Lone Star Legends: The Tale of Dallas Sports Teams

You know what they say about the stars in Texas, and they’re everywhere on game day for Dallas sports teams. From the classic five-point on a Cowboys helmet to the Stars soaring across the ice, sports events in Dallas are a sight to see.

Dallas professional sports teams have long represented the city’s motto of, “Live large. Think big,” with multiple championship eras celebrated by fans across the entire Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex.

Learn more about sports teams in The Big D below.

Major League / Professional Sports in Dallas

Football

Dallas Cowboys

• League: NFL
• Division: NFC East
• Founded: 1960
• Home Stadium: AT&T Stadium

The Dallas Cowboys were first called “America’s Team” during a reign of dominance in the ’70s, but the Arlington, Texas franchise has more than earned the title with five Super Bowl victories and 15 consecutive seasons as the NFL leader in attendance, through 2023. It’s only fitting that America’s Team plays on one of the league’s largest stages, AT&T Stadium, which set an active regular season record for highest attendance at 105,121 in 2009.

The home game experience can only be matched by the Cowboy’s larger-than-life legacy. The Cowboys’ biannual matchup in the NFC East against the Washington Commanders is considered one of the NFL’s most heated rivalries, while the team remains a target for many others like the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams. Get AT&T Stadium tickets and Dallas Cowboys tickets at Ticketmaster.

Basketball

Dallas Mavericks

• League: NBA
• Division: Southwest
• Founded: 1980
• Home Arena: American Airlines Center

The Dallas Mavericks joined the NBA in 1980 and have since become a fixture of the city, as shown by the NBA record-setting sellout streak at American Airlines Center, which stretches back to 2001. In 2011, the Mavs assembled one of the craftiest championship teams, when veterans and future Hall of Famers Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd outmaneuvered the heavily favored Miami Heat.

Entering a new era with 2019 Rookie of the Year Luka Dončić, the Mavericks reached the Western Conference finals in 2022 and 2024. The team plays heated home games against the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets as part of the I-35 Rivalry and I-45 Rivalry, respectively, as well as the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns. Get American Airlines Center tickets and Dallas Mavericks tickets at Ticketmaster.

Baseball

Texas Rangers

• League: MLB
• Division: AL West
• Founded: 1972
• Home Arena: Globe Life Field

The Texas Rangers have been based in Arlington, Texas since 1972, but the team has charged through the 21st century with an especially strong and unyielding resolve. After securing back-to-back American League pennants in 2010 and 2011, the Lone Stars staged a successful advance to the 2023 World Series following a deep wild card run and brought the Commissioner’s Trophy to Arlington, Texas for the first time. During the run, the Rangers defeated in-state rivals the Houston Astros in the ALCS, adding one of the most memorable entries to the Lone Star Series, one of the biggest MLB rivalries of all-time.

The Rangers have played at Major League Baseball’s newest stadium, Globe Life Field, since 2020. Get Globe Life Field tickets and Texas Rangers tickets at Ticketmaster.

Ice Hockey

Dallas Stars

• League: NHL
• Division: Central
• Founded: 1993
• Home Arena: American Airlines Center

Despite the heat, the Dallas Stars have thrived on the ice since moving to The Big D in 1993. The Stars have won the Stanley Cup once, in 1999, along with earning the Presidents’ Trophy twice and securing nine division titles and three Western Conference championships.

Clad in “Victory Green,” the Stars have shared American Airlines Center with the Dallas Mavericks since 2001, but have developed home game traditions all their own, from the annual New Year’s Eve game and tense rivalry faceoffs with the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks to the victory songs by local legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Pantera. Get American Airlines Center tickets and Dallas Stars tickets at Ticketmaster.

Soccer

FC Dallas

• League: MLS
• Conference: Western
• Founded: 1995
• Home Arena: Toyota Stadium

FC Dallas have competed in the MLS since the league’s inaugural season in 1996. Originally the Dallas Burn, the club adopted its current name in 2004 ahead of their move to what is now Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Overall, the club has claimed two U.S. Open Cup titles, in 1997 and 2016, as well as the Supporters’ Shield in 2016.

Meanwhile, Dallas advanced to its first MLS Championship match in 2010, but lost to the Colorado Rapids, 1–2 in extra time. Home games are hyped by the Toros’ massive supporters clubs, and fans bring sharpened excitement for rivalry matchups like the Texas Derby against Houston Dynamo FC. Get Toyota Stadium tickets and FC Dallas tickets at Ticketmaster.

Collegiate Sports & Other Professional Teams in Dallas

The Dallas Wings of the WNBA have called Texas home since 2015 and play at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

On the collegiate level, the Southern Methodist University Mustangs host games in the Dallas city limits, while the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs, University of North Texas Mean Green and University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks compete within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex.