The States Without NFL Teams: An Overview

Have you ever wondered if there are any U.S. states without any NFL teams in them? This query often pops up on platforms like Quora, making it one of the most common yet somewhat uninteresting questions. As of August 2023, a number of states do not have an NFL team residing within their borders, though some of these states might still have teams in other professional or collegiate leagues.

States Without NFL Teams

Here is a comprehensive list of states without NFL teams:

Alaska Delaware Hawaii Idaho Iowa Maine Montana Nebraska New Mexico North Dakota South Dakota Vermont West Virginia Wyoming

It's important to note that while these states currently lack an NFL franchise, they may still have teams in other professional or collegiate leagues.

Expansion of NFL Teams and State Representation

Some states do not have an NFL team, but they still manage to have local representation in other leagues. For example, the Patriots from New England consider themselves to represent all six New England states, even though they do not play in each state's home stadium. Similarly, while some states may be very small and far from major cities, this doesn't necessarily mean they can't have NFL teams. Examples include Vermont, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and others.

Current NFL Team Distribution

The NFL is spread across many states, with several large states hosting multiple teams. Here is a breakdown of some states with multiple teams:

Florida: Miami, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville California: Los Angeles (two teams), San Francisco Texas: Houston, Dallas, and New York (two teams) Missouri: Kansas City Delaware: None (technically, but not usually considered) Other states include: Oregon, New Jersey, Maine, New Hampshire, New England (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island), Utah, Iowa, Wyoming, Idaho, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Alaska and Hawaii.

Closer Look at Team Distribution

While there are currently 32 NFL teams, these are distributed among 28 states, with some states hosting more than one team. Here is a quick rundown of some states with multiple NFL teams:

Florida: Miami, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville California: Los Angeles (two teams), San Francisco, Oakland Texas: Houston, Dallas, Arlington, San Antonio New York: Buffalo, New York City (New Jersey), New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn) Missouri: Kansas City

Some of the smaller, more remote states, such as Wyoming, Montana, and Vermont, are less likely to host NFL teams due to their geographic size and distance from major metropolitan areas.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while there are several states without active NFL teams, the NFL's popularity and expansion continue to bring teams to more and more regions. Factors such as the size of the state, population density, and distance from major cities play significant roles in team location decisions.