Is there appetite for hockey in the college football-obsessed city of Austin? Tim Warner/Getty ImagesRyan S. ClarkCloseRyan S. ClarkESPN NHL reporterRyan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN., Kristen ShiltonCloseKristen ShiltonESPN NHL reporterKristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN., Greg WyshynskiCloseGreg WyshynskiSenior NHL writerGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Multiple AuthorsSep 16, 2026, 07:00 AM ETOpen Extended ReactionsSince June 23, the debate about where an NHL expansion team should go in Texas has been focused on two cities: Houston and Austin.Although Houston remains the largest metropolitan area in the nation without an NHL franchise, Austin has thrived as one of the fastest-growing markets for more than 15 years.This all started when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is exploring placing a second team in Texas with Austin and Houston as potential targets.
Bettman said the NHL entered into an agreement with the Friedkin family, which had around six months to explore placing a team in either city. The family agreed to an investment of $3.5 billion that includes an expansion fee and building costs for an NHL arena.Adding another team in Texas, where the Dallas Stars have played since 1993, would mark the third time since 2017 that the NHL has expanded its footprint. The NHL added its 31st franchise in 2017 with the Vegas Golden Knights and grew to its current 32-team dynamic in 2021 when it added the Seattle Kraken.Now it appears that a 33rd franchise could be on the way. As are the many questions that come with a major development for the NHL at a time in which its revenue from last season was between $7.5 billion to $8 billion.ESPN NHL reporters Ryan S.
Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski are here to answer those questions about Austin, Houston and what it could all mean going forward.How did Austin get on the NHL’s expansion radar?Sometimes, the NHL expansion process is fairly straightforward. When Las Vegas was looking to land a team, it was an effort driven by billionaire Bill Foley with no other owner or ownership group seeking to buy the franchise or build an arena for one.In other cases, there are multiple groups seeking to land a franchise. Seattle had several possibilities for both ownership and arena sites before Seattle Hockey Partners secured the Kraken and refurbished Climate Pledge Arena. In Atlanta, where the NHL is expected to expand for a third time after the Flames and Thrashers relocated to Canada, there are three different ownership groups vying to own a team as an anchor for real estate projects.Competition can be a good thing in negotiations.
The NHL’s potential second franchise in Texas didn’t really have any: It was the Friedkin family as the owners, and Houston was the destination. So Austin entered the picture as another option for the Friedkins.But rather than just being a stalking horse in the expansion race, Austin started to garner more attention from the Friedkin family as a possible home for its expansion team. The demographics were hockey-friendly. There was a ton of tech money to be had.
An NHL franchise in Houston would be another pro team in a crowded sports market, much like the Kraken were in Seattle — a market that is even more competitive when the NBA is in season. An NHL team in Austin would be more like the Golden Knights were in Vegas: the first ones through the door among the “big four” sports, immediately creating a bond with local fans.At some point in the process, Austin’s momentum was such that it became the group’s preferred destination. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the NHL is destined for the land of hipsters. Just because an owner has the financial means to run a team doesn’t mean that the league and its 32 members are going to approve where that group wants to place a franchise. — WyshynskiWhat is the pro sports footprint for Austin and Houston, and has it ever included any form of hockey?Austin has a unique sports landscape.
The University of Texas isn’t a professional team, but its programs such as football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving along with men’s and women’s track and field have strong followings.The market’s first and lone professional team among the major men’s leagues is Austin FC in Major League Soccer. Until Austin FC began MLS play five years ago, the city was the largest market in the nation without a pro team. Austin also has the Circuit of the Americas, a track that has hosted Formula 1 for the annual United States Grand Prix since 2012 and the Texas Grand Prix as part of the NASCAR Cup Series since 2021.Austin has also been home to minor league teams. The Austin Spurs, the G League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs, play in the Cedar Park suburb.
The suburb of Round Rock is home to Round Rock Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Then there are the Texas Stars, who also play in Cedar Park and are the AHL affiliate to the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Austin has had the Stars since the team relocated from Iowa in 2009.Houston has a more established professional sports scene, with six teams across the major men’s and women’s leagues starting in 2027. The oldest team is the Houston Astros; the two-time World Series champions have played in the city since 1962.
The Houston Rockets have been around since 1967, winning two NBA championships in the 1990s. Houston initially lost its NFL team to Nashville but gained another with the Houston Texans, founded in 1999 with their first season in 2002.The city expanded into soccer in 2006 with the Houston Dynamo joining MLS and winning consecutive titles in 2006 and 2007; the Houston Dash joined the National Women’s Soccer League in 2014. Houston was also home to the Houston Comets of the WNBA until the franchise folded in 2008. The Fertitta family, which owns the Rockets, reached an agreement in March to purchase the Connecticut Sun, relocate the team to Houston and rename it the Houston Comets.Houston has a bit of a hockey history.
Minor league hockey came to the city for a few years in the late 1940s. It returned in 1972 when the WHA encountered setbacks in its attempt to have a team in Dayton, Ohio. That led to the team moving to Houston, where it became the Aeros. Led by Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty, the franchise won two league titles.
The Aeros’ final season was in 1979, before the WHL disbanded.The second version of the Aeros played in Houston for 19 seasons. They were initially part of the defunct IHL before joining the AHL back in 2001. The Aeros were the affiliate for the Minnesota Wild — and the Stars for one season — before relocating to Iowa in 2013. — ClarkWhat is the Friedkin family’s background?This would be the family’s first venture into owning a North American professional sports team, but it has experience as an owner in European soccer.Dan Friedkin, who has a master’s degree from Rice University in Houston, is the owner and president of AS Roma in the Italian Serie A and the owner and chairman of Everton FC in the English Premier League. He also owns AS Cannes of Ligue 3, the French third division.Friedkin took control of Roma in August 2020, and the club has finished in the top seven of Serie A every season since.
The Giallorossi captured the UEFA Conference League, the third tier of European club competition, in 2022. In 2023, they finished second in the Europa League, the second-tier European club competition. Roma finished third in Serie A in 2025-26 and are competing in the premier European club competition — the UEFA Champions League — this season.He took over Everton in December 2024, and the club finished with consecutive 13th-place finishes in the 20-team Premier League. Last season, the club left its famed Goodison Park venue and moved into Hill Dickinson Stadium, the eighth-largest soccer venue in England. — ClarkExpansion teams usually struggle to start
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