Ice. In Texas? You better believe it. While you might find it once a year in certain parts of the state, we’re talking about the kind that fills ice rinks for hockey. While it may not come to mind right away, we have hockey teams playing in four leagues.

The Dallas Stars (formerly known as the Minnesota North Stars until 1993), play 41 home games between October and April. Texas also has two American Hockey League development teams: the San Antonio Rampage and the Texas Stars, who play in Cedar Park just outside Austin. An ECHL team plays in Allen and North American Hockey League teams take the rink in Amarillo, Corpus Christi, North Richland Hills and Odessa. So, you get the picture. There’s a lot of hockey games to be seen, and if you’re visiting from the north, you may feel right at home inside the rinks (they’re a little chilly, so be sure to wear long sleeves or even a light jacket). 

Soccer fans won’t be disappointed, either. Texas teams include FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo and the newly created FC Austin. The Major League Soccer teams play 34 games, half of which are home games, in a season that runs from March to October. The National Women’s Soccer League’s Houston Dash competes in 12 home games, usually in the April to September season. FC Dallas plays in the Toyota Stadium in Frisco, and both the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash play at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. Soccer play has expanded to include the United Soccer League teams of the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros at H-E-B Park in Edinburg and San Antonio FC at Toyota Field.

If you’re into fast cars, check out Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Constructed as the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the United States, it hosts the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in October and other automobile racing events throughout the year. You can even try out your own driving skills on the track with exclusive events from car manufacturers like Audi. 

NASCAR and Indy enthusiasts will love Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, which hosts races like the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Race Weekend in April, Texas Indy 600 Race Weekend in June and AAA Texas 500 Race Weekend in November. People who prefer the accelerated excitement of drag racing will find major NHRA events like the NHRA Spring Nationals in April at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown and the AAA Texas HHRA Fall Nationals in October at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis.

But maybe speed isn’t your thing? No worries, we have more relaxing sports to offer. 

The state hosts a variety of PGA tournaments where fans can watch the golf pros in action, including the Houston Open in Humble (March through April), Valero Texas Open in San Antonio (April), World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin (March), Dean & Deluca Invitational in Fort Worth (May) and AT&T Byron Nelson Championship in Dallas (May). And that’s just when you feel like observing. You can also get your swing on at hundreds of courses across the state. And thanks to the warm weather in Texas, you don’t have to restrict yourself to spring or summer tee times.
 

Whatever you’re game for, you can probably find it in Texas, so come out and discover a new team to watch. Or cheer on your favorite player or driver to victory. Seeing your favorite sport in person is an experience that just can’t be matched, and in Texas, it’s no different.

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