- Survey of 3,013 football fans.
- Nationally, Honolulu fans the most keen on having their franchise.
- Infographic included.
While 32 cities across America get to cheer for their own NFL teams, more than half the states are left on the sidelines. But if fans had their say, where should the league go next?
LiveSportsonTV.com carried out a survey of 3,013 football fans to find out the cities in which fans are most desperate to have their own professional franchise. By tallying the results, they uncovered the top dream destinations for professional football expansion.
The top 10 cities clamoring for their own teams are:
#1. Honolulu, Hawaii
Football in Hawaii has always been bigger than the box score. From the Pro Bowl years at Aloha Stadium to the University of Hawai‘i Manoa Rainbow Warriors drawing late-night mainland viewers, the islands have long craved their own stage. Honolulu fans don’t just show up – they celebrate, blending tailgates with island culture in a way no other market could match. A pro football team here wouldn’t just be another franchise; it would be a rallying point for statewide pride, ocean to mountain.
#2. Tallahassee, Florida
As home to Florida State, Tallahassee already lives and breathes football. Doak S. Campbell Stadium shakes with noise on Saturdays, and the Seminoles faithful treat every game like a sacred ritual. A team here would inherit a fan base that’s already conditioned to turn weekends into spectacles. For Tallahassee, Sundays wouldn’t replace college pride – they’d double it, giving fans another reason to paint the town garnet, gold, or whatever colors their pro squad would wear.
#3. Austin, Texas
As the capital and one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, Austin’s appetite for football is already on full display every Saturday with the Longhorns. Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium holds over 100,000, and the roar echoes across the city. A professional football team would inherit that same fever, but with Austin’s unique culture layered on top – music, food, and tech energy blending into one. For fans here, Sundays would be less about tradition and more about putting a modern spin on football passion.
#4. Tucson, Arizona
Tucson lives in the shadow of Phoenix when it comes to pro sports, but make no mistake – this is a city that bleeds football. Arizona Stadium fills up for Wildcats games, and the culture here leans more grassroots than glitz. Fans in Tucson would rally around a team as a point of pride, a way to step out from Phoenix’s shadow and show the desert south has its own voice. The loyalty would be instant and generational.
#5. Virginia Beach / Hampton Roads, Virginia
The Hampton Roads region is one of the largest metros in the country without a major pro sports team, and that gap has left fans eager for their shot. Football culture here is strong – the area has produced countless football stars, and Friday nights still feel sacred. Give this region a pro football badge, and the turnout would be instant, with fans ready to flood stadiums and tailgates by the water. It’s a place built for pride and passion.
#6. Orlando, Florida
Orlando is already used to hosting big-time football, from college bowls to the Pro Bowl itself. The city’s rapid growth and tourist energy make it feel like a natural fit for Sundays, but what really sets it apart is the hunger. Orlando fans have long had to borrow loyalties from Miami, Tampa, or Jacksonville. A team of their own would give them something permanent to rally around, and you can bet the tailgates would feel like mini theme parks.
#7. Syracuse, New York
Home to the Orange, Syracuse already treats football as a centerpiece of its identity. The JMA Wireless Dome (formerly known as Carrier Dome) has hosted decades of noise and pride, and the passion inside it would transfer naturally to pro football. A team here wouldn’t erase college loyalty – it would amplify it, giving fans one more excuse to paint their weekends in orange, or whatever new colors they’d adopt. For Syracuse, it would be proof that upstate pride runs just as fierce as downstate.
#8. Toledo, Ohio
Caught between Detroit, Cleveland, and even Chicago loyalties, Toledo has always been a city split when it comes to Sundays. But that divide only highlights the hunger for a team to call its own. Football culture here is fiercely local, rooted in high school traditions and Midwestern pride. If pro football ever gave Toledo its own badge, fans would rally instantly, eager to unify and show that their passion runs just as deep as their bigger neighbors’.
#9. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
It’s hard to say “Tuscaloosa” without immediately thinking Crimson Tide, and that’s both the city’s strength and its sticking point. Saturdays here are already larger than life, with Bryant–Denny Stadium pulling in over 100,000 fans who treat college football like religion. A pro football team would inherit that ready-made passion, but it might also find itself competing with Alabama’s dynasty for attention. Still, if any city could pull off a one-two punch of college and pro football, Tuscaloosa has the pedigree.
#10. San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio has long been whispered about as the “next in line” for a pro football franchise. The Alamodome has hosted preseason games and college bowls, and the city’s fans have proven they’ll show up. Spurs loyalty shows how deeply this community rallies behind a team, and football here is already king at the high school and college levels. Give San Antonio its own franchise, and the tailgates, the pageantry, and the pride would make it an instant pro football city.
In Illinois, two cities’ football faithful are pushing harder than most for a team to call their own:
#45. Springfield
As the state capital, Springfield has always had a strong sense of civic pride — but when it comes to football, locals have had to live in Chicago’s shadow. High school rivalries already draw whole communities out on Friday nights, and that tradition proves the passion is there. A professional football team in Springfield would be embraced instantly, not as a challenge to the Bears, but as a banner for downstate fans who’ve long wanted their own place in the spotlight.
#68. Peoria
Peoria is the kind of midwestern city where football feels like a thread in everyday life — from high school fields under the lights to families gathering on Saturdays for college games. Fans here often split loyalties between Chicago and Kansas City, which only makes the hunger for a true “home” team stronger. If professional football ever came calling, Peoria would seize the chance to unify that split passion and turn Sundays into an all-city celebration.
Infographic showing the cities most desperate for their own football franchise
Beyond the city rankings, the survey dug into what kind of football culture fans believe their hometowns would create. Nearly half pictured something traditional and family-centered – the kind of community-first atmosphere long associated with Green Bay. A quarter leaned the other way, picturing loud, intimidating environments like Philly or Buffalo, while a smaller but notable group (14%) hoped for a more creative, quirky vibe, closer to Portland’s soccer scene.
Branding also struck a nerve. Fans were almost evenly split between wanting team names that tied directly to local culture – food, landmarks, identity – and those that felt classic and patriotic. Fierce mascots like animals or storms still had supporters, but quirkier or humorous names lagged far behind.
The survey also revealed how fragile current loyalties really are. Forty-one percent of respondents said they would abandon their existing favorite team if their own city landed a franchise. In other words, geography still trumps history when it comes to football allegiance.
And if a new team did arrive? The celebration would start before the first snap. Nearly half of fans said they would buy merch immediately, with others ready to rush to the stadium or even skip work and school to mark the occasion.
Perhaps the strongest sentiment came on the question of where expansion should go. Seventy percent of fans said smaller states like Vermont or Delaware deserve their shot before football-rich giants like Texas or California get yet another team. For all the talk of market size, the survey shows the hunger for representation is alive and well in America’s overlooked corners.
“Football isn’t just a sport in America – it’s a cultural heartbeat. What this survey shows is that entire communities are ready to rally behind something of their own, turning stadiums into symbols of pride and connection. Whether it’s Honolulu, Tallahassee, or Toledo, the appetite is clear: fans want more places where their passion can live and breathe on game day,” says Emil Sturesson of LiveSportsonTV.com.
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