Play ball: Your guide to sports in North Texas

Whether you’re a sports fanatic — or just look good in purple — when it comes to sports, Fort Worth has no shortage of teams to support.

In this guide, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about Fort Worth sports, so whether you’re already a devoted sports fan or you’re new to the area, we hope it can serve as a valuable resource.

🏈 TCU Football (NCAA) | Est. 1896

TCU Football joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012 and was previously part of the Mountain West Conference. Earlier this year, head coach Sonny Dykes gave the university national fame by leading the team to their first College Football Playoff berth.

Where they play: Amon G. Carter Stadium

• Max capacity: 45,000
• The highest ever recorded attendance at Amon G. Carter was 50,307, which occurred in 2009 against The University of Utah.

Mascot: Horned Frog

• The Horned Frog was the original name of the university’s yearbook and the school later adopted the official mascot in 1897.
• TCU has featured the costumed mascot on the sideline of football games since the 1930s.

Team colors: Purple and white

• Purple represents royalty and white represents a clean game.
• Shop for merch.

Major accomplishments:

• Davey O’Brien is the school’s only Heisman Trophy winner.
• There have been six Heisman finalists, including quarterback Max Duggan in 2022.
• The team made history during the 2022-2023 season as Texas’ first team to attend the College Football Playoff (CFP) and earn an invite to the National Championship.
• Max Duggan is the first TCU quarterback to receive the Davey O‘Brien Award.

📅 See the team’s schedule

🏈 TXWES Football (NAIA) | Est. 1934

The Rams football program began in the 1930s and the team won its first conference co-championship in 1941. World War II signaled the program’s suspension, as many of Texas Wesleyan’s men served in the US Armed Forces. Following a 75-year hiatus, Texas Wesleyan returned to the field in the fall of 2017 as part of the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC).

Where they play: Farrington Field

• Farrington Field is located in the heart of the Cultural District and was built in 1939.
• The university is currently building a new $16 million football stadium, which will open later this year.

Mascot: Ram

• The school’s first official mascot was a parrot and was changed to a panther in 1911 after the city’s nickname.
• The school adopted the ram as its official mascot in 1934.
• There were once two live rams on campus that made appearances in the gym, in parades, and even the Stock Show and Rodeo, but due to liability issues, they were no longer allowed in campus activities.

Team colors: Navy and gold

• Shop for merch.

Major accomplishments:

• In 2022, just five years after returning to the turf, the Rams won their first conference championship since 1941.
• The Rams’ 9-2 finish in 2022 is the best season since its return to Polytechnic Heights in 2018.

📅 See the team’s schedule

🥍 Panther City Lacrosse (NLL) | Est. 2021

The National Lacrosse League re-launched in 2021 after a one-year suspension during the pandemic. North Texas’ previous MLL team was the Dallas Rattlers but the team ceased operations after the 2019 season. During their inaugural season in 2021, Panther City Lacrosse Club finished just shy of the playoffs.

Where they play: Dickies Arena

• The entertainment venue is the city’s newest arena, opening to the public on October 26, 2019.
• The multi-purpose stadium holds 14,000 seats and the construction cost was $540 million.

Mascot: Prowler

• The team also has a less-than-intimating version of their mascot, nicknamed Lil’ Prowl.

Team colors: Black, maroon, gray, and purple

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Major accomplishments:

• The team ended the 2022 season with a record of 7 wins and 11 losses and finished fifth in the NLL’s Western Division.
• The Panthers scored 190 goals and surrendered 223 during the 2022 season.

📅 See the team’s schedule.

Andy Watson

🐂 Ariat Texas Rattlers (PBR) | Est. 2022

The Texas Rattlers are Fort Worth’s first-ever professional bullriding team owned by the Fisher Family. The team is sponsored by Ariat Footwear Company and is part of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Team Series League.

Where they play: Dickies Arena

• The Professional Bull Riders World Finals officially moved to Dickies Arena in 2022 after decades in Las Vegas.

Mascot: Rattlers

• Named after the venous desert reptile, the rattlesnake.

Team colors: Black and gold

• Shop for merch.

Major accomplishments:

• During their inaugural 2022 season, the team finished the regular season with a 16-12 record.
• The Rattlers earned one of two coveted byes into the Teams Championship in Las Vegas.

