On the field or on the court, Houston's home teams offer year-round competition and high-energy action for loyal sports aficionados.
ASTROS
BATTER UP Root for the home team at downtown's beautiful Minute Maid Park, where a retractable roof affords guests open-air seating on beautiful Houston evenings and air-conditioning on hot summer days. IN TRAIN-ING Enter the stadium through the Crawford side of the park, where guests can see the original pillars that made up the old Union Station. PRIME PERCH Snag a seat in the Crawford Boxes—the 2,500-seat section jutting onto the left field corner—for a chance to snag a home run ball.
DYNAMO and DASH
SET PLAY Join other diehard fans as they bleed orange and cheer on two-time MLS champs at the brand-new BBVA Compass Stadium. WARM UP Get there early for pre-game tailgating complete with giveaways, live music and food and drinks. IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD With the completion of the BBVA Compass stadium, the Dynamo and Dash are now the only MLS/NWSL team with a soccer-specific stadium in a Downtown. The venue also rounds out a dynamic "stadium district" that includes the Astros' Minute Maid Park and Rockets Toyota Center.
ROCKETS
TIP-OFF Watch the Rockets take on the competition at the less-than ten-year-old Toyota Center. Downtown's 18,300-seat indoor arena has 103 luxury suites for VIP ticket holders. POST-PARTY Pay a premium for courtside seats and get access to the super-exclusive Lexus Lounge, where Oprah, Beyoncé and Shaq have all been known to play after the game. COURT CANDY During half-time, watch the 14-member Rockets Power Dancers perform energetic routines for the adoring crowd.
SABERCATS
The SaberCats, one of seven teams in the newly-formed Major League Rugby (MLR) league, made its home in Houston in 2018. The team began its inaugural home season January 2018 and play at AVEVA Stadium .
TEXANS
GAME ON Cheer on the Texans with other die-hard fans at the 71,500-seat NRG Stadium. The indoor/outdoor venue features natural grass and a retractable roof, ensuring guests a cool, air-conditioned venue on hot Houston days. PRE-PARTY Here, tailgating is just as important as the game. Gates open four hours prior to kick off. Bring your best grilling skills and an appetite. MUST-HAVE FAN FLARE A red-and-blue foam coozie and Texans tee.
The Houston Roughnecks is one of the eight original teams of the XFL, a fan-first football league that began in 2020. The Roughnecks play in a 10-week regular season complete with 11-on-11, 100 yard games that boast common sense rule changes and minimized downtime.
Overwatch esports team, the Houston Outlaws, play at the Revention Music Center in Downtown Houston.
SKEETERS
SEVEN INNING STRETCH Drive just outside of Houston and cheer on Sugar Land's very own ALPB professional baseball team, the Skeeters. The Skeeters play at Constellation Field, a family-friendly open-air field complete with the Children's Memorial Hermann Play Land. COOL OFF The Play Land includes a variety of jungle gym equipment and slides, a carousel and a splash pad. ADULTS ONLY The stadium is adult-friendly too with a Bud Light Ice House providing a happy hour opportunity for spectators looking to grub down and drink up during the game.
The top professional sports teams in Houston have cemented for themselves a place in the city as well as in the hearts of its residents. The best five professional teams in the fourth largest of the United States are as follows:
· Houston Astros (Major League Baseball)
· Houston Texans (National Football League)
· Houston Rockets (National Basketball Association)
· Houston Dynamo (Major League Soccer)
· Houston Dash (National Women's Soccer League)
Quick Sports History
The Astros won the right to represent the National League in the World Series for the first time in 2005. However, they lost to the Chicago White Sox. After moving from San Jose, California, the Dynamo the MLS Cup in 2006. In 2007, they had the distinction of winning back-to-back championships since 1997. The Rockets , which play in the 22,000 seat Toyota Center have contributed to an urban renewal that has lifted the city's spirits and dreams. Houston sports the first domed professional sports stadium in the U.S., known as the Reliant Astrodome. This facility was replaced with Minute Maid Park, the city's first retractable roof stadium where the Astros play on natural grass. The city also has the NFL's first retractable roof stadium, called NRG Stadium, where the Texans scrimmage with their opponents. The two professional soccer teams, Dynamo and Dash play at BBVA Compass Stadium, the nation's only soccer-centered stadium located within the confines of a major city's downtown area.
Astros
Guests of Minute Maid Park watching their ‘Stros' play with the roof open or within an air conditioned building.
Those that sit in the 2500 seat Crawford section have the best chance at snagging a home run ball.
Originally known as the Houston Colt 45's, the Astros have played 56 seasons from 1962 to 2017.
They have a combined 48.9% winning percentage during those years but have very impressive winning records over the ten-plus years.
Winning 10 playoff games and 1 league pennant. This team has started the 2017 season with a 3-0 record played against their division rivals, Seattle Mariners. This team remains one of the top professional sports teams in Houston.
Texans
Some of the more colorful sports fanatics bring a new level of entertaining value to the games that are played at NRG Stadium.
The “Bull Pen” area, located at the north end zone, is an area for the more extreme devotees of the game. It even includes a 45-member band, pre-game party zone and completed with a live DJ.
When star defensive end, J.J. Watt, completes one of his sacks, his theme song “Turn Down for What,” is boisterously sung by all in the party zone.
Last year in 2016, the Texans won the AFC South Division title with a 9-7 record, but they did not go far in the postseason.
Current coach Bill O'Brien and the management team are trying to reboot the team after realizing in 2016, that their most highly paid quarterback, Brock Osweiler, They should get J.J. Watt their star defensive end this year in 2017 after healing up from a season-ending injury in 2016.
Rockets
Famed for winning back-to-back NBA Championships in '94 and '95, always bring out the crowds when it's time to play hoops in the Toyota Center. This team started as the San Diego Rockets in 1967. They lasted four seasons there before moving to Houston. It wasn't until 1976, when they acquired Moses Malone that the team was finally put on the map. Through the 1980's and 1990's, Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon, helped the rockets post some very impressive seasons until they won those championships in '94 and '95. Today, they play in a basketball dream stadium, the Toyota Center that seats 18,000. Today, Harden and Onuaku, lead their team in the ever present desire to reclaim old glory.
Dynamo
Dynamo team effectively competes in Major League Soccer and they are now the number one professional soccer league in the U.S. and Canada. They do battle on the field inside BBVA Compass Stadium which is a state-of-the-art 22,000 facility. They are led by 2005 MLS Coach of the Year, Dominic Kinnear. In 2006 and 2007, the Dynamos won back-to-back league titles. This is why they remain one of the top professional sports teams in Houston.
Dash
Dash soccer team is one of the best of the National Women's Soccer League. A relative newcomer to Houston, they operate and play at the same BBVA Compass Stadium as the Dynamos.
The future is bright in Houston as these top professional sports teams in Houston highly competitive give the people a lot to cheer for. When in Houston, it would be a great idea to take in a game and see just how good these teams really are!
