Sports in Texas
Encyclopedia
Texas
is home of several national sports league franchises among other professional sports, being the second most populated U.S. state
. Since the state is located in the South Central United States
, most teams are part of the Central / South or West league divisions, with the notable exception of the NFL Dallas Cowboys
, which is an NFC East
franchise.
Many Texans are passionate about American football
and intensely follow high school
and college football
teams — often they dominate social and leisure activity. Professional football is also intensely popular in Texas, and the state is home to two National Football League
(NFL) franchises, the Dallas Cowboys
and Houston Texans
.
The Cowboys, founded in 1960
, are one of the most popular teams in the league and have fans in many parts of the United States, leading to the nickname "America's Team
". They are also one of the most successful, having reached eight Super Bowl
s and won five (tied with the San Francisco 49ers
for second all-time). The Cowboys play their home games at Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington
, into which they moved in 2009
after having spent 38 years at Texas Stadium
in Irving
.
The Texans were founded in 2002
and play their home games at Reliant Stadium
, the first NFL stadium with a retractable roof
. From 1960 to 1996, Houston was home to another professional football team, the Houston Oilers, who started in the American Football League
(AFL) in 1960 and joined the NFL in 1970. The Oilers played their home games at the Astrodome
, but the failure of team owner Bud Adams
to reach an agreement with the city on a new stadium led to his moving the franchise to Nashville, Tennessee
, where it was renamed the Tennessee Titans
.
Baseball
has a strong presence in Texas, with Major League Baseball
teams the Texas Rangers
and Houston Astros
. In 2005, the Astros became the first team in Texas to make it to the World Series. The Rangers followed the Astros in 2010 to their first World Series. Minor league baseball
is also closely followed in Texas—especially in the smaller metropolitan areas. The Fort Worth Cats
are a team in Fort Worth, Texas that has won 3 straight championships, one in the Central Baseball League
and the last two in the American Association. College baseball is also quite popular, as Texas A&M University
, Rice University
, University of Texas at Austin
, University of Houston
and Baylor University
have all made multiple College World Series
appearances.
Basketball
is also popular, and Texas hosts three NBA
teams: the Houston Rockets
, the San Antonio Spurs
, and the Dallas Mavericks
. All three have won championships. Additionally, Texas is home to one WNBA
team, the San Antonio Silver Stars
as the Houston Comets
folded at the end of the 2008 season. The Comets were the winners of the first four WNBA Championships in league history, in the 1997–2000 seasons.
has been a growing participatory sport in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since the Minnesota North Stars
of the National Hockey League
(NHL) became the Dallas Stars
in 1993. The Stars made the Stanley Cup Playoffs
their first year in Dallas and remained competitive through the rest of decade, culminating in a Stanley Cup
championship in 1999. The team returned to the Stanley Cup Finals
the next year, only to lose to the New Jersey Devils
. In addition to the 1999 Stanley Cup and 2000 Western Conference
championship, the team has also won two President's Trophies as the NHL's regular-season points champion and seven division titles.
Prior to the advent of the Stars, top-tier professional ice hockey existed in Texas in the form of the Houston Aeros
, who played in the World Hockey Association
(WHA) from 1973 to 1978. The team was notable for featuring hockey legend Gordie Howe
, who was lured out of retirement by the prospect of playing alongside his sons, Mark
and Marty
. Led by the Howes, the Aeros won back-to-back Avco World Trophies
as the WHA champions in 1974 and 1975. The Aeros folded after they failed to gain admission into the NHL, first as part of a merger between the WHA and NHL and then as an expansion team.
Minor league professional hockey has also become popular in the last several decades. The Houston Huskies
played in the old United States Hockey League
(USHL) and won its championship in 1948, led by legendary NHL coach Toe Blake
. In 1994, Houston received a franchise in the International Hockey League (IHL), which was named the Aeros after the city's old WHA side. The new Aeros
won the IHL's Turner Cup
in 1999. In 2001, the team transferred to the American Hockey League
(AHL) after the IHL's demise; it won the AHL's Calder Cup
in 2003 and reached the Calder Cup Finals in 2011. The AHL has established two more teams in Texas since that time – the San Antonio Rampage
(owned by the NBA's San Antonio Spurs
and affiliated with the NHL's Florida Panthers
) began play in 2002, and the Texas Stars
(an AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars
based in the Austin
suburb of Cedar Park
), were founded in 2009. In addition to the AHL, six of the sixteen teams of the Central Hockey League
are also based in Texas.
had teams in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and in Houston. The Dallas Tornado
played between 1968–1981, while the Houston Stars
played for one season in 1968. Houston returned to the league in 1978 as the Hurricanes
and played until 1980. Soccer return to Texas with the 1994 FIFA World Cup
with the Cotton Bowl
hosting matches. In 1996, the Dallas Burn was born as one of ten founding member of the MLS
, which is the current Division 1 professional soccer league overseen by the USSF
. They were the only team in Texas until the Houston Dynamo
join them in 2006, by then the Dallas Burn were renamed FC Dallas
with a new logo and colors, and also a new permanent soccer-specific stadium
called Pizza Hut Park
. The Dynamo won the MLS Cup
in their first year in Houston and again in their second year in 2007.
Many Texas universities have rich athletic traditions. Originally, most Texas Division I universities were part of the Southwest Conference until it dissolved in 1996. Four of the largest programs in Texas are now part of the Big 12 Conference
: the Baylor Bears
, Texas A&M Aggies
, Texas Longhorns, and Texas Tech Red Raiders
. In addition to the four Big 12 schools, Texas is home to six other Division I (Bowl Sub-Division) teams: the TCU Horned Frogs
of the Mountain West Conference
; the SMU Mustangs
, the Houston Cougars
, the Rice Owls
and the UTEP Miners
, all of Conference USA
; and the North Texas Mean Green
of the Sun Belt Conference
. Texas has the most Division I-FBS schools in America, ten.
According to a survey of Division I-A coaches the rivalry
between the University of Oklahoma
and the University of Texas, the Red River Shootout, ranks the third best in the nation. A fierce rivalry, the Lone Star Showdown, also exists between the two state's largest universities, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas. The SMU Mustangs and Texas Christian University Horned Frogs have a rivalry called the Battle for the Iron Skillet
. The Houston–Rice rivalry exists between the University of Houston and Rice University with a large focus on the Bayou Bucket Classic.
Texas is home to many other Division I programs that compete in the Championship Sub-Division such as the: Lamar University
Cardinals
, Sam Houston State
Bearkats, and the Texas State Bobcats. All competing in the Southland Conference
Collegiate teams nationwide see Texas as an American Football recruiting hotbed. In 2006, 170 players in the NFL came from Texas high schools.
(UIL).
Texans also enjoy going to the rodeo
. The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
is the largest rodeo in the world. The event begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, all of which convene at Reliant Park
. The World’s first rodeo was held in Pecos, Texas
on 4 July 1883. The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show
in Fort Worth, Texas
has a cowboy, and a Mexican and many traditional rodeos. The State Fair of Texas
is held in Dallas, Texas
each year at Fair Park.
, fishing, and auto racing
. Lacrosse
, originally played by some of the indigenous tribes, is growing in popularity. Soccer
is a popular participatory sport, especially among children, and as a spectator sport
it is slowly growing in stature. The state is also home to motorsport venues such as the Texas Motor Speedway
in Fort Worth and the Texas World Speedway
in College Station. Dallas and Houston have hosted street races, the Dallas Grand Prix
and the Grand Prix of Houston
.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
is home of several national sports league franchises among other professional sports, being the second most populated U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. Since the state is located in the South Central United States
South Central United States
The South Central United States or South Central states is a region of the United States located in the south central part of the country. It evolved out of the archaic southwest, which originally was literally the western U.S. South...
, most teams are part of the Central / South or West league divisions, with the notable exception of the NFL Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, which is an NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
franchise.
American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and intensely follow high school
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
teams — often they dominate social and leisure activity. Professional football is also intensely popular in Texas, and the state is home to two National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) franchises, the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The Cowboys, founded in 1960
1960 NFL season
The 1960 NFL season was the 41st regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty-third ballot. Meanwhile, the league expanded to 13 teams with the addition of the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Cardinals...
, are one of the most popular teams in the league and have fans in many parts of the United States, leading to the nickname "America's Team
America's Team
The term America's Team is a popular nickname in American sports that refers to the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. The nickname originated with the team's 1978 highlight film, where the narrator opens with the following introduction: The term is recognized and often used by media...
". They are also one of the most successful, having reached eight Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s and won five (tied with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
for second all-time). The Cowboys play their home games at Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, into which they moved in 2009
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
after having spent 38 years at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
in Irving
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
.
