Sports championships. A measuring stick for civic pride, and, in theory, the goal for any pro sports organization (words from the owners of the LA Angels notwithstanding). One could argue that sporting competition has replaced the old wars between city-states as a way to show the superiority of one city/state over another. Granted, some of the celebrations in recent years might have you thinking that we haven’t really left the old sacking of cities, but that is a discussion for another day.
As for the city of Houston, well, they do not have quite the sports championship history that others might have. Still, they have multiple NBA, MLB and MLS titles. Yet the one most coveted is the one that Houston has never even gotten the chance to play for: The Super Bowl. Houston does have a couple of AFL titles, but that was pre-Super Bowl, and that franchise now festers in Nashville. Since the Super Bowl came into existence, all 60 iterations have come and gone without a Houston team in the game itself. Aside from the back-to-back AFC Championship appearances of the Luv Ya Blue days, Houston hasn’t even come close to getting to the big game. This season might have been arguably the best chance for Houston to get to the Super Bowl, but like their previous 8 Texans’ playoff squads, they failed to get out of the AFC Divisional Round.
While the Texans reload and other teams look to advance, it begs the question: Who is going to bring the next championship trophy to the city? The Texans are in the discussion, but not the only option. The Rockets currently sit in playoff position in the NBA, and while they’ve had some inconsistencies, they might have home court for at least one round. The Astros brought Houston its most recent title, and while they are perhaps the downslope in their dynastic run, they still have the talent to get back to the postseason, and from there, maybe, possibly, get hot along the way. There is the Houston Dynamo, the MLS squad that while on a downswing this past season, is not that far removed from a conference matchup bid a couple of seasons ago.
We will briefly look at each and see which one of these is most likely, along with a potential wild-card consideration. With that, on to the contestants:
HOUSTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 09: Head coach DeMeco Ryans, Sheldon Rankins #90 and Azeez Al-Shaair #0 of the Houston Texans celebrate their 36-29 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the game at NRG Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) Getty Images
Houston Texans: There was a sense that 2025-26 might have been the best team in franchise history. The defense played lights out. The offense, well, they weren’t great, but they did show flashes of potential. This coming season the Texans returns most of their key defensive players. The O-line needs some serious talent infusions, and the team must determine if Stroud’s playoff issues were an aberration or an omen. How long this current window of contention will depend on whether Stroud rebounds from his postseason and the team can maintain that defense. The league does not get any easier, and maybe this down season in the AFC was a lost opportunity for Houston, but they figure to have some say in the next couple of seasons.
HOUSTON – JUNE 14: Head coach Rudy Tomjanovich of the Houston Rockets celebrates winning the 1995 NBA Championship after defeating the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the 1995 NBA Finals at the Summit on June 14, 1995 in Houston, Texas. The Rockets won 113-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1995 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Houston Rockets: The first team to bring a major professional title to Houston (1994-1995), the Rockets haven’t been back to the Finals since. Their best chance to add to that was 2018, when the Rockets held the best record in the league and a 3-2 lead over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. However, a horrid Game 7 at home transpired and the team hasn’t returned to those heights since. After a downward trend to start the 2020s, Houston, buoyed by an influx of young talent, broke out last season with a 2nd seed in the Western Conference. They fell to the Warriors (again) in a Game 7 at home (again), but after that, they brought in Kevin Durant. The hype and hope surrounding the team got somewhat dampened with the loss of Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams, but Houston is still in the mix. If they just hope for VanVleet and Adams to return to health for next season, they have at least another year or two. They also possess control of multiple 1st round draft picks, and even with limited cap space, they could still wheel and deal to improve their chances over the next few seasons.
HOUSTON, TX – JULY 26: A detail shot of World Series Championship banners in the outfield during the game between the Athletics and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Michaela Schumacher/MLB Photos via Getty Images) MLB Photos via Getty Images
Houston Astros: They have had quite the run since the mid-2010s: 8 consecutive playoff appearances, 7 division titles, 7 consecutive ALCS appearances, 4 pennants and 2 World Series wins. Yet the past two seasons saw Houston fail to get out of the Wild Card round (2024) and fail to make the playoffs completely (2025). They still have talent, but they lack the depth of those championship caliber teams. The playoffs are still a distinct possibility and once there, a run is always possible. However, the farm system no longer possesses the gems of years past. Likely Pena and Brown are gone in the next couple of seasons, and Altuve, Correa and Alvarez are hardly spring chickens. While the labor uncertainly could upend the future of franchise building, Houston might be due for a post-dynastic swoon.
The Houston Dynamo’s Wade Barrett hoist the Alan I. Rothenberg trophy in the air along with teammates and family after the Dynamo defeated the New England Revolution in the 2007 MLS Cup at RFK Stadium Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007, in Washington. ( James Nielsen / Chronicle ) (Photo by James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Houston Dynamo: They did win back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006-2007, and as recently as 2022, they were in the Western Conference Finals. They won a couple of small MLS-level Cups but its nearly 20 years since the last big win. They missed the postseason in 2025 as they looked to reset after the loss of several key players. They are showing some signs of life, but they still have some ways to go before they can reclaim another MLS Cup. It will be curious to see how they evolve.
Houston Dash players gather to celebrate midfielder Sophie Schmidt’s goal during the second half of a NWSL game against the Orlando Pride Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, at BBVA Stadium in Houston. The Dash defeated the Pride 3-1. (Photo by Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Houston Dash: The NSWL representative. They did win the Community Shield in 2020, but outside of that, the Dash haven’t logged much on-field successes. The power base for the NSWL resides elsewhere. The Dash could get there, but even the mid-term prognosis is unknown. They haven’t brought in the superior talent and talent acquisition is not as easy with the limited funds of the NSWL writ large.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – JUNE 18: Mark Thompson #7 of the Houston Gamblers carries the ball against the New Orleans Breakers during the first quarter at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on June 18, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Alex Slitz/USFL/Getty Images for USFL) Getty Images for USFL
Houston Gamblers: Kicking off their season this weekend, the Gamblers of the UFL hope the 3rd season is a charm. So far, this iteration of Spring Football is a go. Houston had success with the Roughriders of the XFL, and yes, we will give them the 2020 championship, for even as the season never officially finished, the Roughriders were 5-0. However, the XFL (part III) and the USFL (part II) merged to start the 2024 season, and the Roughriders vanished, replaced by the Gamblers. The past couple of seasons haven’t exactly shown much confidence that they will get it done. Maybe they will get there, provided this league doesn’t fold.
5 Sep 1999: Cynthia Cooper #14 of the Houston Comets yells in celebration on the court after winning game three of the WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas. Getty Images
Wild Card: The Houston Comets. Wait, the Comets don’t technically exist, and they certainly haven’t since 2008, right? This is true. The Comets, who started out with 4 consecutive WNBA titles in the 1st four seasons of the league, are going on 18 years of non-existence. However, this past Friday saw a group led by current Rockets owner and US Ambassador to Italy Tim Fertitta finalize a $300M purchase of the Connecticut Sun, with the intent to move the franchise to Houston in 2027 under the Comets’ banner. Granted, this team will not be the same that could sport Cynthia Cooper, Sherryl Swoops, Tina Thompson, the late Kim Perrot and the rest of that certifiable nightmare of a lineup, but if they do come back, that could make things interesting.
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 10: General view of the NHL logo on an officials jersey during the NHL game between Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins on March 10, 2026, at TD Garden in Boston, MA. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Even crazier Wild Card: The as-of-yet-unnamed NHL Team: Nothing is confirmed at any point about the NHL coming to Houston. There’s been plenty of attempts to get the NHL to Houston, primarily Bob McNair’s original vision before he settled on the Texans. Geography is no longer a barrier for pro hockey success (see Florida and Las Vegas). The NHL still talks of expansion and Houston can expect to remain a strong candidate. Likely nothing happens before 2030, but we will have to see. Ideally, Houston would not have to wait that long for a title.
To ask this question a couple of years ago, or even last offseason, the Astros would be the odds-on favorite. However, as the Astros move into a post-dynastic era, teams like the Texans or Rockets move to the forefront. Getting beyond the next 3-5 years, that gets a bit more difficult. The Rockets might be able to pivot from this iteration of a team and use their draft capital to build the next contender, but that depends on whether they stay the course or try to make a short-term splash move. Can the Texans or Astros hit on the right moves to get them back to a championship forefront? Perhaps the youth movement of the Dynamo offers the better prognosis? Or, will it be the wild cards?
What do you, the sports reading audience think? Who is bringing the next title to Houston? Let us know your respectful responses below: