Last Updated on July 12, 2022 by
A true Texan’s blood has a solid attachment to football. Generally, Texans claim that football is in their DNA. Therefore, high school football is so big in Texas because of the locals’ love for the game. The fanfare associated with high school football epitomizes locals’ love, passion, and bond towards the game. Becoming the champions of the high school football team in the region tells everyone that your team and town are the Best.
You know you’re in Texas when football is everywhere. If you’re looking to experience what it feels like being in the thick of a Texas high school football game, just go to a local 7-on-7 or All-Star Game!
According to the Houston Chronicle, “football is ‘in the blood of many Texans’ and ‘part of their DNA.'” The passion that fans have for football in Texas is said to be unique in comparison to other states.
You might have noticed that Texans are big fans of football. The passion for the game is contagious and it gets everyone involved from a young age. There’s even a Texas saying, “We’re too old for trick plays, but we’re not too old to come up with them!” This highlights just how important football is to Texans and how much fun it is.
Why Do Texans Take College Football So Serious?
After extensive research, we’ve highlighted the major reasons why Texans take college football so seriously.
Rivalries: Texas is home to all kinds of unique NFL rivalries. One particular rivalry that has stood the test of time out of all these games taking place all over the state is El Campo vs Bay City High School. The two teams have played each other since 1911, giving them some serious experience when it comes to football and leaving everything on the field during every game.
When it comes down to this game, none of that matters and all that counts are wins and losses – let us just say at least one team always ends up happy after every match between these two!
In Central Texas, you can find a rivalry that goes pretty deep. We’re talking about the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns. Sure their first meeting was in 1893 when these two collided for the second time 29 years later, but it wasn’t until 2011 that these two schools faced off for something else – the 2011 edition of this rivalry which was #86 on ESPN’s Big 12 Big Game countdown at the time.
Love & Passion for The Game: It doesn’t matter what the weather is like, or who’s playing on a Friday night – if you live in Texas and it’s fall, you can bet it’s game day! The energy at Texas high school football games can fill up an entire stadium and there is no better atmosphere than attending a game where everybody comes to enjoy themselves.
Everything is Enormous in Texas: In Texas, everything is bigger – including high school football stadiums. There are ten U.S. states that play the most popular American sport: football. In comparison to their counterparts in other states (Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, and Massachusetts), the stadiums in Texas are much bigger and much more expensive than those in other states.
Whether it’s Cougars Stadium in La Porte (Texas) or Allen Eagle Stadium which seats 18 000 spectators and cost $59 million to build – Texas says, “Go big or go home!”
High School Football Teams In Texas
The Dallas Cowboys, founded in 1960, is one of the most popular teams in the league and have fans scattered in many parts of the United States, giving them the nickname “America’s Team.” They are also one of the most successful, having reached eight Super Bowls, won five, and tied with the San Francisco 49ers for second all-time.
The first major-league sports team in Texas was also a franchise of the NFL—the Dallas Texans, who joined the league in 1952. The team’s first game, however, proved to be a harbinger for that season—a 24–6 loss at home in front of fans fewer than 18,000 in the then-75,000-seat Cotton Bowls stadium.
Home attendance continued to plummet, dropping to as low as 10,000 for a loss that left the team 0–7. The team owners, unable to meet up payroll, returned the Texans to the league, and the team played the rest of the 1952 season as a team on the road, never to return to Texas. After the season, the NFL officially folded the Texans.
In the same year that the Cowboys entered the NFL, the American Football League (AFL) commenced operations with just two teams in the state—the Houston Oilers and Dallas Texans. The Oilers played at Jeppesen Stadium (now the site of the University of Houston’s TDECU Stadium) while The Texans shared the Cotton Bowl with the Cowboys,
The Texans and Cowboys shared the city and its stadium throughout the season of 1962; while the Texans enjoyed more on-field success, including an AFL title in 1962, the team’s owner Lamar Hunt concluded that Dallas could no longer support two professional football teams and thus moved the Texans to Kansas City, Missouri, where they play to this very day as the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Oilers moved from Jeppesen Stadium to the larger Rice Stadium after the 1964 season, and in 1968 joined baseball’s Houston Astros at the Astrodome. Two years later, in 1966, the merger that the NFL And AFL had agreed on took effect, with all AFL franchises being incorporated into the NFL.
Into the 1990s the Oilers remained at the Astrodome, but the failure of team owner Bud Adams to reach an agreement with the city on a new stadium led to him moving the franchise to Nashville, Tennessee, where it was renamed the Tennessee Titans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does Texas Take High School Football Seriously?
What makes Texas high school football so much bigger than its rivals? The decades-old rivalries, the love of the game, and the “bigger is better” mantra. Texas football rivalries span the whole state and are always long-lasting. Bay City and El Campo are one of the state’s longest-running rivalries.
Is Football a Big Deal in Texas?
Professional football is immensely popular in Texas, and the state is home to two National Football League (NFL) franchises, the Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys. In addition to the Texans and Cowboys, two current NFL teams previously played in the state, and one now-defunct NFL team also called the state its home.
Is High School Football Popular in Texas?
Yes, it is. Last year alone, just 11 percent of high schoolers in the United States, making a total of 167,428 students—played the UIL-sanctioned football and the six-man football in Texas. That’s a drastic drop from 2000 when the number stood at 14.5 percent. This trend seems to have also hit younger players.
Conclusion
Football is the national sport in Texas. Texans are born and live for it and this can be clearly seen by the Friday Night Lights experience, it can reel you in when you see a Little 4 year old throwing perfect 30-yard dimes. They are usually recognized and start at a very young age with bond communities and people who gives hope. Nearly every program in the media has at least one example of a high-level college program or a student making the NFL.
Reference 1: Fascinating facts about high school football in Texas (chron.com)
Reference 2: Why is Texas high school football so special? (usafootball.com)
