Are the spurs the only team that plays home games in a different US city
The next two games is their I-35 series where they drive 70 miles to Austin and play games in the Moody Center vs Frost Bank down in SA. