Houston

=== Sports ===
{{Main|Sports in Houston}}{{see also|Soccer in Houston}}
[[File:Toyota Center Game 7 2018 playoffs.jpg|thumb|[[Toyota Center]] is home of the [[Houston Rockets]].|alt=]]Houston has sports teams for every major professional league except the [[National Hockey League]]. The [[Houston Astros]] are a [[Major League Baseball]] <!-- (MLB) --> [[expansion team]] formed in 1962 (known as the "Colt .45s" until 1965) that have won the [[World Series]] in [[2017 World Series|2017]] and [[2022 World Series|2022]] and appeared in it in [[2005 World Series|2005]], [[2019 World Series|2019]], and [[2021 World Series|2021]]. It is the only MLB team to have won pennants in both modern leagues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nl/houastros/astros.html |title=Houston Astros: Historical Moments |publisher=sportsecyclopedia.com |date=October 18, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331032659/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nl/houastros/astros.html |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Houston Rockets]] are a [[National Basketball Association]] <!-- (NBA) --> franchise based in the city since [[1971–72 NBA season|1971]]. They have won two [[List of NBA champions|NBA Championships]], one in [[1994 NBA Finals|1994]] and another in [[1995 NBA Finals|1995]], under star players [[Hakeem Olajuwon]], [[Otis Thorpe]], [[Clyde Drexler]], [[Vernon Maxwell]], and [[Kenny Smith]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/houston/rockets.html |title=Houston Rockets: History |publisher=sportsecyclopedia.com |date=May 2, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513214630/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/houston/rockets.html |archive-date=May 13, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Houston Texans]] are a [[National Football League]] <!-- (NFL) --> expansion team formed in [[2002 NFL season|2002]]. The [[Houston Dynamo]] is a [[Major League Soccer]] <!-- (MLS) --> franchise that has been based in Houston since [[2006 Major League Soccer season|2006]], winning two [[List of MLS Cup finals|MLS Cup]] titles in [[2006 MLS Cup|2006]] and [[2007 MLS Cup|2007]]. The [[Houston Dash]] team plays in the [[National Women's Soccer League]], who won their first title in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/houston-dash-first-expansion-team-232531252--sow.html |title=Houston Dash first expansion team in NWSL |agency=AP |date=December 12, 2013 |access-date=December 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222093306/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/houston-dash-first-expansion-team-232531252--sow.html |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=2020-07-26 |title=Houston Beats Chicago to Win N.W.S.L. Title |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/26/sports/soccer/houston-dash-nwsl.html |access-date=2023-09-07 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The [[Houston SaberCats]] are a [[Rugby union|rugby]] team that plays in [[Major League Rugby]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abc13.com/sports/plans-to-bring-rugby-franchise-stadium-to-houston/1815266/ |title=All eyes on Houston: New plans to bring rugby franchise, stadium to the Bayou City |date=March 23, 2017 |work=abc13.com |access-date=March 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324225153/http://abc13.com/sports/plans-to-bring-rugby-franchise-stadium-to-houston/1815266/ |archive-date=March 24, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Houston Roughnecks (2020)|Houston Roughnecks]] are a future [[United Football League (2024)|UFL]] team starting operations in 2024. They were previously in the [[XFL (2020)|XFL]] before it was announced they were moving to the UFL in 2024.[[File:Reliantstadium.jpg|thumb|[[NRG Stadium]] is the home of the [[Houston Texans]].|alt=]]

[[Minute Maid Park]] (home of the Astros) and [[Toyota Center (Houston)|Toyota&nbsp;Center]] (home of the Rockets), are in Downtown Houston. Houston has the NFL's first retractable-roof stadium with natural grass, [[NRG Stadium]] (home of the Texans).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uni-systems.com/en/projects/featured-projects/reliant-stadium |title=Reliant Stadium |publisher=UniSystems LLC |date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213052639/http://www.uni-systems.com/en/projects/featured-projects/reliant-stadium |archive-date=December 13, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Minute Maid Park is also a retractable-roof stadium. Toyota Center also has the largest screen for an indoor arena in the United States built to coincide with the arena's hosting of the [[2013 NBA All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/start-something-big |title=The Start of Something Big: Toyota Center upgrades to Include New Concourse HD TVs, Wi-Fi and Concessions Systems |publisher=NBA |date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=June 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212002744/http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/start-something-big |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Shell Energy Stadium]] is a [[soccer-specific stadium]] for the Houston Dynamo, the [[Texas Southern Tigers football]] team, and Houston Dash, in East Downtown. [[Aveva Stadium]] (home of the [[Houston SaberCats|SaberCats]]) is in south Houston. In addition, [[Reliant Astrodome|NRG&nbsp;Astrodome]] was the first indoor stadium in the world, built in 1965.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.savingplaces.org/treasures/astrodome |title=Discover: The Astrodome |publisher=National Trust for Historic Preservation |date=March 28, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127074833/http://savingplaces.org/treasures/astrodome |archive-date=November 27, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other sports facilities include [[Hofheinz Pavilion]] (Houston Cougars basketball), [[Rice Stadium (Rice University)|Rice Stadium]] ([[Rice Owls]] football), and [[NRG Arena]]. [[TDECU Stadium]] is where the [[University of Houston]]'s [[Houston Cougars|Cougars]] football team plays.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121912aaa.html |title=Houston Unveils New Football Stadium Renderings |publisher=University of Houston Cougars |date=March 28, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114055426/http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121912aaa.html |archive-date=November 14, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Houston has hosted several major sports events: the [[1968 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1968]], [[1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1986]] and [[2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2004]] [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]]s; the [[1989 NBA All-Star Game|1989]], [[2006 NBA All-Star Game|2006]] and [[2013 NBA All-Star Game|2013]] [[NBA All-Star Game]]s; [[Super Bowl VIII]], [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]], and [[Super Bowl LI]], as well as hosting the [[1981 NBA Finals|1981]], [[1986 NBA Finals|1986]], [[1994 NBA Finals|1994]] and [[1995 NBA Finals]], winning the latter two, and hosting the [[2005 World Series]], [[2017 World Series]], [[2019 World Series]], [[2021 World Series]] and [[2022 World Series]]. The city won its first baseball championship during the 2017 event and won again 5 years later. NRG Stadium hosted [[Super Bowl LI]] on February 5, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.housuperbowl.com/docs/PRESSRELEASE_HoustonAwardedSuperBowlLIAnnouncement.pdf |title=Houston to Host Super Bowl LI in 2017 |publisher=Houston Super Bowl LI Committee |date=March 28, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216071213/http://www.housuperbowl.com/docs/PRESSRELEASE_HoustonAwardedSuperBowlLIAnnouncement.pdf |archive-date=December 16, 2013}}</ref> Houston will host multiple matches during the [[2026 FIFA World Cup]].

The city has hosted several major professional and college sporting events, including the annual [[Shell Houston Open|Houston Open]] golf tournament. Houston hosts the annual [[Houston College Classic]] baseball tournament every February, and the [[Texas Kickoff]] and [[Texas Bowl|Bowl]] in September and December, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/hou/ticketing/college_classic.jsp |title=2014 Houston College Classic |work=MLB.com |date=March 28, 2014 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114102156/http://mlb.mlb.com/hou/ticketing/college_classic.jsp |archive-date=January 14, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Grand Prix of Houston]], an annual auto race on the [[IndyCar Series]] circuit was held on a 1.7-mile temporary street circuit in [[NRG Park]]. The October 2013 event was held using a tweaked version of the 2006–2007 course.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.indycar.com/News/2012/March/3-28-Houston-added-to-2013-schedule |title=Houston, we have liftoff for October 2013 event |first=Dave |last=Lewandowski |work=[[IndyCar Series]] |publisher=[[IndyCar]] |date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=March 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401185554/http://www.indycar.com/News/2012/March/3-28-Houston-added-to-2013-schedule |archive-date=April 1, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The event had a five-year race contract through 2017 with IndyCar.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/sports/article/IndyCar-s-coming-to-town-Houston-race-slated-for-3442320.php |title=IndyCar's coming to town: Houston race slated for 2013 – Houston Chronicle |publisher=Chron.com |date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=June 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120085134/http://www.chron.com/sports/article/IndyCar-s-coming-to-town-Houston-race-slated-for-3442320.php |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> In motorcycling, the Astrodome hosted an [[AMA Supercross Championship]] round from 1974 to 2003 and the NRG Stadium since 2003.

Houston is also one of the first cities in the world to have a major [[esports]] team represent it, in the form of the [[Houston Outlaws]]. The Outlaws play in the [[Overwatch League]] and are one of two Texan teams, the other being the [[Dallas Fuel]].