With the NFL undoubtedly going strong with 32 franchises, we shouldn’t overlook the possibility of expansion in the league’s future. In fact, a decade from now, it’s not out of the question that there could be significant NFL expansion, perhaps up to 40 teams with all eight divisions adding a new member. Obviously, nothing is imminent at the moment, but something major could be brewing on the horizon.
That’s why we wanted to put together a list of 20 cities that could get an NFL expansion team if and when the league expands. As a bonus, we also came up with five cities most likely to lose their NFL team and relocate to one of the cities that would be a good fit for a franchise.
St. Louis
It’s a shame that St. Louis no longer has an NFL franchise after the Rams moved. From 1960 to 2015, the city had a team outside of the brief period from 1987 to 1995. With pro baseball and hockey franchises that get tons of support, a new NFL franchise in St. Louis would make a lot of sense.
The only thing standing in the way of a new St. Louis franchise when the NFL expands is a stadium. The Rams left town because the team and the city couldn’t come to an agreement on a new stadium. But if St. Louis promised to build a stadium, they would surely get a new team the next time the NFL expands.
London
It’s no secret that the NFL would love to put a full-time franchise in London. It’s why multiple games keep being scheduled there every year. Also, there are far more NFL fans in the UK than most American fans realize.
The newly-built Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London was built with the NFL in mind, as there is a synthetic turf for football games underneath the retractable soccer pitch. It is also one of the biggest stadiums in the country and creates an amazing atmosphere with full crowds, making it the perfect place to put a full-time NFL team.
Toronto
At one point, there were rumblings that the Bills could relocate to Toronto, putting Canada’s most populous city high on the list of expansion possibilities. After all, Toronto is the fourth-most populous city in North America, so there are more than enough people to support an NFL franchise.
The only caveat is that it’s perhaps too close to Buffalo. The NFL would also have to look at how a franchise would coexist with Toronto’s CFL franchise, the Argonauts. The NFL and CFL seasons overlap and the two leagues have different field dimensions, so there are some logistics to work out if a city wants to have a CFL and an NFL franchise.
Austin
It’s hard to imagine that the capital of Texas doesn’t have a pro franchise in one of the major sports leagues. The only exception is a new MLS franchise. Austin also has a G-League team and a triple-A baseball team. But before getting an MLS franchise, Austin was the biggest city in the country without a major pro franchise.
If the NFL expands, Austin should get a long look. It should be far enough from both Houston and Dallas so that a new team in Austin wouldn’t necessarily steal too many fans from the Texans and Cowboys. Plus, Austin usually has no problem filling a 100,000-seat stadium on Saturdays during the fall, so the city should have no problem supporting an NFL franchise.
Mexico City
The NFL surely has international expansion plans that extend beyond the UK and Canada. The NFL has strived to play regular-season games in Mexico City in recent years and done so successfully in 2016, 2017, and 2019. If the league were to expand, they would surely give Mexico City serious consideration.
Obviously, it would open up a whole new set of fans for the NFL, which is why Mexico City would be appealing. However, we shouldn’t forget that poor field conditions forced a game out of Mexico City in 2018. Plus, logistically, Mexico City is more than 900 miles away from the closest NFL city, which is even further than the Seahawks have to travel to their nearest rival, making Mexico City just as much of a geographic outlier as London.
Oakland
Conventional wisdom says that Oakland will be high on the NFL’s wish list of cities if the league were to expand. It’s been a great city for the NFL in the past, and it’s not as if the fanbase wanted the Raiders to leave. While some folks in the Bay Area may have remained loyal to the Raiders or switched allegiances to the 49ers, Oakland would surely have enough fans to support a new franchise.
The only question with Oakland is getting a new stadium built. The NFL probably doesn’t want to put a new franchise in Oakland Coliseum. The Athletics in baseball are trying to get a new stadium built, although it may not double as a football stadium, which could hurt Oakland’s chances of getting another NFL franchise.
