The Most Important Dates in Sports

You may not actually think about it, but there are a few dates in sports that, each year, fans just can't wait for.

Whether that means circling our calendars, setting our DVRs or doing something else to recognize these, anticipation always runs high anytime they get near.

Like kids do in counting down the days before summer vacation begins, here are the dates in sports that should be considered the most important—because they'll always have a lasting effect.

14. June 6

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

There's a reason why soccer is still the most popular sport on the planet—because it has an impact like no other game does.

And there might not be any bigger proof of that than on June 6 when the Champions League Final is held this year, pitting the two top squads in Europe against each other in what is always an epic scene.

Whether you're a college kid from Indiana or a business owner in Spain, one day each year will be shared watching the beautiful game, seeing some of the world's best players try to put their names among Europe's greatest to win the Champions League title.

13. March 10

Rob Carr/Getty Images

NFL free agency might not be the way most teams prefer to build their rosters, but it's a time when they can land established superstars and role players to fill in missing pieces—and this year's class has the possibility of being historic.

Names like Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions, Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys and Darrelle Revis of the New England Patriots top the list of guys who are big-time talents in 2015.

And, although deals come fast and furiously, football fans just can't wait to see which team wins the offseason by spending the most money in its first step toward winning a Super Bowl.

12. First Saturday in May

As someone who graduated from the University of Kentucky, I can tell you why the first Saturday in May is one of the most significant dates in sports each year: the Kentucky Derby.

The official start of summer for us Wildcats, the Derby acts as a second Christmas Day in the state of Kentucky, with most people hosting parties, getting dolled up and drinking their mint juleps to celebrate.

It's the "most exciting two minutes in sports," and there isn't a sports fan who should miss being a part of it—live or while watching on TV.

11. April 6

It's time to find out which team and player will have their one shining moment, because April 6 is the conclusion of all the madness that college basketball fans endure through the NCAA tournament.

All of the upsets, buzzer-beaters and Cinderella runs end with the two teams who survived and advanced—regardless of seed—hoping that their night ends with being crowned as national champions.

And with my Kentucky Wildcats vying for an undefeated season—which would be the first since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers—this year's game has the potential for even larger historic value.

10. August 9

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Sure, it might just be the Hall of Fame Game—where the two teams play their starters for about one series before handing things over to backups—but it's the unofficial beginning of a new NFL season, so of course we all watch.

Hosted in Canton, Ohio, during the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony every year, 2015's version pits the Minnesota Vikings against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the two storied franchises sure to bring thousands of supporters through the entire three-day event.

Though the game's outcome is irrelevant and the players getting the most playing time may end up on the practice squad, it's football, baby—and that's all we care about.

9. July 1

Greg Wahl-Stephens/Associated Press

Ever since a certain "Decision" happened back in 2010, NBA free agency has taken on an entirely different level.

And while each summer doesn't always include the likes of someone with LeBron James' stature or talent, that doesn't mean that it doesn't carry intrigue.

The NBA is a star-driven league. Unlike teams in other sports who prefer to build through the draft, an NBA contender almost always requires a player who can take over a contest in crunch time because that's what he's paid to do.

So you can be sure that, even if the biggest names wind up staying put, there are always a lot of rumors as to where they're visiting and which players are busy recruiting them.

8. December 30

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Tiger Woods and LeBron James.

Those two names carry weight that most people could only dream of, as they're two of the most successful and polarizing athletes in history, achieving success in sports and in endorsements.

And their similarities don't just stop with their shared birth date of December 30, either.

Woods is a 14-time major champion who is trying to become the all-time leader by hunting down Jack Nicklaus' record of 18. He has an aura that no athlete has had on the golf course before or since. And he has been talked about since the age of three when he first appeared on TV.

Meanwhile, James—who is already mentioned in the same breath as greats like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan—is trying to reach his fifth straight NBA Finals and on a quest for his third ever NBA title. He, too, captured the nation at a young age as being the most decorated high school athlete ever and, like Woods, has earned millions from endorsements, most notably a massive deal with Nike at age 18.

These two might never compete against one another, but they will forever be linked because of the date that they were born.

7. February 4

It might not be a holiday, but national signing day has taken on a personality of its own in recent years, with college football fans procrastinating during the day in favor of finding out which players could end up with their favorite schools.

Keeping up with all the coverage can be difficult, but we all do it as best we can, overreacting to the news that the top-ranked player in his class is wearing your school's colors.

Hoping for a recruiting class that will fall in the top 10 by experts, national signing day is one that brings new hope and expectations—even if the kids involved won't make an impact for a couple of years.

6. April 5

M. Spencer Green/Associated Press

Some might not think that baseball is America's pastime anymore, but that doesn't mean that its official Opening Day isn't something to be celebrated.

In 2015, that would be April 5, with the new-look and hopeful Chicago Cubs hosting their longtime NL Central division rival St. Louis Cardinals.

The MLB season is a long and grueling grind with twists and turns from start to finish, and April 5 is the day the 30 teams' boats leave the docks on their journey toward a hopeful date in October.

5. February 17

Charles Bennett/Associated Press

Like the aforementioned December 30, when fans celebrate the birthdays of two of the all-time greatest athletes, Tiger Woods and LeBron James, February 17 is a date that most people in sports know all too well.

That's because it is the birth date of two icons in their respective sports—Jim Brown and Michael Jordan.

Impacting sports in more ways than just on the field or basketball court, Brown and Jordan became social ambassadors, taking the lead in revolutionizing the voices players had.

Even if you never saw them play or cheered them on, the two Hall of Fame athletes surely have your utmost respect.

4. January 1

While New Year's Day brings in a new beginning for all of us, for sports fans, it's a day when we get to do nothing but watch college football from morning to night—and there isn't anything else we could imagine doing.

From smaller bowls being played in the afternoon to the big bowls that act as national semifinal games in the new College Football Playoff, January 1 is the premier date to see the best teams from the entire season.

Giving us matchups that would otherwise be out of the ordinary, it's OK to be a lazy sack on the first day of a new year and help cure your hangover with lots and lots of football.

3. April 30

With the NFL draft recently expanding its coverage to make the thing a prime-time event over three days, April 30 is the night that most fans care about the most.

That's because it's the first round of the selection process, with teams finally choosing their guys after months of scouting, interviewing and debating which players are the best available for them.

For fans, it's a few hours to get amped up about football again, even though a new season is still five months away, and it gives new life to their favorite teams based on the players they select.

2. First Sunday in February

Quite possibly the biggest sporting event of every year, the first Sunday in February gives us all a reason to be sports fans—because it's the Super Bowl.

Regardless of your team being in the game or not, you can bet that you'll be watching, taking in the final game of the NFL season and critiquing which commercials are the best and worst of the night.

The main event, though, is what happens on the gridiron, with millions watching and hoping for dramatic plays and memorable performances—which we've all been treated to in four of the past five games played on Super Sunday.

1. March 15

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

Go ahead and start your annual routine in deciding whom to choose as champion of the NCAA tournament—and then second-guessing yourself for the next four days.

That's what happens on the night of March 15, which is when the 68 most deserving college hoops teams are chosen during Selection Sunday, making us all become psychics in hopes of scoring a winning bracket.

The entire week will be filled with taking "locks" and hoping to choose the right upsets, and this is the day that we all get it started for another March Madness.