Buckle up—it is time to talk about one of the most controversial and heated topics in the NFL—where teams belong and, more importantly, where they don’t. Every football fan, especially those in cities without a pro team, has their own opinions about which cities deserve a shot at hosting an NFL franchise and which ones are just not cutting it.
Some cities are absolutely starving for football, with passionate fanbases that would sell out stadiums week after week. On the flip side, there are a few places that, let’s be honest, just aren’t pulling their weight when it comes to supporting their teams.
Without further ado, let’s dive into five cities that deserve a new NFL franchise—and five that should lose theirs!
Is your city deserving of a new NFL franchise soon? Deserve: Oakland, CA
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 02: In an aerial view, a crane at the Port of Oakland stands in front of the San Francisco skyline on March 02, 2023 in Oakland, California. Global ocean shipping companies are facing declines as exports slow and freight rates drop. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Let’s kick things off in the Bay Area with Oakland, California—a city that knows a thing or two about football.
It is honestly tragic that the city lost its iconic NFL franchise—especially when you consider what a raw deal they have gotten with all of their sports teams in recent years… First, the Golden State Warriors got ripped out of Oakland, then the Raiders—and now it looks like the Athletics will be next…
A terrible turn of events for a city that lives and breathes its sports and has some of the best fans in the country.
The Raiders called Oakland home for decades, and the fan base, affectionately known as the “Black Hole,” was one of the most passionate in the league. Even after the Raiders left for Las Vegas, the loyalty of Oakland’s fans never wavered. This is a city that bleeds silver and black, and the loss of the Raiders left a void that still hasn’t been filled.
It is crazy that a place with such a rich football history—and one of the largest markets without an NFL team—got its team ripped away.
It isn’t some drive through town… Oakland has a population of over 400,000 and as part of the larger Bay Area, the potential fan base is massive.
Bringing an NFL team back to Oakland would not only restore a proud football tradition but also provide a significant economic boost to the area. Oakland deserves a team, and the NFL would be better for it.
Should Lose: Nashville, TN
View of Nashville, Tennessee, on June 16, 2022. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Nashville, Tennessee, is a city on the rise with all of the music—and corporate-industry investments in the area, but when it comes to the NFL, it might be time to reconsider its place in the league.
The Tennessee Titans have called Nashville home since 1999, and while they’ve had their moments, the fan support has been inconsistent… Which shouldn’t be a huge shock… After all, they are in the heart of SEC country where college football reigns supreme for the football fans—and there is enough other activities to satiate the general population.
There just isn’t the same appetite for NFL football that you would find in many other cities around the country… and as a result, he team’s struggles on the field have often been met with indifference from the local population, and the stadium atmosphere has lacked the energy and passion seen in other NFL cities.
Nashville is a fantastic city with a vibrant music scene and a growing population, but it’s a market that’s more suited to college football than the NFL.
With other cities clamoring for an NFL team and Nashville’s lukewarm support, it might be time for the Titans to consider relocating. The NFL thrives on passionate fan bases, and unfortunately, Nashville just hasn’t shown the consistent enthusiasm needed to support a franchise long-term.
Deserve: Austin, TX
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 19: The downtown skyline is seen on March 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. From peaking in 2022, home prices and apartment rents in Austin, Texas, have declined more than any other city in the country in 2024. While Austin remains ranked as the 10th-largest city in the U.S., the city is now leading a national property cool-down. From 2020 through 2022, Austin led at the forefront of rapid economic growth, with major companies such as Tesla and Oracle arriving. Austin’s recent downswing indicates that various migration patterns, once fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to fade as the country slowly returns to pre-pandemic levels. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Austin, Texas, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, and it’s long overdue for an NFL franchise.
With a population nearing 1 million and a metro area that’s home to over 2 million people, Austin is a football hotbed just waiting to explode onto the NFL scene.
Yes, similar to Nashville, the city is known for music and its love of college football, with the University of Texas Longhorns boasting one of the most passionate fan bases in the country… But the Texas population has already proven its ability to rally around an NFL franchise in Houston and Dallas…
The fact of the matter is that the culture in Austin is a perfect fit for the NFL. The city is young, vibrant, and full of energy, and that would translate into an electric atmosphere on game days.
The stadium would be packed week after week, and the tailgating scene could be legendary.
To put it simply, it is time for the NFL to plant its flag in Austin and give this football-crazed city the team it deserves.
Should Lose: Jacksonville, FL
JACKSONVILLE, FL – FEBRUARY 4: Night falls over downtown Jacksonville on February 4, 2005 before Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Jacksonville, Florida, has had an NFL team since 1995, but the Jaguars have struggled to find their footing both on and off the field.
Despite some intermittent success, the franchise has been one of the least successful in the league, and the fan support has been spotty at best.
And the Jaguars have often had trouble filling their stadium—there were legitimately periods where they had to tarp off huge portions of the stadium to mask the utter emptiness.
Plus, the team’s ownership has been flirting with moving for over a decade now… I mean, they play far and away the most home games in London—and while we aren’t going to bang the drums for the hairbrained idea of putting an NFL franchise in the UK—it might make sense for the Jags to pack their bags and starting looking for a new home domestically.
Deserve: Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of NFL cities, but it’s a market that we believe is ripe for a franchise.
Think about the way that the city rallied and has shown support for its NBA franchise, Oklahoma City Thunder… The fans have proven to be some of the most passionate in the country.
And basketball isn’t nearly as popular in the region as football!
Truthfully, Oklahoma is a football state with a rich tradition of college football, and that passion would easily translate to the NFL.
And while larger markets might not recognize it, OKC is a young and exciting city with a population that is growing, and with a metro area of over 1.4 million people.
This one feels like a no-brainer!
Also Read: The WORST Teammate Currently On Every NFL Team That NO ONE Talks About
Should Lose: Charlotte, NC
CHARLOTTE, NC – JANUARY 22: Traffic warning signs on the road light up near the skyline of Uptown Charlotte on January 22, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. A major snowstorm is forecasted for the East Coast this weekend with some areas expected to receive up to 1-2 feet of snow. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Charlotte, North Carolina, has been home to the Carolina Panthers since 1995, but the city’s relationship with its NFL team has been a rollercoaster ride.
The Panthers have had some great moments, including two Super Bowl appearances, but the fan support has been inconsistent, especially during the team’s down years.
There have been multiple extended periods of time during which the Panthers stadium, now called Bank of America Stadium, has struggled to fill up.
Charlotte is a growing city with a lot of potential due to corporate interests investing in the area, but it’s also a market that’s saturated with college sports, particularly college basketball… There just isn’t the same passion for football as some of the other cities that have successful NFL franchises.
Deserve: St. Louis, MO
EAST ST LOUIS, IL – JUNE 6: The St. Louis skyline is seen as the Mississippi River swells on June 6, 2019 in East St. Louis, Illinois. Residents along the Mississippi River are bracing for the expected arrival of the crest at near-record levels on Friday. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
St. Louis is a city with a long-standing love affair with football, and it’s a damn shame that the NFL has isolated and ultimately ostracized a huge chunk of extremely passionate fans by the way it has treated the city.
The Rams called St. Louis home for over two decades, and despite the team’s struggles on the field, the city supported the team with unwavering loyalty. The decision to move the Rams to Los Angeles was met with outrage from the St. Louis fan base, and the city has been yearning for an NFL team ever since…. and for Stan Kroneke’s head!
And you know what? The good people of St. Louis have reason to be upset… It really makes no sense that they got their team taken away.
The infrastructure is already in place, with the Dome at America’s Center providing a potential temporary home while a new stadium is built.
And the city’s central location also makes it an ideal spot for an NFL franchise, as it makes for easy travel for fans and teams. St. Louis deserves a second chance at the NFL, and there’s no question that the city would fully embrace a new team.
And it would be able to support it! St. Louis proper has a population over 300,000 people! And the greater area scales up to around 3 million.
It makes no sense that they wouldn’t have a team—both the market and the fans are more than ready for it!
Should Lose: Los Angeles, CA
An aerial image taken on July 3, 2024 shows the Los Angeles area skyline, MacArthur Park (L), Silver Lake Reservoir (Rear Left), Dodger Stadium (Rear Right), the 110 Freeway, and Downtown Los Angeles (R) above Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
While Los Angeles may have many of the prerequisites to be an NFL powerhouse—glamour, a massive population, and a history of sports excellence… it doesn’t translate to reality.
When it comes to football, L.A. just doesn’t seem to have the same passion that it does for basketball or baseball—or any of the other massive industries that it supports.
Despite being the second-largest media market in the country, the city’s relationship with the NFL has always been lukewarm at best.
The Rams and Chargers, both recent additions to the city, have struggled to build a dedicated fanbase that matches the fervor seen in smaller, more football-centric cities.
The Rams returned to L.A. in 2016 after a 21-year stint in St. Louis, and they’ve had some success on the field—including a Super Bowl win—so, somewhat expectedly—the attendance and fan engagement has been respectable.
The Chargers, on the other hand, who relocated from San Diego in 2017, have fared far worse in terms of fan support. Their games often feel like away games, with opposing teams’ fans outnumbering Chargers supporters in their own stadium.
I wouldn’t go as far as to suggest that both teams be removed from the City of Angels… But I think one is plenty!
Based on the way that the franchises have performed thus far, I think it is only right that the Chargers accept that this town ain’t big enough for the two of them and find a new city to play in…
Or… I don’t know—go back to San Diego—their longstanding home that was devastated when they greedily set sail for Log Angeles.
There may be some NFL fans in the area who have bid the franchise good riddance, but the smart money says that they could win back the hearts of many if they returned to San Diego—and the franchise would ultimately be much better off for it!
Deserve: Columbus, OH
When it comes to football, Columbus no doubt bleeds the sport.
The city is home to The Ohio State University, one of the most storied college football programs in history, and the region is a football hotbed.
The people there live and breathe the game… and they’ve proven time and again that they’re some of the most dedicated and passionate fans in the country. It is actually kind of shocking that the NFL hasn’t already tapped into this die hard fanbase.
Ohio may already have two NFL franchises, with the Browns in Cleveland and the Bengals in Cinci… but Columbus is the state capital and the largest city in Ohio now, as it boasts a growing population of nearly 900,000 people and a metro area that reaches over 2 million.
And the people there have proven to be incredibly passionate about professional sports with the way that they have taken to and supported the city’s two current professional franchises: the Crew in the MLS—and the Blue Jackets in the NHL.
The addition of an NFL team would fill a void in the city’s sports landscape, creating a perfect balance between college and professional football.
Should Lose: East Rutherford, NJ
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JANUARY 28: MetLife Stadium is seen with the Manhattan skyline in the background ahead of Super Bowl XLVIII on January 28, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Helicopters flown by “air interdiction agents” from the U.S. Office of Air and Marine (OAM), are providing air support for Super Bowl XLVIII this Sunday. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
How about this for an extremely basic reason, which is that East Rutherford should lose an NFL team? Most NFL fans probably don’t even know that East Rutherford is where the Jets and Giants play their home games!
On the surface, this might seem like a great setup, with two iconic NFL franchises sharing a state-of-the-art stadium. But the reality is that East Rutherford isn’t exactly the ideal location for an NFL team, let alone two.
The problem isn’t with the teams themselves… or even in the fans in the area, but more so with the literal location itself—and the logistics of hosting two franchises in a suburban area that lacks the vibrancy and engagement of a major city. These are supposed to be the NFL’s New York franchises… Putting them in a borderline suburb—in New Jersey, no less—is an abomination!