Vancouver
The NFL would love to explore cities in Western Canada, putting Vancouver high on the list. It’s a big city that’s near the border and close to Seattle, potentially giving the Seahawks a close geographic rival. Vancouver would also be a relatively safe choice since the city already has an NHL team and an MLS franchise.
Of course, there would be questions about how an NFL team would co-exist with the BC Lions of the CFL. Also, would Vancouver need a new stadium for an NFL franchise or would BC Place and its capacity of 54,500 fans be able to host a CFL, NFL, and MLS team simultaneously?
San Antonio
In the football-loving state of Texas, there’s probably room for one or two more NFL franchises, making San Antonio a prime location. Even if a new stadium is needed eventually, the Alamodome would be the perfect home for a new NFL franchise. The Spurs have had no problem in creating a loyal and passionate fanbase, so there is every reason to think San Antonio would embrace an NFL franchise just as much.
Geographically, San Antonio might be a better fit than Austin if it’s one or the other. San Antonio is bigger than Austin and is actually second behind only Houston in population among Texas cities. It could also attract more fans from the southern and western areas of the state, creating new fans rather than stealing hardcore Cowboys and Texans fans.
San Diego
San Diego is another city that recently lost an NFL franchise but could get one back if the league expands. The Chargers thrived there for many years, so it’s possible that a new franchise could do the same.
Naturally, the question of a new stadium would surely come up before the NFL gives San Diego another franchise. The Chargers moved to LA in part because they couldn’t secure a new stadium. San Diego Stadium opened in 1967, so there would surely need to be a new stadium built before another NFL team comes to Southern California.
Columbus
Can the NFL thrive in a college town that’s dominated by a big-time college football program? Can the state of Ohio support three different NFL franchises? These are legitimate questions that would have to be asked of Columbus, which is less than 150 miles from Cleveland and barely 100 miles from Cincinnati. Moreover, could the AFC North handle another bitter geographic rival?
On the other hand, Columbus is among the 15 biggest cities in the country in terms of population, so it’s reasonable to think they have enough people to support an NFL franchise. How a pro franchise would coexist in the same city (and perhaps the same stadium) as Ohio State is a pertinent question. But there is no denying Columbus is an intriguing possibility for a new NFL franchise.
Montreal
In a way, Montreal might be a better Canadian destination than Toronto. It’s not as close to Buffalo or any other current NFL city, which means it would interfere less with the existing fanbase the Bills have in the Toronto area. At the same time, it would be a great place for Canadian NFL fans to come together and support a new team.
Again, the NFL would have to decide how it wants to approach Canadian cities that already have a believed CFL team. Montreal would also need to build a new stadium since Olympic Stadium is far too old to host an NFL franchise. Perhaps Montreal could build a stadium that could host football and baseball, opening the door for an MLB team as well.
Birmingham
We all know that the South loves football, yet there is an overabundance of teams in the Northeast and the Upper Northwest. After all, Indianapolis is in the South Division. A city like Birmingham would be a great place to give the South another NFL franchise. It’s between Atlanta, Nashville, and New Orleans, so it wouldn’t detract too much from those fanbases.
Granted, Birmingham would be one of the smallest NFL cities, but that doesn’t seem to bother Green Bay. All it takes is a love for football, and there’s no question Birmingham has that. In fact, the entire state of Alabama could adopt the Birmingham team as its favorite and almost become the Green Bay of the South.
Orlando
The NFL has played the Pro Bowl in Orlando, so putting a full-time franchise there doesn’t seem like much of a stretch. The stadium formerly known as the Citrus Bowl has the size and look of a pro stadium, so that wouldn’t be a problem. A new team could move in right away and hit the ground running.
The metropolitan Orlando area has a big enough population with the people there splitting their support among the three other Florida franchises. In theory, they would throw all of their support behind a full-time franchise in Orlando. Plus, Orlando gets plenty of tourists, which would add to the attention the team would get and the number of fans in attendance, much like Las Vegas is doing.
