Topic summary
Houston Texans
Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
"Hats Off To The Bull" by Chevelle (de facto)
- Bulls on Parade
- Texans Swarm
- Houston Texans (2002–present)
- Reliant Stadium (2002–present)
- American Football Conference (2002–present)
- AFC South (2002–present)
- Bob McNair (1999–2018)
- Janice McNair (2018–2024)
- Cal McNair (2024–present)
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team plays its home games at Reliant Stadium.
The Texans were founded in 1999, replacing the city's previous NFL franchise, the Houston Oilers, who played from 1960 to 1996 before moving to Nashville and eventually becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Texans began play as an expansion team in 2002, making them the youngest franchise currently competing in the NFL.
While the Texans suffered from growing pains in the 2000s, their fortunes would take a turn for the better in the 2010s when they won their first division championship in 2011, clinching their first playoff berth. The Texans have gone on to win seven more AFC South division championships in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2024. They were the only franchise to have never won a road playoff game until they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 30–6 in the 2025 AFC Wild-Card playoffs. They are the only franchise that has never appeared in a Conference Championship game. They are also one of four franchises to have never appeared in a Super Bowl, alongside the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and division rival Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bob McNair owned the Texans until his death in 2018, after which the majority ownership of the team went to his wife, Janice. The McNairs' son, Cal, became operating head of the franchise upon his father's death, and became principal owner when his mother transferred ownership to him in 2024. According to an article by Forbes, the Houston Texans are the eleventh richest franchise in the NFL with a value of $4.7 billion in August 2022.
After the Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series, the Houston Texans became the only big four professional sports franchise currently based in Texas without a championship.