Or just a great name? 1 in town as the Spurs seem to be headed for a painful rebuilding phase. While I’m sure the league has all sorts of market research going in to those same questions, I have a few casual observations: •Mexico City is the largest city in North America, and an NFL team would have little competition there. But I guess the only thing more painful would be trying to get a stadium deal done for the Coyotes! Mexico City. Portland, OR. Calanda Broncos – Building a program of excellence in the Swiss Alps. Mexican fans show incredible support for players and teams they follow and are particularly vocal on social media where high profile sports stars are lauded with praise and encouragement. Expansion? I would think that a Mexican city or two would deserve an expansion team, especially Mexico City, which has hosted a few games. If the NFL does expand into Canada, Edmonton may be a wiser move as it has the second-largest stadium in the country and showed fervent support for the MLB’s Montreal Expos before relocation. Here’s a city that’s worthy of consideration in any talks about internationalizing the NFL. Orlando needs a NFL team. The London NFL franchise is a hypothetical National Football League (NFL) American football team based in London, United Kingdom, formed as a new expansion team or by relocating one of the existing 32 NFL teams currently based in the United States. As a nod to the possibility of a future Austin/San Antonio “Metroplex,” build the stadium either in Northeast San Antonio (the current site of the Retama Park Racetrack would be perfect) or between New Braunfels and San Marcos. Email us at talkback@themmqb.com. They say the third time’s the charm. Pennsylvania is the fifth-most populous state in the country and certainly sizable enough to accommodate another NFL team. There’s a ready-made market. The four London games per year all sell out. Every game in London is also well supported. Los Angeles reportedly has signed Bauer to a three-year, $102 million contract, with out-outs after the first two seasons. It has now hosted 28 regular season NFL games, a number that dwarfs other cities around the world. Any team will get more local support in San Antonio. The NFL can also continue to spread its wings domestically. NFL Expansion Cities: League Should Look at Toronto & Mexico City Before London By Brandon Katz Nov 12, 2014 01:34 PM EST The NFL has been dancing around a full-time move to London for some time now. Separated by only about 55 miles! Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, The Oakland Raiders will be highlighted on Hard Knocks, MMQB staffers suggested potential locations for an NFL expansion team. Portland is near the top of that list. We have a team in the far western part of the state (Pittsburgh) and the far eastern part (Philadelphia). All Signs Point to Mexico City Getting an NFL Team by Madilyn Zeegers on March 4, 2020 While NFL fans speculate about the site of the next NFL franchise — via expansion or relocation — one logical location emerged in recent years: Mexico City. A new stadium could be built while the team plays in Hershey (or maybe it stays in Hershey.) Which franchises made a leap and which regressed? Baseball is popular in northern Mexico and along the Pacific and Gulf coasts, but those areas lack the population base that makes Mexico City a realistic expansion candidate. There are still a few spots across the country that would be prime locations for a new NFL team or for one to relocate. At least according to Twitter, Tom Brady is a cry baby who doesn't know how to use a wrench. What the NFL found was the travel time for teams to go to Europe or Japan was so extensive they would need multiple games or at least a bye week in order for teams to adjust to multiple time zones and practice conditions. I can help you out with NFL expansion and provide just a little education at the same time. If Mexico City acquires a team and retains average MLB ticket prices, the huge population of the area does not necessarily translate into fans that can afford to attend a game. River City deserves a team. Certainly over Bismarck, Iowa, Anchorage and OKC. Growing hotbed? If the NFL were to add a 33rd team via expansion, I’ll tell you where they should go. © 2021 ABG-SI LLC. American football is also widely watched and revered in the country. Mexico has a few advantages over other potential expansion options. Mexico City Mexico is another country with strong links to the NFL. As the league continues to pursue a global audience, the case for further international team expansion has become almost unavoidable, and Mexico is center stage. The English capital hosted five regular season games in 2019, the last of which saw Houston Texans dominate Jacksonville Jaguars in a 26-3 mauling at Wembley Stadium. Sporting leagues also hope that the expansion of their competition will grow the popularity of the sport generally. Hershey, Pa., in the center of that big TV market, currently has a stadium that could be easily expanded to meet NFL guidelines. “We have a tremendous, passionate fan base in Mexico and we know the atmosphere on game day will be outstanding,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell noted in 2016. Baseball author and historian Adrian Burgos believes placing an MLB franchise in Mexico City would be a huge gamble for myriad reasons. I say we … NFL has eyed Germany expansion for years. PROS: Portland is the 4th largest TV market without an NFL franchise and is regularly … But you barely mentioned St. Louis, which already has a stadium to get started. I would think that a Mexican city or two would deserve an expansion team, especially Mexico City, which has hosted a few games. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. London, Berlin, Paris, Japan, Mexico City were all potential locations for NFL expansion. The NCAA will use five sites for the opening round, including the University of Texas, which is 80 miles from San Antonio, as a venue. St. Louis Stallions (NFL, 1993) St. Louis was the third city that came oh-so-close to being awarded … Pennsylvania is a great football state. The NFL is the only major sports league in America without a team based in Canada. The NFL already has been playing games regularly in the U.K. and Mexico, and has been eyeing possible games in Canada, China, Japan, Germany and Brazil. The NBA is by far the best-run professional sports league in the U.S. Other potential destinations in the US include San Antonio, Texas, and Memphis, Tennessee. Even though it was in an empty arena, Belair says her big win “felt like I was in front of thousands of people.”. If there was an NFL team located in the middle of that sizable TV market (for example, suburban Harrisburg), it would be not be more than a 40-minute ride from any of those towns listed and about 30 miles, at the most, from each of the towns. The league’s expansion into Mexico has fueled questions about whether it would ever move a team there, but NFL executives say many stadiums are too antiquated. American Football International is part of the worldwide movement to build, share, and establish American Football as a global sport with a global community. Population: 1,109,171. It is blessed with a more favorable time zone than London and is in very close proximity to teams in large states like Florida and Texas. Toronto would seem to be the go-to option, but the Buffalo Bills were only able to attract around 47,000 on average during six regular season games over five years from 2008. One potential issue could be that London would be a lot of British (and Irish, and a lot of European) fans’ second-choice team—I’m not changing allegiance from the 49ers, but then I would need a plane journey and a hotel to watch the NFL in London, which I’ve done both times the Niners played at Wembley. Penn State is approximately two hours northwest of Harrisburg, the state capitol. Now, where did I leave my billions to bring to reality the London Towers/Knights/Ravens (no, Baltimore, London had them first)/Royals/Afternoon Tea Drinkers/Fish and Chips ... ? The NFL has been expanding into the Mexican market of late, with regular season games being played at the iconic Azteca Stadium for the last two years. 2018 IFAF U19 World Championships – Mexico, 2018 IFAF European Championships – Finland, IFAF – International Federation of American Football, Magyarországi Amerikai Futball Csapatok Szövetsége (MAFSZ), Associação Portuguesa do Desporto de Futebol Americano (APDFA), Federacion Española de Futbol Americano (FEFA), Belarusian Federation of American Football (BFAF), Federazione Italiana Di American Football (FIDAF), Federatia Romana de Fotbal American (FRFA), Svenska Amerikansk Fotbollsförbundet (SAFF), Flemish American Football League (FAFL) Ligue Francophone de Football Amercain de Belgique (LFFAB), Suomen Amerikkalaisen Jalkapallon Liitto ry (SAJL), Irish American Football Association (IAFA), Federation of American Football of Russia (FEFAR), Schweizerischer American Football Verband (SAFV), Federation of American Football Bulgaria (FAFGB), Fédération Française de Football Américain (FFFA), Serbian Association of American Football (SAAF), Croatian American Football Association (CAFA), American Football Verband Deutschland (AFVD), Slovak Association of American Football (SAAF), Federation American Football of Ukraine (FAFU), British American Football Association (BAFA), Polski Zwiazek Futbulu Amerykanskiego (PZFA), Kuwait GridIron Football Federation (KGFF), Japan American Football Association (JAFA), American Tackle Football Association of the Philippines (ATFAP), Korean American Football Association (KAFA), Algerian Federation of American Football (AFAF), Egyptian Federation of American Football (EFAF), Association Nationale Marocaine de Football Américain (ANMFA), Federación de Football Americano de Honduras (FENAFAH), Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Americano (FMFA), Asociacion de Football Americano de Panama (AFFP), Federacion de Futbol Americano de Costa Rica (FEFACR), Asociación Guatemalteca de Football Americano (AGFA), Salvadorian Association of American Intramural Football (SAAIF), Confederação Brasileira de Futebol Americano (CBFA), Federación Deportiva Nacional de Fútbol Americano de Chile (FEDFACH), Federación Colombiana de Fútbol Americano (FECOFA), Federación Deportiva Peruana de Fútbol Americano (FPFA), Liga Uruguayan de Fútbol Americano (LUFA). All Rights Reserved. Great article! Mexico has a few advantages over other potential expansion options. An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. 2. Don't expect the NFL to stick around Mexico very long after tonight's game between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, the first regular-season game played outside the United States. It returns to Mexico City for a game in November and there continues to be talk of a game in China. He noted that all four teams that won matches there in 2017 were able to advance to the playoffs. It's not every day that your milestones go viral because of your biggest fan. Expect Mexico City to be on the short list of places the NFL considers next time it expands. The market is certainly big enough to support a move. The cities of Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Winnipeg could all conceivably play host to key matches. Hell, the NFL doesn’t have enough QBs for all the teams it has now…. NFL executive vice president Mark Waller believes the potential logistics headache is worth it though and he stated in 2018 that the league could expand to London by 2022. Mark my words, if we get one it’s over for every NFL team in the league. Copyright © 2020 American Football International, LLC. Mexico City, Mexico The NFL wants to get international, but a team in London, eight hours ahead of the Pacific time zone, is a tall ask. (No, I don’t mean London in Ontario or any other North American state or territory, I’m talking about good ol’ Blighty). There's another Tom Brady at Michigan and he's not rooting for the quarterback in the Super Bowl. Since you included Montreal, you cannot discount a non-U.S. city. By adding Los Angeles, London, Rhine and Mexico City, the NFL gets teams in three of the 18 largest markets in the world. It is important to remember that an average attendance of more than 78,000 would make a franchise in London the second-best supported in the NFL. The biggest issue is whether there are enough fans to support a franchise. Austin is and always will be ruled by Texas Longhorns football. An NFL team has never resided outside the U.S., but this could change. Is the obvious answer not London? How about the Rios? San Antonio has long been rumored to be among the top expansion locations considering the 2.5 million people living in their metropolitan area and Texas’ extreme love for football. I loved all of your selections, but I would also think that Omaha, Neb., would be an ideal choice, as the fervent fan base of the Nebraska Cornhuskers are proof that a team in this area would definitely work! International flair? Logistical and travel concerns exist when considering London as a permanent expansion option. West coast teams, in particular, are likely to need an east coast game before heading to Europe to negate some of the adverse effects of a 10-hour flight. Monterrey, Mexico. St. Louis. With so many expansion options and its rich history of relocations and moves, the NFL will surely venture into new regions and markets in the near future. We’ve been wanting a team for years. It has taken a progressive approach to the internet and social media, developing easy-to-consume content and giving plenty of leeway for players to develop their … London, Toronto and Mexico City are the three most immediate contenders for a new NFL franchise. How about a southeast Nebraska team that encompasses Omaha, Council Bluffs, Lincoln and St. Joseph, Mo.? American Football International is your source for news and updates about American Football outside the United States! More than 84,000 fans watched the three matches at Wembley in 2018, and Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium, built with NFL in mind, has taken up the mantle with big crowds and vocal support. Here are some of the responses: Albert Breer’s research [supporting an Austin-San Antonio franchise] is only missing one thing. 41 TV market is also a hotbed for football and consists of Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, Lebanon and Carlisle. Fans are very knowledgeable. Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca welcomed the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers in November 2019 and has hosted four regular season games and six exhibition matches in total over the years. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major … A few of these already have teams plying their trade in US-centric sports leagues, such as the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs. The most recent NFL game in Canada took place in Toronto back in 2013 when the Atlanta Falcons beat the Buffalo Bills after overtime at the Rogers Centre. Certainly over Bismarck, Iowa, Anchorage and OKC. Spain: Las Rozas Black Demons sign Florida State TE Mavin Saunders, 13 returning Global players under contract ahead of CFL free agency, Goodell: Many lessons NFL learned in 2020 will carry forward, What’s scheduled on the upcoming CFL off-season calendar, Thanks, WLAF! But cracking the UK could set the NFL up for further expansion overseas. The NFL's annual foray in London came to an end on Sunday, but league executives remain convinced football will soon be able to call the British capital home for longer than just four weeks each year. But first, a small technical thing: A 34th team should follow close behind, for obvious reasons. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. With the NFL as popular as ever with fans domestically, it is no surprise that the league continues to target expansion, and there is no shortage of potential destinations, either for a franchise or matches. Tottenham’s new stadium was designed to accommodate “American” football and debuts this year with two matches—no need to spend more money as this is a ready-made home stadium. The “Central PA Barons” would be a great draw for NFL fans and located in a great TV Market for advertising. March and April are always two of my favorite months on the sports calendar. Combined it’s in the top 25 markets in the country. If you’re going to base that team in San Antonio or Austin, the place to base it is San Antonio. , Tennessee to Twitter, Tom Brady is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC and. Still a few spots across the country and certainly sizable enough to support a franchise Swiss Alps can. Milestones go viral because of your biggest fan but you barely mentioned St. Louis and Lake... 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