Even as a newcomer, you no doubt know about San Antonio's only major-league professional sports franchise. But there's much more to the San Antonio sports scene than the Spurs.
Whether you're watching games at the best sports bars in San Antonio (like The Hoppy Monk, Sideliners or Mad Dogs) or traveling to the stadiums and arenas in your new neighborhood, this guide for south Texas transplants will help you get into the game.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
You'll find it easy to embrace the Spurs. They have won five NBA championships with a likable roster of stars and are a model of consistent excellence. Their franchise's winning percentage ranks among the highest in NBA history and all North American professional sports. Not bad for one of the smallest markets in the league!
SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS
While San Antonio doesn't have a big-league team, professional baseball is in your newly adopted hometown. The San Antonio Missions is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Over the decades, the Missions' alums have included Hall-of-Famers Brooks Robinson, Joe Morgan and Pedro Martinez. The player you're watching excel for the Missions in the minor leagues today could be a big-league star in no time.
COLLEGE ALLEGIANCES
We can't discuss the sports scene in Texas without mentioning college football. Just 80 miles up the road in Austin lies Austin, home of the University of Texas Longhorns.
Once settled in, find one of the many sports stores in San Antonio (like Good Sports Outdoor Outfitters, Academy Sports or Vivroux Sports) and stock up on Longhorns gear. Burnt orange goes with everything!
Why back the 'Horns? Well, they've won 56 national championships in a variety of sports. The football program alone has won four national titles, headlined by Heisman Trophy winners Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams. Hook 'em Horns!
OTHER PRO TEAMS
OK, back to the pros. Are you a soccer fan? San Antonio FC is a professional club that competes in the USL Championship, the second-highest level of U.S. soccer.
How about football, American-style? The San Antonio Gunslingers are a professional indoor football team in the National Arena League.
PRO ALLEGIANCES
Even in cities without franchises, the NFL is king. As a new resident of San Antonio, do you have an important choice to make: Houston Texans or Dallas Cowboys? The closest NFL city is Houston, making San Antonio "Texans territory." After all, Houston is only a three-hour drive away from your new home.
But given that the Texans weren't founded until 1999, long after the Cowboys became NFL royalty, much of Texas remains Cowboys country. (Houston also was home to the Oilers, known today as the Tennessee Titans.) Your choice here isn't so much whether to adopt the Texans, as it is to remember the reign of the Cowboys. There is no in-between.
Returning to the diamond, your proximity to Houston should make rooting for the Astros easy. You'll also find yourself pulling for the former Missions who reach the major leagues in San Diego and elsewhere.
TIME TO HIRE THE BEST
Now that you have decided to move to San Antonio, hire the best movers in town:
- Budget Movers.
- Give us a call at (210) 920-7938 to discuss your upcoming move.
- Talk about a winning game plan!
- If you are moving out of Texas, remember we are a partner of National Van Lines and can move you anywhere.
If you're moving to New York, here's a helpful guide to New York pests--and we don't mean their sports teams.