The city is home to teams from nearly every level of American sports, including the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League and the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA. The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, representing North Carolina and South Carolina in the National Football League. North Carolina is also home to two other top-tier professional teams in less outstanding sports: the Charlotte Hounds of the Major League Lacrosse and the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League. In addition, North Carolina has minor league teams in other team sports, such as soccer and ice hockey, most notably North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Checkers, who play in the second division of their respective sports.
While North Carolina doesn't have a Major League Baseball team, it does have numerous minor league baseball teams, and the highest level of play comes from the Charlotte Knights and the Durham Bulls, affiliated with AAA.