The Texans were founded in 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
and play their home games at Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....
, the first NFL stadium with a retractable roof
Retractable roof
A retractable roof is a kinetic architectural element used in many sports venues, in which a roof made of a suitable material can readily be mechanically deployed from some retracted or open position into a closed or extended position that completely covers the field of play and spectator areas...
. From 1960 to 1996, Houston was home to another professional football team, the Houston Oilers, who started in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL) in 1960 and joined the NFL in 1970. The Oilers played their home games at the Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
, but the failure of team owner Bud Adams
Bud Adams
Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. is the owner of the Tennessee Titans' National Football League franchise. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League. Adams became a charter AFL owner with the establishment of the Titans franchise, which was...
to reach an agreement with the city on a new stadium led to his moving the franchise to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where it was renamed the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
.
Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
has a strong presence in Texas, with Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
teams the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
and Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. In 2005, the Astros became the first team in Texas to make it to the World Series. The Rangers followed the Astros in 2010 to their first World Series. Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
is also closely followed in Texas—especially in the smaller metropolitan areas. The Fort Worth Cats
Fort Worth Cats
The Fort Worth Cats are a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2002 season the Cats...
are a team in Fort Worth, Texas that has won 3 straight championships, one in the Central Baseball League
Central Baseball League
The Central Baseball League, formerly the Texas-Louisiana League, was a minor league whose member teams were independent of any Major League Baseball affiliations.In 1991, potential owners, Dallas businessman Byron Pierce and U. S...
and the last two in the American Association. College baseball is also quite popular, as Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
and Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
have all made multiple College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
appearances.
Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
is also popular, and Texas hosts three NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
teams: the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
, the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, and the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. All three have won championships. Additionally, Texas is home to one WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
team, the San Antonio Silver Stars
San Antonio Silver Stars
The San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio...
as the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
folded at the end of the 2008 season. The Comets were the winners of the first four WNBA Championships in league history, in the 1997–2000 seasons.
Horse racing
From 1905–1915, people in Dallas and Fort Worth turned out by the thousands for horse racing, which was usually tied to the state fair schedule. Dallas established a Jockey Club early on. The Fort Worth Driving Club (for owners of Standardbred trotters and pacers) had 101 members when it opened in 1905. Trotters raced at a park in Fort Worth, but both cities attracted thousands of people for each style of racing.Ice hockey
Ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
has been a growing participatory sport in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) became the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
in 1993. The Stars made the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
their first year in Dallas and remained competitive through the rest of decade, culminating in a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship in 1999. The team returned to the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
the next year, only to lose to the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. In addition to the 1999 Stanley Cup and 2000 Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
championship, the team has also won two President's Trophies as the NHL's regular-season points champion and seven division titles.
Prior to the advent of the Stars, top-tier professional ice hockey existed in Texas in the form of the Houston Aeros
Houston Aeros (WHA)
The Houston Aeros were a professional ice hockey team in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1978.-Franchise history:The Aeros became one of the original franchises in the World Hockey Association when the Dayton Arrows franchise was moved to Houston in 1972...
, who played in the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA) from 1973 to 1978. The team was notable for featuring hockey legend Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, who was lured out of retirement by the prospect of playing alongside his sons, Mark
Mark Howe
Mark Steven Howe is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League and 6 seasons in the World Hockey Association . He is the son of Colleen and Gordie Howe, and early in his career was a teammate of his father...
and Marty
Marty Howe
Marty Gordon Howe is a former professional ice hockey defenseman. Howe was drafted in the third round, 51st overall in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. From 2001 to 2006, he was an assistant coach for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL...
. Led by the Howes, the Aeros won back-to-back Avco World Trophies
Avco World Trophy
The Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, was the championship trophy of the original World Hockey Association . The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation , a defense contractor who bought the rights to advertise their consumer finance division...
as the WHA champions in 1974 and 1975. The Aeros folded after they failed to gain admission into the NHL, first as part of a merger between the WHA and NHL and then as an expansion team.
Minor league professional hockey has also become popular in the last several decades. The Houston Huskies
Houston Huskies
The Houston Huskies were a minor league ice hockey team based in Houston, Texas. Formerly known as the Houston Skippers, they were a member of the United States Hockey League, and were active from 1947 to 1949. They were affiliated with the Buffalo Bisons....
played in the old United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League (1945-51)
The United States Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league that operated from 1945 to 1951. It was a post-World War II revival of the American Hockey Association, which shut down in the fall of 1942 . The league playoff champion was awarded the Paul W...
