Sports in Texas

Texas is a big and busy state in the United States, and it loves sports! It is the second most populated U.S. state, which means many people live there and enjoy watching and playing sports. Because Texas is in the South Central United States, most of its sports teams belong to either the Central, South, or West league divisions.

One of the most famous teams in Texas is the Dallas Cowboys. They play football and are part of the NFC East division, which is a little different from the other Texas teams. Texas has several teams in big national leagues, making it a fun place for sports fans. Whether you like football, baseball, basketball, or hockey, there is probably a team in Texas for you to cheer for!

Major league professional teams

Texas has many famous sports teams. It is home to 12 major league sports teams and three major women's teams.

American football

Main article: American football in Texas

Many people in Texas love American football and watch high school and college football teams. Professional football is also very popular in Texas. The state has two teams in the National Football League (NFL): the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans.

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most popular teams in the NFL, known as "America's Team". They play their home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The Houston Texans joined the NFL in 2002 and play at NRG Stadium.

Baseball

Texas has a strong tradition of baseball. The state is home to two Major League Baseball teams. The Houston Astros began playing in 1962, and the Texas Rangers joined in 1972. Both teams have played in the World Series, with the Astros winning in 2017 and the Rangers winning in 2023.

Minor League Baseball is also popular in Texas, with teams in smaller cities. Many universities in Texas have played in the Men's College World Series.

Basketball

Texas is a great place for basketball fans. The state has three NBA teams: the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets, and the Dallas Mavericks. All three teams have won big championships.

Texas has one women's professional basketball team, the Dallas Wings. The state had two other women's teams in the past.

At the college level, Texas has teams that have won big games too, like the UTEP Miners and the Baylor Bears for men, and several teams for women, including the Texas Tech Lady Raiders, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, and Baylor Bears. The state also has a fun recreational basketball league called the Shamrock Basketball Association.

Horse racing

From 1905 to 1915, people in Dallas and Fort Worth liked to watch horse racing at the state fair. Dallas started a Jockey Club, and Fort Worth had a Driving Club for horse owners with 101 members in 1905. Both cities had big crowds for horse races.

Today, Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie near Dallas and Fort Worth hosts big racing events, including the Breeders' Cup in 2004.

Lonestar Park, Breeders' Cup

Ice hockey

Ice hockey has become more popular in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1993. That’s when the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League moved and became the Dallas Stars. The Stars worked hard and won the Stanley Cup in 1999. They also won two Presidents' Trophies and seven division titles.

Before the Dallas Stars, there was a team called the Houston Aeros that played in a league called the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1978. They won championships in 1974 and 1975. Today, there are more hockey teams in Texas, like the San Antonio Rampage and the Texas Stars.

Soccer

Texas has many soccer teams. Older teams include the Dallas Tornado, Houston Stars, and San Antonio Thunder. Today, Texas has three major teams: FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo FC, and Austin FC. These teams play in special soccer stadiums.

The Cotton Bowl in Dallas hosted games during the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Texas will host games again in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at AT&T Stadium in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and NRG Stadium in Houston.

Collegiate

Texas has many top college football teams. Thirteen schools in Texas play in the highest level, called Division I FBS. These schools are in different groups. For example, the Baylor Bears, Houston Cougars, TCU Horned Frogs, and Texas Tech Red Raiders play in the Big 12 Conference. The Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies are in the Southeastern Conference. SMU Mustangs play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while others play in the American Conference.

Texas is known for its strong college football rivalries. One famous rivalry is the Red River Shootout between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas at Austin. Another big rivalry is the Lone Star Showdown between Texas A&M and the University of Texas. Texas is also a key place for future professional football players, with many top high school players from the state.

High school

Most sports, music, and school contests in Texas are organized by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). The UIL works with public schools. Private schools have their own group called the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS). Both groups manage similar activities, but they use different names for some events. TAPPS includes competitions for spirit squads like cheerleading and dance teams, which the UIL does not organize.

Rodeo

Texans love going to the rodeo. The biggest rodeo in the world is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It happens every year. People from all over Texas ride in on horses and gather at Reliant Park to celebrate. The very first rodeo ever took place in Pecos, Texas on July 4, 1883. There are many other fun rodeos, like the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas, and the State Fair of Texas held in Dallas.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is very popular in Texas and the state is one of the biggest for this sport in the country. Many great gymnasts have come from Texas, including Nastia Liukin, Carly Patterson, Simone Biles, and Madison Kocian.

There are many gymnastics clubs in Texas. Some of the top facilities are the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano and Frisco, Texas Dreams Gymnastics in Coppell, and Metroplex Gymnastics in Allen.

The Women's U.S. National Gymnastics Training Center was located just outside Houston at the Karolyi Ranch in Huntsville, Texas for many years.

Plano, Texas is known as the "gymnastics capital of the world" because of the gymnastics academy, WOGA.

Golf

Texas is a great place for golf! The state hosts many big tournaments, including the WGC Match Play, Houston Open, Texas Open, Byron Nelson Classic, and Colonial National Invitational. There are also other professional tournaments like the North Texas LPGA Shootout and the Insperity Invitational.

Some famous golfers from Texas are Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Jimmy Demaret, Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Lee Trevino, and Kathy Whitworth.

Motorsport

Texas has many exciting places for car racing! The Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth hosts races for NASCAR and IndyCar. Near Austin, the Circuit of the Americas holds the United States Grand Prix for Formula One, plus NASCAR and MotoGP motorcycle races.

There are also places like the Texas Motorplex and Houston Raceway Park where people watch fast drag races. Cities like Dallas and Houston sometimes have special street races too.

Auto racing is very popular on TV in Texas, just behind American football. Many people in Texas enjoy watching NASCAR races more than NBA basketball games.

Esports

Texas has some important teams in the world of esports. These teams play in video game tournaments and many people in Texas like to watch them.

Other sports

In Texas, many people enjoy fishing throughout the year. Another growing sport is lacrosse. This game was first played by some local tribes long ago.

Notable professional league and amateur teams

Texas is a large state with many sports teams, both professional and amateur. It is the second most populated state in the United States, so it has many fans to support its teams. Most of these teams belong to leagues in the Central, South, or West parts of the country, but there is one famous exception: the Dallas Cowboys, who play in the NFC East division of the NFL.

Stadiums and arenas

Texas has many big places where people watch sports. These places are called stadiums and arenas. They can hold thousands of fans.

Notes