How Ivan Allen Jr. Helped Turn Atlanta Into a Big-League Sports City

If you’ve lived in Atlanta for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the name Ivan Allen Jr. mentioned whenever people talk about the city’s sports history. The question many locals and visitors ask is: Did Ivan Allen Jr. actually bring sports to Atlanta?

The short answer: organized sports existed in Atlanta long before Ivan Allen Jr., but he was the driving force who turned Atlanta into a major-league sports city in the 1960s. Without him, Atlanta might not have landed the Braves, the Falcons, or the early pro teams that shaped the city’s modern identity.

Below is how his influence played out—and what that means for understanding Atlanta’s sports culture today.

Atlanta Before Ivan Allen Jr.: Sports, But Not “Big League”

Before Ivan Allen Jr. became mayor in 1962, Atlanta already had:

• College football traditions (especially Georgia Tech in Midtown)
• Minor league baseball, including the Atlanta Crackers, who played at Ponce de Leon Park
• High school sports rivalries and recreational leagues

So sports were already part of Atlanta life, but the city did not have:

• A Major League Baseball (MLB) team
• A National Football League (NFL) team
• A National Basketball Association (NBA) or major-level hockey team
• A large, modern, multi-purpose stadium

In the early 1960s, Atlanta was still seen nationally as a regional Southern city, not yet the “capital of the New South” that city leaders wanted to promote. Ivan Allen Jr. saw big-league sports as a way to change that image.

Ivan Allen Jr. as Mayor: A Vision Centered on Big-League Sports

Ivan Allen Jr., who served as Mayor of Atlanta from 1962 to 1970, came into office with a bold goal:
Make Atlanta a modern, forward-looking, integrated city that could compete with places like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

A key part of that strategy was landing major professional sports franchises. For Atlanta residents at the time, that meant:

• More national visibility for the city
• New entertainment options beyond college football
• Economic activity around new stadium development

Allen understood that no big-league team would move to Atlanta without a proper stadium, so he pushed aggressively—and quickly—to make that happen.

The Atlanta Stadium Gamble: Building It Before Teams Committed

One of the biggest reasons Ivan Allen Jr. is so closely linked to sports in Atlanta is his decision to build a stadium first, then use it to attract teams.

How that played out

• Soon after he became mayor, Allen championed a new multi-purpose stadium near downtown, later known as Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium.
• The city moved forward with planning, financing, and construction even before any major-league team had officially agreed to come.
• This “build it and they will come” approach was considered risky at the time but turned out to be pivotal.

For locals today, that stadium site sits just south of downtown, near what later became Turner Field and now Center Parc Stadium (used by Georgia State University). That stretch of land is still a reminder of how deliberately the city tried to use sports to transform Atlanta’s profile.

Bringing the Braves: Ivan Allen Jr. and MLB in Atlanta

The most famous sports connection to Ivan Allen Jr. is the arrival of the Atlanta Braves.

What happened

• The Milwaukee Braves, an MLB team, were unhappy with their situation in Milwaukee and were open to relocation.
• Atlanta, led by Ivan Allen Jr., offered:
  • A brand-new stadium
  • A growing metropolitan market
  • A city that wanted to be seen as progressive and business-friendly
• The Braves agreed to come, and the team began playing as the Atlanta Braves in the mid-1960s at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium.

This move made Atlanta:

• One of the first major-league sports hubs in the Southeast
• A focal point of national baseball attention, especially with stars like Hank Aaron playing in the city

For anyone in Atlanta today watching a Braves game at Truist Park in Cobb County, the team’s Atlanta story began with Ivan Allen Jr.’s push to build a stadium and bring MLB here.

The Falcons and More: Building a Broader Pro Sports Identity

Ivan Allen Jr.’s sports vision did not stop with baseball.

The Atlanta Falcons (NFL)

While several business and political leaders were involved, Allen’s leadership and the new stadium were central factors in landing a National Football League team:

• The Atlanta Falcons were awarded as an expansion franchise in the 1960s.
• They began playing at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, using the facility Allen had championed.
• This move anchored Atlanta as a two-sport major-league city—a big deal for a region that previously had no NFL presence.