(USHL) and won its championship in 1948, led by legendary NHL coach Toe Blake
Toe Blake
Hector "Toe" Blake, CM was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League .-Nickname:His nickname came out of his childhood for his younger sister was unable to pronounce his name...
. In 1994, Houston received a franchise in the International Hockey League (IHL), which was named the Aeros after the city's old WHA side. The new Aeros
Houston Aeros
The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :...
won the IHL's Turner Cup
Turner Cup
The Turner Cup is the championship trophy of the International Hockey League. The Cup is named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professional with the Detroit Red Wings organization, and played one season with the Indianapolis Capitals in the American Hockey League...
in 1999. In 2001, the team transferred to the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL) after the IHL's demise; it won the AHL's Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
in 2003 and reached the Calder Cup Finals in 2011. The AHL has established two more teams in Texas since that time – the San Antonio Rampage
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. They are the top affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Their home arena is the AT&T Center.-History:...
(owned by the NBA's San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
and affiliated with the NHL's Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
) began play in 2002, and the Texas Stars
Texas Stars
The Texas Stars are an American Hockey League team. They play in Cedar Park, Texas, near Austin.The team is the top affiliate of the NHL Dallas Stars. In April 2008, the Iowa Stars announced that they would no longer affiliate with the Dallas Stars, and changed the team's name to Chops for the...
(an AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
based in the Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
suburb of Cedar Park
Cedar Park, Texas
Cedar Park is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population is 48,937. The city is a major suburb of Austin, the center of which is approximately to the southeast, although Austin directly borders Cedar Park at the latter's...
), were founded in 2009. In addition to the AHL, six of the sixteen teams of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
are also based in Texas.
Soccer
Soccer has always been a special sport in Texas, and it is the fastest growing sport in the state. The old North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
had teams in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and in Houston. The Dallas Tornado
Dallas Tornado
Dallas Tornado were a soccer team based in Dallas that played in the NASL. They played from 1967 to 1981. Their home fields were Cotton Bowl , P.C. Cobb Stadium , Franklin Field , Texas Stadium and Ownby Stadium on the SMU campus...
played between 1968–1981, while the Houston Stars
Houston Stars
The Houston Stars were a soccer team based out of Houston, Texas that played in the United Soccer Association. The league was made up of teams imported from foreign leagues. The Houston club was actually Bangu Atlético Clube from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...
played for one season in 1968. Houston returned to the league in 1978 as the Hurricanes
Houston Hurricanes
The Houston Hurricanes were a soccer club that competed in the United Soccer Leaguesfrom 1996 to 2000.-Description and history:The Hurricanes were a Division III franchise, and their Major League Soccer affiliation was with the Kansas City Wizards owned by Joseph "Joey" Marc Serralta Ives and...
and played until 1980. Soccer return to Texas with the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
with the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
hosting matches. In 1996, the Dallas Burn was born as one of ten founding member of the MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, which is the current Division 1 professional soccer league overseen by the USSF
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
. They were the only team in Texas until the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
join them in 2006, by then the Dallas Burn were renamed FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
with a new logo and colors, and also a new permanent soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
called Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...
. The Dynamo won the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
in their first year in Houston and again in their second year in 2007.
Collegiate
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
: the Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
, Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
, Texas Longhorns, and Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
. In addition to the four Big 12 schools, Texas is home to six other Division I (Bowl Sub-Division) teams: the TCU Horned Frogs
TCU Horned Frogs
The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University, consisting of 18 varsity teams. The "horned frog" nickname and mascot refer to the Texas horned lizard, as known as the "horned frog". The women's athletics teams are often referred to often as the Lady Frogs...
of the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
; the SMU Mustangs
SMU Mustangs
The SMU Mustangs is the name of the athletic teams representing Southern Methodist University. The Mustangs participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of Conference USA. In 2005, SMU accepted an invitation to the Western Division of Conference USA, and left the Western Athletic Conference...
, the Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was created by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football...
