When many casual fans think about American Football, they immediately turn to the National Football League. This is unsurprising given the NFL is the biggest and best football league in the world. However, when looking back at the history of football in Texas, you must also consider the College game. That is where Texas’s love affair with football started.
Texas Longhorns
You must go back to 1893 to find when the Texas Longhorns played their first season. It has since grown to become one of the most historic and highly regarded football programs in the history of the sport. In their first season, the Texas Longhorns played four games and they finished with a 100% record, shutting out the opposition on all four occasions. Having been successful in the first season, Texas Longhorns hired their first coach and they have played over 130 seasons since that first campaign, which is incredible. Texas have since won 33 conference championships and is tied for second in all time bowl appearances in the NCAA FBS. Such is the long and successful history of the Texas Longhorns, there are many traditions surrounding the team and it is considered a huge privilege to be involved in the team, whatever the capacity. For the first time in 2024, the team will play in the Southeastern Conference and the Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium will be packed for the games. The Longhorns is where it all began for football in Texas and the love affair continues to this day.
The NFL in Texas
College football was the basis for the rise of the NFL in Texas, with the Houston Oilers being the first team from the state to play in the NFL. The team was founded in 1960 and won two AFL championships. The championships were won in 1960 and 1961, making them the first champions of the American Football League. So, much like college football, Texas was at the heart of the early years of the AFL and this drove the passion for football among people in the Lone Star State.
Having seen the Oilers move to Nashville for the start of the 1998 season, Texas needed a new NFL team. Robert McNair was awarded an expansion team to replace the Oilers and the team was called the Houston Texans. It took a few years for the team to come together but such was the love for football in Texas, the Texans took to the field for the first time in August 2002. They have finished as AFC South Champions 7 times and are sure to begin the 2024/25 season as the football betting favorites to land another AFC South championship.
Future of Football in Texas
Football fans in Texas are still waiting for their first Super Bowl. They may be the newest team in the NFL but Texas’s love affair with football goes back to the 1800s. Can the Texans go further than the Divisional Playoffs and contest for the AFC Championship? The Texans are certainly capable and will make history when they do.
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