📅 See the team’s schedule.

⚽ Fort Worth Vaqueros (NPSL) | Est. 2014

The amateur soccer league plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in the Lone Star Conference of the South Region. The Vaqueros just completed their 9th season in the NPSL in 2022 under coach Tony Merola.

In 2015, Vaqueros owner Michael Hitchcock and the newly formed Legend Football Partners acquired Alfreton Town F.C. and formed a partnership with the English club. The partnership created an avenue for player sharing, cross-marketing, international matches, and pre-season training in both countries.

Where they play: W.O. Barnes Stadium

• The stadium holds 4,000 seats and is owned by Castleberry Independent School District.
• The team played its inaugural season at the historic LaGrave Field but relocated in 2015.
• In the first home game, the team played in front of 2,000 fans.

Mascot: Vaqueros

• The official name and logo were chosen by residents and fans on March 20, 2014.
• Vaquero is the Spanish word for cowboy.

Team colors: Blue and yellow

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Major accomplishments:

• The Vaqueros won the Lone Star Conference Regular Season Championship in 2017.
• In 2019, the team won the Trinity River Cup Championship, Chisholm Trail Clásico Championship, and Lone Star Conference Championship.

📅 See the team’s schedule.

🏈 Arlington Renegades (XFL) | Est. 2018

The Dallas Renegades were part of the original eight teams that made up the XFL, an alternative to the NFL. Although unsuccessful on or off the field during their brief existence, they remain part of sports history as one of only two original XFL franchises still operating today. Flash forward to 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, the XFL suspended operations, with all employees, players, and staff terminated.

In August of 2020, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Gerry Cardinale purchased the XFL for $15 million and eventually moved its headquarters to Arlington. In 2022, the XFL franchise made a comeback , but this time, Arlington was its home. Former Oklahoma University coach Bob Stoops was hired as the head coach and the Renegades officially made their return with a brand new logo.

Where they play: Choctaw Stadium

• Formerly known as Globe Life Park, the multi-purpose stadium in Arlington’s Entertainment District was once home to the Texas Rangers. In 2019, the MLB team moved across the street into the newly constructed Globe Life Field.
• In 2020, Choctaw Stadium was retrofitted for use as a football and soccer facility, serving as the home for the Arlington Renegades and North Texas SC.

Mascot: Renegades

• The Renegades represent Arlington’s independent spirit and rebellious attitude towards freedom-loving rebels challenging authority and convention.
• The Renegades also have ties with local history: The term was once used by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War to refer to those who had deserted their posts or switched sides in battle.

Team colors: Black, light blue, red

• Shop for merch.

Major accomplishments:

• In 2023, the team won the South Division title with a 7-3 record and advanced to the Championship Game against the D.C. Defenders.
• In 2023, the Renegades won its first XFL title by defeating the Defenders (35-26) at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

📅 Stay tuned for the 2024 season schedule.

⚾ Texas Rangers (MLB) | Est. 1961

The Texas Rangers didn’t always call Arlington home. The MLB team was established as the second incarnation of the Washington Senators — an expansion team awarded to Washington DC — after the old Washington Senators team moved to Minnesota and became the Twins.

In 1972, the team moved to Arlington where it became known as the Texas Rangers. The Rangers played at Arlington Stadium from 1972 to 1993, at Globe Life Park from 1994 to 2019, and now at its current stadium in Arlington’s Entertainment District.

Where they play: Globe Life Field

• The Texas Rangers played at Globe Life Field for the first time in 2020.
• The official groundbreaking took place in 2017 with construction being completed in less than 30 months.
• The stadium measures 1.8 million sqft and features a retractable roof for the hot Texas summers.

Mascot: Rangers Captian

• Introduced in 2002, he is a palomino-style horse, dressed in the team’s uniform.
• He wears the number 72 in honor of 1972, the year the Rangers relocated to DFW.
• He also has multiple uniforms to match each of the variants the team has.

Team colors: Royal blue, red and white

• Shop for merch.

Major accomplishments:

• The Rangers have made eight appearances in the MLB postseason.
• The team won seven division championships in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2016, and as a wild card team in 2012.

📅 See the team’s schedule.

Photo by the City of Arlington

🏈 Dallas Cowboys (NFL) | Est. 1960

The Cowboys were nicknamed America’s Team in 1978 when film narrator John Facenda said the team appears on TV so much that they are as recognizable as movie stars and US presidents. The nickname eventually stuck after the Cowboys dominated their regular seasons and won two Super Bowls under then-head coach Tom Landry.

In 1989, Jerry Jones purchased a majority interest in the Cowboys from H.R. Bright. By 2018, the Cowboys became the first sports team to be valued at $5 billion, making it the most valuable sports team in the world.

Where they play: AT&T Stadium

• The stadium was completed in 2009 and features a retractable roof and a jumbotron that measures 160 feet wide.
• The Cotton Bowl Classic, Big 12 Championship Game, and Southwest Classic are held at the stadium annually.
• The stadium has a seating capacity of approximately 80,000 for football games, making it one of the largest stadiums in the NFL.

Mascot: Rowdy

• Rowdy has been the Cowboy’s official mascot since 1996.
• His tenure overlapped with Crazy Ray, who was the unofficial mascot of the Cowboys from 1962 until his death in 2007.
• Rowdy’s favorite show is “Hard Knocks” and he wears the number 00.

Team colors: Royal blue, silver, and white

• Shop for merch.

Major accomplishments:

• The Cowboys have won eight NFC championships, the most in NFC East history.
• America’s Team made the playoffs every year from 1966 to 1973.
• The team won its first Super Bowl in 1971 with a win over the Miami Dolphins.
• The Cowboys have appeared in the Super Bowl on eight occasions and won five times.

📅 See the team’s schedule.

Photo by @eric.g.foley

🏒 Dallas Stars (NHL) | Est. 1967

The ice hockey team is a member of the Central Division of the NHL’s Western Conference.

Originally founded as the Minnesota North Stars as part of the 1967 NHL expansion, the franchise merged with the Cleveland Barons in 1978 before relocating to North Texas and rebranding as the Dallas Stars in 1993.

Where they play: American Airlines Center

• When they first came to Dallas, the Stars played at Reunion Arena in downtown but moved to the Victory Park venue in 2001, where they share the facility with the Dallas Mavericks.
• When in ice rink mode, the American Airlines Center can hold 18,532 seats.

Mascot: Victor E. Green

• The fluffy, green alien has hockey sticks for antennae and was born in “a galaxy far, far away.”
• His best friend is The Zamboni + he measures 84 pucks tall.

Team colors: Victory green, black, silver, skyline green, white

• Shop for merch.

Major accomplishments:

• The Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999, but have played in the finals five times across the entire franchise history.
• They appeared in the conference championships in 1999, 2000, and 2020 + hold two Presidents’ Trophies (1998 and 1999).
• Brett Hull became the first Stars player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, followed by Ed Belfour, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Mike Modano.

📅 See the team’ schedule.

Photo by Brock Meyer

🏀 Dallas Mavericks (NBA) | Est. 1980

The professional basketball team is a member of the Southwest Division of the NBA Western Conference. The team was formed after the Dallas Chaparrals (American Basketball Association) moved south to become the San Antonio Spurs.

Longtime owner Mark Cuban recently sold the franchise’s majority ownership to Miriam Adelson of the Las Vegas Sands casino group for $3.5 billion.

Where they play: American Airlines Center

• The 20,000-seat basketball arena is shared with the Dallas Stars.
• The Mavs hold the longest running sell-out streak in North American major league sports, with sold-out games dating back to December 2001.

Mascots: Champ + MavsMan

• Champ, a fluffy blue horse with a white mane and tail. He was created by former Boston Celtic Lucky the Leprechaun.
• MavsMan is a man-basketball hybrid with a Spiderman-like bodysuit.

Team colors: Royal blue, silver, black

• Shop for merch.

Major accomplishments:

• Legendary player Dirk Nowitzki lead the Mavs to the teams only NBA championship in 2011. He retired in 2019 after 21 record-breaking seasons.
• NBA MVP-hopeful Luka Dončić scored a career-high of 73 points earlier this season and just recorded six consecutive 30-point triple-doubles.
• The franchise holds four division titles: 1987, 2007, 2010, and 2021.

📅 See the team’s schedule.