, the Rice Owls
Rice Owls
The Rice University athletic teams are known as the Rice Owls. The name comes from the owls in Rice's crest.Rice participates in NCAA Division I athletics and is part of Conference USA. Rice was a member of the Southwest Conference until its breakup in 1996. Rice then joined the Western Athletic...
and the UTEP Miners
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
, all of Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
; and the North Texas Mean Green
North Texas Mean Green
North Texas Mean Green is the team name used for both men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas....
of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
. Texas has the most Division I-FBS schools in America, ten.
According to a survey of Division I-A coaches the rivalry
College rivalry
Pairs of schools, colleges and universities, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, often establish a college rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry can extend to both academics and athletics, the latter being typically...
between the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and the University of Texas, the Red River Shootout, ranks the third best in the nation. A fierce rivalry, the Lone Star Showdown, also exists between the two state's largest universities, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas. The SMU Mustangs and Texas Christian University Horned Frogs have a rivalry called the Battle for the Iron Skillet
Battle for the Iron Skillet
The Battle for the Iron Skillet is the name of the college football rivalry between the Southern Methodist University Mustangs and the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. The campuses are located 40 miles apart in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex...
. The Houston–Rice rivalry exists between the University of Houston and Rice University with a large focus on the Bayou Bucket Classic.
Texas is home to many other Division I programs that compete in the Championship Sub-Division such as the: Lamar University
Lamar University
Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...
Cardinals
Lamar Cardinals
The Lamar Cardinals refers to the collegiate athletic teams of Lamar University. The inception of the nickname "Cardinals" dates back to the schools name change to Lamar in 1932. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
, Sam Houston State
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located in Huntsville, Texas. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first...
Bearkats, and the Texas State Bobcats. All competing in the Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
Collegiate teams nationwide see Texas as an American Football recruiting hotbed. In 2006, 170 players in the NFL came from Texas high schools.
High school
Most primary and secondary school athletic, music, and academic contests in Texas are organized and administered by the University Interscholastic LeagueUniversity Interscholastic League
The University Interscholastic League is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, music, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the American state of Texas....
(UIL).
Rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
. The annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston, is the world's largest live entertainment and livestock exhibition. It also includes the richest regular-season rodeo event. It has been held at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003...
is the largest rodeo in the world. The event begins with trail rides that originate from several points throughout the state, all of which convene at Reliant Park
Reliant Park
Reliant Park is a complex in Houston, Texas, USA, named after the energy company Reliant Energy. It is located on Kirby Drive at the 610 Loop...
. The World’s first rodeo was held in Pecos, Texas
Pecos, Texas
Pecos is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is situated in the river valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas and near the southern border of New Mexico...
on 4 July 1883. The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show
Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show
The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, known commonly as the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is the oldest continual running livestock show and rodeo. It has been held annually in Fort Worth, Texas since 1896. In 1918, the Stock Show held the world's first indoor rodeo, and in subsequent...
in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
has a cowboy, and a Mexican and many traditional rodeos. The State Fair of Texas
State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas . The fair season usually begins the last Friday in September and ends 24 days later. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. The 2012 State Fair of Texas will run from September 28th...
is held in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
each year at Fair Park.
Other
Other popular sports in Texas include year-round golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, fishing, and auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
. Lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, originally played by some of the indigenous tribes, is growing in popularity. Soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
is a popular participatory sport, especially among children, and as a spectator sport
Spectator sport
A spectator sport is a sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. For instance, Tennis, Rugby, F-1, baseball, basketball, cricket, football , and ice hockey are spectator sports, while hunting or underwater hockey typically are not...
it is slowly growing in stature. The state is also home to motorsport venues such as the Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
in Fort Worth and the Texas World Speedway
Texas World Speedway
Texas World Speedway was built in 1969 and is one of only seven superspeedways of two miles or greater in the United States, the others being Indianapolis, Daytona, Pocono, Talladega, Auto Club, and Michigan. TWS is located on approximately 600 acres on State Highway 6 in College Station, Texas....
in College Station. Dallas and Houston have hosted street races, the Dallas Grand Prix
Dallas Grand Prix
The Dallas Grand Prix was a round of the Formula One World Championship in 1984 before becoming a round of the American Trans-Am Series in 1988.Originally the race was run at the Fair Park street circuit, before moving to nearby Addison in 1989...
and the Grand Prix of Houston
Grand Prix of Houston
The Grand Prix of Houston was an annual auto race on the Champ Car World Series circuit. It was held in a street circuit located in downtown Houston, Texas, United States of America for four years, then returned for two years on a course laid out in the parking lot of the Reliant Park Complex...
.