Importing Teams via CSV
SportsPress includes a built-in team importer that creates team posts in bulk from a CSV file.
Accessing the Importer
In the WordPress dashboard, go to Tools > Import.
Find SportsPress Teams in the list of importers and click Run Importer.
The importer page shows instructions and a file upload form.
CSV Format
The CSV must contain columns in this exact order:
Column | Required | Notes | |
Name | Yes | The team's display name. Rows without a name are skipped. | |
Leagues | No | Pipe-separated list of league names (e.g. `Premier League\ | Championship`). Non-existent leagues are created automatically. |
Seasons | No | Pipe-separated list of season names. Non-existent seasons are created automatically. | |
Site URL | No | External website URL for the team. | |
Abbreviation | No | Short code for the team (e.g. | |
Home | No | Pipe-separated list of venue names. Non-existent venues are created automatically. |
The importer greet message references a 3-column sample file. The actual importer supports all six columns listed above — map them during the import step.
Example CSV
Name,Leagues,Seasons,Site URL,Abbreviation,Home Arsenal,Premier League,2024-25,https://www.arsenal.com,ARS,Emirates Stadium Chelsea,Premier League,2024-25,https://www.chelseafc.com,CHE,Stamford Bridge Manchester City,Premier League|FA Cup,2024-25,https://www.mancity.com,MCI,Etihad Stadium
Separate multiple values within a single cell using a vertical pipe character | with no surrounding spaces.
Import Steps
Click Choose File and select your
.csvfile.Click Upload file and import.
On the next screen, map the CSV columns to the SportsPress fields using the dropdowns. The importer pre-selects likely matches based on column headers.
Check or uncheck Merge duplicates. When checked, if a team with the same name already exists, the importer updates it rather than creating a duplicate. When unchecked, a new team post is always created.
Click Submit to run the import.
Results
After the import completes, a summary shows:
The number of teams imported
The number of rows skipped (rows with no name value)
Click View Teams to go directly to the Teams list screen and verify the imported entries.
What Gets Created Automatically
Any league, season, or venue name that does not already exist as a taxonomy term is created as a new term during import.
Each imported team is published immediately with
post_status = publish.Teams imported this way are flagged with
_sp_import = 1in post meta.
What Is Not Imported
The CSV importer does not set the team logo (featured image), team colors, staff assignments, or player list assignments. Those must be configured manually after import.