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Here’s a list of all the professional sport franchises in Texas. Find out which teams call the Lone Star State home.
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Major League Franchises
There are five major league franchises in Texas. The Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) are the state’s only team in the professional North American football league. The Cowboys, founded in 1960, are worth an estimated $4.8 billion, making them the most valuable sports franchise in the United States. The Houston Texans, founded in 2002, are worth an estimated $3.1 billion. They are the state’s only team in the National Football League (NFL).
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League (NL). The Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park since 2000. The team was established as the Houston Colt .45s and entered the National League as an expansion team in 1962 along with the New York Mets. The current name—reflecting Houston’s role as the host of the Johnson Space Center—was adopted three years later, when they moved to the Astrodome, the first domed sports stadium.
The Astros played in Colt Stadium from 1962 to 1964 and then the Astrodome from 1965 to 1999. From 2000 to 2012, they played their home games at Minute Maid Park, before moving to their current ballpark, venues which have been nicknamed “The Juice Box” and “The Launch Pad”.
Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team based in Arlington, Texas, located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1994, the Rangers have played their home games at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The team’s name is derived from the famous law enforcement agency of the same name.
The franchise was established in 1961 as the Washington Senators, an expansion team awarded to Washington, D.C., after the city’s first AL ballclub—the second Washington Senators—moved to Minneapolis–St. Paul and became the Minnesota Twins. After a failed attempt to generate public financing for a new ballpark to replace Griffith Stadium—the home of both Senators teams for over half a century—the franchise relocated to Arlington for the 1971 season as the Arlington Rangers and became known as simply “the Texas Rangers”, dropping “Arlington” from its name and logo until 2013. The new stadium, Globe Life Park in Arlington, opened that same year and has since served as home for all but two seasons (1993 and 1994).
Over their 50 seasons in Arlington, the Rangers have developed rivalries with several other teams besides their AL West foes, most notably with those who formerly resided in DC: The Baltimore Orioles (formerly St. Louis Browns), Nationals/Expos (formerly Montreal Expos), Pittsburgh Pirates (formerly Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Innians), Detroit Tigers (formerly Detroit Wolverines/Senators), Kansas City Royals (formerly Kansas City Athletics), Milwaukee Brewers (formerly Seattle Pilots/Brewers), and Cleveland Indians (formerly Cleveland Blues/Naps).
Minor League Franchises
Sport franchises are a big part of Texas culture. The state is home to several professional franchises, including the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and San Antonio Spurs. However, there are also a number of minor league franchises in the state. These teams may not have the same level of success or notoriety, but they are still an important part of the state’s sports scene.
Corpus Christi Hooks
The Corpus Christi Hooks are a Minor League Baseball team of the Double-A Central and the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and play their home games at Whataburger Field. The Hooks served as the Astros’ Class A Advanced affiliate from 2005 to 2010, winning back-to-back league championships in 2009 and 2010.
Frisco RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Frisco, Texas, and play their home games at Dr Pepper Ballpark which opened in 2003 and can seat up to 10,600 fans. The team has been located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex since 1972, first in Arlington (1972–73), then in suburban Dallas (1973–1984) before moving to their current home in Frisco.
Collegiate Franchises
The five franchises below are all collegiate and are located in Texas. These are the Baylor Bears, the TCU Horned Frogs, the Texas A&M Aggies, the Texas Longhorns, and the University of Houston Cougars.
University of Texas Longhorns
The University of Texas Longhorns are one of the most successful collegiate franchises in the state of Texas. The Longhorns have won numerous championships in a variety of sports, including football, basketball, and baseball. The Longhorns have a rich history and tradition that is rivaled by few other collegiate franchises.
The Longhorns play their home games at the University of Texas-Austin campus in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns have a large and loyal fan base that extends far beyond the Austin area. The Longhorns are one of the most popular teams in the state of Texas and regularly draw large crowds to their home games.
The Longhorns have a long-standing rivalry with theTexas A&M Aggies. The two teams compete annually in what is known as the ” Lone Star Showdown .” The game is one of the most anticipated games on the collegiate football calendar and is often televised nationally.
Texas A&M Aggies
The Texas A&M Aggies are a collegiate franchise representing Texas A&M University. The team nickname is the “Aggies” and they compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Aggies have 17 varsity teams competing in 11 sports.
The football team has won 3 national championships and 18 conference championships. The basketball team has won 1 national championship and 2 conference championships. The baseball team has won 5 national championships and 17 conference championships.
