Everything is bigger in Texas. The largest of the 48 contiguous states has bigger cowboy hats and beefier cattle. The pickup trucks sit higher, and the country music reaches an extra decibel. The steaks are thicker, and the beer mugs are taller. Most Texans embrace the “bigger in Texas” motto, and many of them even embellish it. But the impact of sports in the Lone Star State needs no exaggeration; just take a tour. Take I-45 south from Dallas-Fort Worth, and you’ll bypass College Station—home of Johnny Football’s Texas A&M Aggies—before entering the city of Houston. From there, follow Interstate 10 westbound to check out San Antonio. And complete the Texas Triangle by heading north on I-35—be sure to explore Austin and Waco—to find your way back to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolis. The tidy 600-mile trip crosses eight major colleges as well as ten professional franchises creating strong rivalries and tightly-knit fan bases. Sports are bigger in Texas—they always have been.
The Colorado River cuts through Austin, the state’s capital and its fourth-largest city. The University of Texas—and its Longhorn fan base—looms large over the urban sprawl. The Austin politicians and high-tech industry makes it the antithesis of what outsiders picture in a Texas town. Considered widely one of the safest, greenest cities in the nation, it attracts young families that want a better atmosphere for their children as well as themselves. Though no professional teams call Austin home, nothing in the city overshadows the Texas Longhorns. The burnt orange longhorn symbol is known far and wide; one of few truly national brands in college sports. Wins begat wins for its three major sports—football, basketball, and baseball. The football and basketball programs are known for their winning ways, but its baseball club is the most successful of the bunch. The six NCAA baseball national championships are second only to Southern California’s twelve, and it holds the record for most College World Series appearances. Austin is a city in demand for elite sports professionals. The Special Olympics Texas is hiring a host of positions, while ESPN is seeking a Senior Manager of Venue Operations for the X Games. And Golfsmith International needs a Senior Human Resource Generalist and Senior Art Director. The vibrant city of Austin thrives on sports and needs fresh talent to fill its open positions.
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolis is the heart of professional sports in Texas. Two of Dallas’ franchises—the Cowboys and Mavericks—have brash, outspoken owners in Jerry Jones and Mark Cuban, adding wattage to the spotlight that shines over the nation’s ninth biggest city. The Rangers, who call Arlington home, consistently land near the top 1o in Major League Baseball payroll. The Stars of the National Hockey League and Burn of Major League Soccer also call the metropolis home, creating an area with professional organizations of all five major sports. Economic diversity brings a variety of businesses to the area—commerce, telecommunications, technology, energy, and more. And the Dallas Zoo, the Dallas Museum of Art, George W. Bush Presidential Center, and Dallas World Aquarium provide diverse entertainment options for both residents and tourists. The sports teams represent the city well though its most famous franchise, the Cowboys, has yet to re-establish its dominance of the 1990s. But it’s not for lack of effort or spending; once proper leadership is established, the team will thrive again. The Mavericks secured its first-ever championship in 2011 and, after a couple less than stellar seasons, are poised to challenge for the crown in the near future. The Rangers, consistent competitors in the A.L. West, won 91 games in 2013 behind the bat of Adrian Beltre and the arm of Yu Darvish. And although Fort Worth itself hosts no professional teams, the college football BCS disrupter, Texas Christian Horned Frogs, lies within its boundaries. The Texas metropolis is hiring. The Cowboys need a Product Line Manager to handle a product line from concept to commercialization as well as a Pro Shop Store Manager to run a Cowboys’ store. Under Armour needs a Brand Ambassador to drive sales. And CBS Radio is hiring a Continuity Director to make sure commercial copy is prepared and conforms to broadcast standards. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is pure Texas from barbeque to country music—it’s also pure sports from the hardwood of American Airlines Center and diamond of Global Life Park in Arlington to the grasses of AT&T Stadium and Toyota Stadium.
The gulf coast city of Houston has managed to evolve with the times since incorporation in 1837. The fourth-largest city in the nation has over 2 million residents, a striking skyline, and interstates that seem to brush the cloud line. Aeronautics, biomedical research, and energy claim much of the city’s industry; the forward-focused city is on the front line of innovation. Houstonians take sports seriously. With the dynamic duo of Dwight Howard and James Harden, the Rockets are in a position to perennially challenge the Western Conference. And, within the Astros baseball club, there is a youth movement bubbling as well as pressure from new ownership to evolve with the times. General Manager Jeff Luhnow and President of Business Operations Reid Ryan are committed to building from the ground up, firming up the scouting department, and modernizing the use of data in talent evaluation. The football Texans have a fresh start with Bill O’Brien at the helm and expect to continue their stardom rise of a few years past. Houston is a beautiful city, and its sports industry demands the finest professionals. The Rockets are seeking a Graphic Designer to implement fresh branding and communication strategies for the organization. An IT Support Analyst will support the Texan’s software, hardware, and networking needs. The Astros baseball club needs a plethora of interns as well as part-time retail associates to run team merchandise stores. It’s certainly not just the professional teams hiring talented people. The supporting sports industry needs systems engineers, financial systems analysts, and account managers. Houston has found a way to walk the line between traditional Texan ways and those of a modern metropolitan town.
The deceptively large city of San Antonio sits at the southwest corner of the Texas triangle—Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. With over 1.3 million residents, it’s the seventh most populous city in the US. And although San Antonio is home to just one professional sports franchise—the Spurs—it’s a sports city through and through. The historic Alamo and brilliant River Walk well represent the two sides of the city—the deep history and the modern beauty. Its economy revolves around a heavy military presence, oil, gas, and a strong tourism sector. Major corporations like Clear Channel Communications and USAA make San Antonio their headquarters because of its pool of talented professionals. And the San Antonio Spurs—with four titles since 1999—prove time and again that fundamentals, not flash, can indeed secure victory. The team’s professionalism begins with head coach Gregg Popovich and team leader Tim Duncan and trickles down through the rest of the organization. The Spurs are looking for an Event Coordinator to manage sporting and non-sporting events at AT&T Center. The organization also seeks an Interactive/Creative Entertainment Associate to plan entertainment routines and perform as a mascot for the team’s fans. If Dallas is the sole of a Texas boot and Houston is its heal, then San Antonio is surely its spur, shiny enough to attract the eye but sharp enough to move the state forward.
