1894 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Athletics
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
American football
College championship
College football national championship – Yale Bulldogs
Professional championships
Western Pennsylvania champions – Allegheny Athletic Association
Events
The 1894 Harvard–Yale game, known as the "Hampden Park Blood Bath", results in crippling injuries for four players; the contest is suspended until 1897. The annual Army–Navy Game is suspended from 1894 till 1898 for similar reasons. One of the major problems is the popularity of mass formations like the flying wedge, in which a large number of offensive players charge as a unit against a similarly arranged defense. The resultant collisions often lead to serious injury and sometimes even death.
Association football
Austria
Foundation of First Vienna FC, which is the oldest club in Austria (22 August). England The Football League – Aston Villa 44 points, Sunderland 38, Derby County 36, Blackburn Rovers 34, Burnley 34, Everton 33 FA Cup final – Notts County 4–1 Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park The Football League expands the Second Division from 15 to 16 clubs ahead of the 1894–95 season. Darwen and Newton Heath (Manchester United) are relegated from the First Division while Liverpool and Small Heath (Birmingham City) are promoted. Middlesbrough Ironopolis and Northwich Victoria are expelled from the league and three new clubs are elected: Bury, Burton Wanderers (league membership 1894–97) and Leicester Fosse (Leicester City). The Southern League is founded prior to the 1894–95 season. Some of its early members will eventually join the Football League. Scotland Scottish Football League – Celtic Scottish Cup – Rangers 3–1 Celtic at Hampden Park
Baseball
National championship
Baltimore Orioles win the first of three successive National League championships Events The Temple Cup is introduced, lasting until 1897, and matches the National League winner and runner-up in a best–of–seven, post–season championship series. It is also known as the "World's Championship Series" but it fails to gain fan support, partly because three of the four series held will be won by the league runner-up. In 1894, runner-up New York Giants defeats champion Baltimore Orioles 4 games to 0. 1894 is Major League Baseball's highest scoring season as Boston Beaneaters set the current record for the most runs scored in a season (1220) and another standing record with seven players scoring 100 or more runs; in addition, Philadelphia Phillies bat .349 for the season with all four outfielders above .400, but finish fourth despite the feat
Boxing
Events
26 July — Tommy Ryan defeats "Mysterious" Billy Smith after 20 rounds at Minneapolis to win the World Welterweight Championship. Ryan will hold the title until 1898, when he vacates it to challenge for the world middleweight title The inaugural World Bantamweight Champion is Jimmy Barry of Chicago who is recognised following his 28th-round knockout of Casper Leon at Lemont, Illinois on 15 September. Barry retains the title until 1899 when he retires undefeated in the whole of his career. The bantamweight division is for fighters weighing between 112 and 118 lb. Lineal world champions World Heavyweight Championship – James J. Corbett World Middleweight Championship – Bob Fitzsimmons World Welterweight Championship – "Mysterious" Billy Smith → Tommy Ryan World Lightweight Championship – title vacant World Featherweight Championship – George Dixon World Bantamweight Championship – Jimmy Barry
Cricket
Events
The inaugural South African tour of England takes place but none of its 24 matches are currently regarded as first-class fixtures. England County Championship – Surrey Most runs – Bill Brockwell 1491 @ 38.23 (HS 128) Most wickets – Arthur Mold 207 @ 12.30 (BB 8–67) Wisden Five Young Batsmen of the Season – Bill Brockwell, Jack Brown, C B Fry, Tom Hayward, Archie MacLaren Australia Sheffield Shield – South Australia Most runs – George Giffen 526 @ 75.14 (HS 205) Most wickets – Charlie Turner 30 @ 12.30 (BB 6–51) India Bombay Presidency – Europeans South Africa Currie Cup – Western Province West Indies Inter-Colonial Tournament – not contested