Which States Have No NFL Team?

Many people are surprised to learn that there are actually four states in the US without an NFL team. Here’s a look at why that is.

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Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The NFL is an unincorporated 501(c)(6) association, a federal nonprofit designation that allows it to be exempt from many taxes.

The NFL has thirty-two teams, split evenly between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Each conference has four divisions, with each division having four teams. The NFC is made up of the following divisions: East (New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins), West (Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks), North (Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings), and South (Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers). The AFC is made up of: East (Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins,, New England Patriots,, and New York Jets), West (), North (), and South ().

Of the fifty states in America, nine do not have an NFL team. This leaves forty-one states with at least one team. Can you name which states have no professional football team?

List of States without an NFL Team

There are currently nineteen states without an NFL team. This is due to a variety of reasons, but the most common one is that these states do not have the population to support an NFL team. Let’s take a look at the states without an NFL team.

Alabama

Although professional football has been played in Alabama since the 1920s, the state has never had its own NFL franchise. Several attempts have been made to start a team in Alabama, but those efforts have all ultimately failed.

The most recent attempt to bring the NFL to Alabama was made in 2015, when a group led by real estate developer Stan Pate proposed building a $1 billion stadium in Birmingham. The proposal included plans for an accompanying theme park and convention center, but it was ultimately rejected by the NFL.

Other previous attempts to start an NFL team in Alabama include a failed attempt by businessman Art Modell to move the Cleveland Browns to Birmingham in the late 1980s, and another by Pate to bring the then-Los Angeles Rams to Mobile in the early 1990s.

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area, and it is also one of the most sparsely populated states. With a population of just over 710,000 people, it would be very difficult to support an NFL team. In addition, Alaska is much closer to Canadian teams like the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers than it is to any US team.

Arkansas

Arkansas is one of nine states without an NFL team. The others are Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.

Delaware

While many states across the country have at least one professional football team, Delaware is one of several states that does not currently have an NFL team. There are a few reasons for this, including the small size of the state and the lack of a suitable stadium. However, there are some fans of the sport who hope that Delaware will eventually be home to an NFL team.

Hawaii

Hawaii is one of five U.S. states without an NFL team. The others are Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. There have been several failed attempts to bring an NFL team to Hawaii, most recently in 2015 when a proposed stadium deal fell through.

Idaho

There are currently 32 NFL teams, spread across the United States. However, there are a number of states that do not have an NFL team. One of these states is Idaho.

Idaho does have a few semi-professional and minor league football teams, but has never had an NFL team. There has been some talk of an NFL team coming to Idaho in the future, but as of right now, there are no plans for this to happen.

If you’re a football fan living in Idaho, your best bet is to root for one of the nearby teams, such as the Seattle Seahawks or the Denver Broncos.

Kentucky

Kentucky does not have an NFL team. The state’s lack of an NFL team is due to a number of factors, including its small population, lack of interest in the sport, and inability to support a professional team financially.

There have been several attempts to bring an NFL team to Kentucky, but none have been successful. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in the possibility of an NFL team calling Kentucky home, but as of yet, no team has committed to moving to the state.

Kentucky is home to a number of collegiate football teams, including the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals. The Wildcats and Cardinals both have strong fanbases and play in competitive conferences (the SEC and ACC, respectively). While some Kentuckians may enjoy watching collegiate football, many others are more interested in following the NFL.

Louisiana

Louisiana is one of nine states without an NFL team. The other states are Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming. Louisiana is the only southern state without an NFL team.

Maine

Maine is one of the states without an NFL team. In fact, it’s the only state in New England without an NFL team. The New England Patriots, who are headquartered in Massachusetts, are the closest NFL team to Maine.

Mississippi

Mississippi is one of nine states without an NFL team. The state’s closest team is the New Orleans Saints, who play in Louisiana. Mississippi is also home to the MississippiBraves, a minor league baseball team.

Montana

Montana is one of the states without an NFL team. It is the largest state in the US by land area, and it has a population of just over 1 million people. There are no major professional sports teams in Montana, but there are several college teams, including the University of Montana Grizzlies and the Montana State University Bobcats.

Nevada

Although Nevada is home to the Las Vegas Raiders, the state does not have an NFL team of its own. The Raiders moved to Las Vegas from Oakland, California in 2020.

New Hampshire

The New England Patriots have long been the only representation of the NFL in New England, with their home games played in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

New Mexico

New Mexico is one of the few states in the US without an NFL team. Although it may seem like a football-loving state, it simply doesn’t have the population to support a professional team. The closest thing New Mexico has to an NFL team is the University of New Mexico Lobos, who compete in Division I of the NCAA.

North Dakota

North Dakota is one of the few states in the US without an NFL team. There are a few reasons for this, including the state’s small population and lack of a major city. However, there are some football fans in North Dakota, and there have been efforts to try and bring an NFL team to the state.

Oklahoma

As of 2020, Oklahoma is one of 9 states without an NFL team. The others are Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and Rhode Island. There have been numerous attempts to bring an NFL team to Oklahoma, most notably the Oklahoma Outlaws and the Tulsa Oilers, but none have been successful.

The closest NFL team to Oklahoma is the Dallas Cowboys, who play in nearby Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys have a large following in Oklahoma and are commonly referred to as the “state’s team”.

Rhode Island

As of 2021, Rhode Island is one of nine US states without an NFL team. The state’s lack of an NFL team is due to a variety of factors, including its small population, lack of a suitable stadium, and lack of interest from potential owners. Rhode Island’s lack of an NFL team has not always been the case, however, as the state was home to the Providence Steam Roller from 1925 to 1931. The Steam Roller were one of the most successful teams in the early years of the NFL, winning the league championship in 1928.

South Dakota

South Dakota is one of the states without an NFL team. The state has a population of just over 865,000 people, making it the 47th most populous state in the country. The closest NFL team to South Dakota is the Minnesota Vikings, who are based in nearby Minneapolis.

Utah

Although it is home to the 2002 Winter Olympics and has a strong college football tradition, Utah does not have an NFL team. The state has been mentioned as a potential expansion market for the league, but no plans have been announced.

Vermont

Vermont is one of the states without an NFL team. Though the state has a strong interest in football, it does not have the necessary population to support a professional team. Vermont is home to many college football teams, however, and its fans enjoy watching NFL games on TV.

West Virginia

West Virginia does not have an NFL team. There have been several attempts to bring an NFL team to the state, but those efforts have all failed. The most recent effort was in 2014, when a group tried to bring the Oakland Raiders to West Virginia. However, that effort also failed.

Wyoming

Wyoming is one of the states without an NFL team. Although the state has a population of less than 600,000, it is home to two Division I college football teams: the University of Wyoming and Wyoming Catholic College.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we found that there are four states without an NFL team: Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. We also found that the cities in these states without an NFL team are Anchorage (AK), Billings (MT), Bismarck (ND), and Sioux Falls (SD).