Relocating to Southwest Florida doesn't mean an end to checking out your favorite NHL, NFL, MLB, or NBA teams. While there are no college or regular-season pro sports in the Fort Myers area-- yet -- there are a number of teams fairly close by.

Three American League baseball teams-- the Minnesota Twins, the Texas Rangers, and the Boston Red Sox-- hold spring training in Southwest Florida. The players roll into town in February and play into April.

Miami and the Tampa Bay area are within a two-hour drive of most Southwest Florida addresses, and both sport numerous teams. A drive to Miami offers the following:

A very short one and a half hours and you arive at Broward County's National Car Rental Center, the home of The NHL's Florida Panthers and the AFL's Florida Bobcats.

Also in Broward County, The NFL's Miami Dolphins and Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins at Joe Robbie Stadium.

Drive south to Miami and enjoy the NBA's Miami Heat at the Miami Arena. The Hurricanes have formidable Division-I teams in basketball and the football team plays at the Orange Bowl

A drive North on I-75 offers:

The new Raymond James Stadium where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers plays home football games, St. Petersburg's ThunderDome, current home of baseball's Devil Rays and don't forget to check out the NHL's Tampa Bay Lighting

And you can catch the NBA's Orlando Magic in the Orlando Arena.

Other spectator sports available in the area include:

Two Class A Florida State League minor-league baseball teams, the Fort Myers Miracle (an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins) plays home games at the Lee County Sports Complex.

The Charlotte Rangers (an affiliate with the Texas Rangers) play home games at Charlotte County Stadium. The Red Sox, Royals, Twins, and Rangers also have Gulf Coast League teams here.

And believe it or not, Southwest Florida is now home to two hockey stadiums, the Everblades Stadium and the Fort Myers Skatium.

The Everblades stadium, located off of I-75 at exit 19, is home to the Everblades minor-league hockey team, East Coast Hockey League's newest franchise. In addition to the 35 home games, the stadium will also be open for concerts, ice and family shows. The stadium arena will feature a restaurant, lounge, private club, and luxury suites. The complex also includes two additional rinks, one in-line and one ice.