celebrating their tenth season in action as they look to avenge a loss in last year’s championship game. It doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere any time soon.

Jacksonville Giants

An offshoot of the very-short-lived Jacksonville Bluewaves, the Jacksonville Giants are by far the city’s most successful venture into professional basketball.

The Giants, owned by local attorney Ron Sholes, began play in the ABA in 2010 by going undefeated in their first season before losing in the playoffs.

By 2012, they’d won the first of their jaw-dropping six league championships. Their most recent title run came earlier this year and marked their fourth consecutive ABA championship. They’ve won the most titles out of any ABA franchise since the league re-formed in 2000.

The Giants have also found success in bringing in local fans, having set multiple ABA attendance records and even hosting the league’s All-Star Game in 2011.

Next season, the Giants will look to make it an unprecedented five straight titles. Much like the Sharks, it doesn’t look like the Giants will be going anywhere in the near future.

Jacksonville Suns / Jumbo Shrimp

Number one on our list, the Suns/Jumbo Shrimp, gets the top spot due largely to its longevity.

The Suns/Shrimp have called Jacksonville their home for over 50 years, though in two separate incarnations. Their first iteration began play in 1962 as a Triple-A affiliate for the Cleveland Indians and won a league championship just before leaving for Virginia in 1968. By 1970, a new version of the Suns had popped up, this time as a Double-A Montreal Expos affiliate.

The second Suns team has survived seven affiliate changes to become the longest-tenured team in the Southern League in which it plays. The team has made the playoffs well over a dozen times and has been crowned Southern League champions six times, most recently in 2014. Combined with the original Suns, that gives them seven championships overall.

Attendance has never been a struggle for the team either, as Jax crowds have been treated to MLB greats like Nolan Ryan, Larry Walker, Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Gabe Kapler, and more over the years.

The success of the team throughout the ‘90s and early ‘00s prompted the construction of the new Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville in 2003 to replace the aging Wolfson Park.

In 2016, Ken Babby purchased the team and rebranded it as the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The move drew criticism early on, but soon proved to be a brilliant bit of marketing as attendance and memorabilia sales trended upward.

Most longtime Jax residents, however, will fondly remember the Suns and their catchy jingle: “Baseball’s never been hotter with the Jacksonville Suns!”

Whatever you prefer to call them, Jacksonville’s minor league baseball team is a clear number one thanks to its longevity and winning memories.