- Feb 1 1972 NFL Draft: Walt Patulski from University of Notre Dame first pick by Buffalo Bills
- Feb 3 XI Winter Olympic Games opens in Sapporo, Japan (1st in Asia)
Olympic Gold
Feb 4 Dutch speed skater Ard Schenk wins the 5,000m at the Sapporo Winter Olympics; also wins the 1,500m and 10,000m gold medals
Ard Schenk
- Feb 5 Bob Douglas is 1st African American elected to Basketball Hall of Fame
- Feb 5 German speed skater Erhard Keller wins his 2nd consecutive Olympic 500m gold medal at the Sapporo Winter Games after taking out the event in Grenoble (1968)
- Feb 6 Dutch speed skater Ard Schenk follows his win in the 5,000m with victory in the 1,500m, on his way to 3 gold medals at the Sapporo Winter Olympics; also wins 10,000m
- Feb 7 Dutch Olympic 1,500m and 5,000m speed skating champion Ard Schenk wins his 3rd gold medal at the Sapporo Winter Games when he takes out the 10,000m
- Feb 13 XI Winter Olympic Games close at Sapporo, Japan
- Feb 15 Newly-formed NHL franchise New York Islanders hire Bill Torrey as their first General Manager
- Feb 16 Test Cricket debut of Lawrence Rowe WI v NZ Kingston, 214 & 100
Event of Interest
Feb 16 Wilt Chamberlain of the Los Angeles Lakers becomes first player in NBA history to reach the career 30,000 point mark during a 110-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns
Wilt Chamberlain
- Feb 20 1st time Cleveland Cavaliers beat NY Knicks (111-109)
- Feb 20 Ard Schenk wins world championship for speed skating
Daytona 500
Feb 20 14th Daytona 500: A.J. Foyt dominates the race, winning by almost 2 laps over his closest competitor Charlie Glotzbach
A. J. Foyt
Event of Interest
Feb 25 Lopsided trade, Cards trade Steve Carlton to Phillies for Rick Wise
Steve Carlton
- Feb 26 Ireland-Wales Five Nations Rugby match scheduled for Lansdowne Road, Dublin is cancelled because of escalating political situation; Championship not completed for first time since World War II
Baseball Record
Feb 29 Future Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder Hank Aaron becomes first player to earn $200,000 average annual salary; signs 3-year deal with Atlanta Braves after one of his best seasons – .327 average, 47 HRs and 118 RBIs
Hank Aaron