Early NBA and Hockey Roots

While Ivan Allen Jr. was not the only figure behind Atlanta’s later NBA and hockey developments, his approach—building infrastructure and marketing Atlanta as a “big league city”—helped set the tone for:

• The arrival of the Atlanta Hawks (NBA), who eventually played downtown at The Omni and later State Farm Arena.
• The city’s willingness to host professional teams like the Flames and, later, the Thrashers in the NHL.

In other words, Allen laid the template:
Invest in facilities, project a modern image, and court major-league owners aggressively.

Did Ivan Allen Jr. “Create” Sports in Atlanta?

It’s important to be accurate and fair when you look at his role:

What he did NOT do

• He did not invent sports in Atlanta.
• He did not start youth leagues, college programs, or high school traditions.
• He did not single-handedly make every pro sports decision—owners, leagues, business leaders, and voters were all involved.

What he clearly DID do

• Pushed for and delivered a major stadium (Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium) when Atlanta did not yet have big-league teams.
• Helped secure MLB (Braves) and NFL (Falcons) franchises for Atlanta.
• Used sports strategically to rebrand Atlanta as a modern, nationally relevant city.
• Created a framework that later leaders built on with new arenas and stadiums.

For anyone trying to understand why Atlanta is a major-league sports city today, Ivan Allen Jr. is one of the key reasons.

Quick Reference: Ivan Allen Jr.’s Impact on Atlanta Sports

Why This History Still Matters If You Live in or Visit Atlanta

Understanding Ivan Allen Jr.’s role helps explain several things you see in Atlanta today:

• Why Atlanta invests heavily in sports facilities.
  From Mercedes-Benz Stadium downtown to Truist Park in the northwest suburbs and State Farm Arena near Centennial Olympic Park, the city and region still follow a similar model: build or upgrade major venues to attract or keep teams and events.

• Why sports are tied to Atlanta’s identity as a “world-class city.”
  Big events like the 1996 Olympics, the Super Bowl, and major college championships all connect back to a long-running strategy: use sports to keep Atlanta on the national and global map.

• Why older Atlantans often talk about the “Allen years.”
  If you speak with long-time residents, you’ll often hear them mention how the arrival of the Braves and Falcons felt like Atlanta had “arrived” as a big city. Ivan Allen Jr. is usually at the center of that story.

Where to See Ivan Allen Jr.’s Legacy Around Atlanta

If you want to connect this history to real places around the city:

• Former Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium site (near Center Parc Stadium)

  • Located just south of downtown, near Georgia State University’s football stadium.
  • A portion of the old stadium’s footprint is still marked, including the spot where Hank Aaron’s 715th home run landed.
  • This area is a physical reminder of Ivan Allen Jr.’s stadium gamble that helped bring MLB and the NFL to town.

• Downtown / Government areas

  • While there isn’t a large public museum dedicated solely to Ivan Allen Jr., his name appears in Atlanta civic history exhibits, and his tenure is often highlighted in local historical materials and tours that cover the civil rights era and the city’s growth.

These spots can help you connect the abstract history of policy decisions to the concrete places you see around modern Atlanta.

So, Did Ivan Allen Jr. Bring Sports to Atlanta?

If you’re judging by whether he introduced sports to the city at all, the answer is no—Atlanta already had a vibrant sports culture through colleges, minor leagues, and local teams.

If you’re asking whether he brought big-league professional sports to Atlanta and transformed the city’s sports status, the answer is yes, in a major way:

• He pushed for and backed the construction of a modern stadium.
• He used that stadium as leverage to attract the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons.
• He helped reposition Atlanta as a major-league sports city, shaping how residents, visitors, and the rest of the country see Atlanta today.

When you watch the Braves, the Falcons, or other major events in the city, you’re seeing a sports landscape that would look very different without the decisions Ivan Allen Jr. made as mayor.