Salt Lake City
Currently, there’s no NFL team between Denver and the California teams, all of which are near the coast, unless you could Las Vegas and Arizona, which are much further South. In other words, there are a lot of people in the Western part of the country that would love to have an NFL team located closer, making SLC a great candidate.
Utah has several notable college football programs, so there’s no question the state has enough football fans to support a franchise. Plus, Salt Lake City has had no problem hosting an NBA team for over four decades, so the city should have no problem with an NFL franchise as well.
Portland
Much like Vancouver, Portland is a good option because Seattle wouldn’t be so isolated. It’s also close enough to the bay area to form a potential NFC West rivalry with the 49ers or perhaps a new team in Oakland. In that sense, there’s a lot to like about Portland.
It’s also a fun city with a lot of character. Plus, most people don’t realize how much people in Portland love sports. The Trail Blazers have always been well-supported while both Portland’s MLS and NWSL teams are among the best-supported pro soccer teams. That should translate to enough support if Portland were to get an NFL franchise.
Memphis
If not Birmingham, Memphis would be an ideal location to add another Southern NFL franchise. Technically, it’s located in Tennessee, but Memphis is a stone’s throw away from Arkansas and Mississippi, and not too far from Alabama or Missouri. A team in Memphis might interfere with the Titans’ fan base initially, but perhaps not as much as people think.
Memphis has a great tradition of high school football and has taken a keen liking to the Memphis Tigers at the college level. It’s a city that loves football, so an NFL franchise would fit like a glove. Plus, a Memphis franchise could play right away in the Liberty Bowl, at least until a new stadium can be built.
Omaha
Nebraska is another state that loves football but has been overlooked by the NFL. While Lincoln is close, an NFL team in Omaha wouldn’t have to directly compete with a college program. That being said, the support the Cornhuskers have received over the years is a good indication of what a pro team in Omaha could expect.
The Omaha franchise could easily pull in football-loving fans from Nebraska, Iowa, and the Dakotas. Fans in those areas are a little far from Chicago, Kansas City, and Minneapolis, but they would get behind a team in Omaha.
Oklahoma City
Think about the way Oklahoma City has embraced an NBA franchise and then tell us that a pro football team couldn’t work in OKC too. We know that the people in Oklahoma get excited about football. But honestly, who are they supposed to root for in the NFL? Given the history between Oklahoma and Texas, you can’t ask them to support the Cowboys.
Whether Texas gets a third NFL franchise or not, Oklahoma City deserves strong consideration for a pro team. Fans come out to multiple stadiums throughout the state on Saturdays, and there should be little question that they would do the same on Sundays in a city that’s located right in the middle of the state.
Honolulu
If the NFL is going to put a team in London and make teams commute across the Atlantic, why not do the same with the other ocean and put a team in Hawaii? Just like Orlando, the NFL has hosted Pro Bowls in Hawaii, so it’s at least worth exploring the possibility of a full-time team.
Given the number of players with Hawaiian or South Pacific ancestry who are finding their way to the NFL, a team in Honolulu makes a lot of sense. The state of Hawaii has a population of well over a million people, and surely some of them will be happy to spend a few Sundays each year attending a football game. Aloha Stadium has a capacity of 50,000 fans, so a Honolulu franchise would already have a stadium in place.
Edmonton
There are a few options in Canada outside of the ones we’ve mentioned, but Edmonton is the best of the bunch. It’s a little further north than most people realize, but it’s also been better at maintaining an NHL franchise than both Calgary and Winnipeg. That makes Edmonton a better bet than either city because there would be a little more risk if the NFL wanted to move into Albert or Manitoba.
Edmonton also gets an edge over some other Canadian cities because it has Commonwealth Stadium. It’s the largest open-air stadium in Canada and can hold over 56,000 fans. That makes Edmonton ready for an NFL franchise with plenty of room in its stadium to support a growing fanbase.