Texas loves football, but how popular is it in Austin compared to rival cities?

Football is king in Texas, but not as much in Austin.

A recent study shows that despite the popularity of the sport throughout the state, Austin falls short of other Texas cities as a “football town.”

With Super Bowl 58 on the way, WalletHub ranked 240 U.S. cities with at least one college or professional football team across 21 key metrics. These metrics included the number of college and NFL teams along with stadium capacity and fan engagement.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) runs the ball during the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinals game against the Washington Huskies at the Caesars Superdome on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

While Austin is home to the Texas Longhorns, their lack of proximity to a professional team pushes them down the list.

Best Texas cities for football fans

Dallas

Houston

San Antonio

Huntsville

University Park

Stephenville

Prairie View

Nacogdoches

Denton, Abilene

El Paso.

Texas is one of the largest and most well-funded college football programs in the country. The Longhorns are considered one of the biggest brands in the nation and they recently made it to the College Football Playoff, losing in the Sugar Bowl to Washington. However, its college football rank still landed at 162, one spot above Fort Worth.

What is the closest NFL team to Austin, Texas?

The reason for its ranking below other less populated cities is probably due in part to those cities’ proximity to Dallas. The Cowboys are the most valuable NFL team in the nation, and their ticket sales and fan engagement are correspondingly high.

Austin’s old Arena Football team, the Wranglers, are returning this year, but don’t expect them to move the needle much.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas loves football, but is Austin the right city? See how it ranks

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-loves-football-popular-austin-192338287.html

Author : Austin American-Statesman

Publish date : 2024-02-05 19:23:38

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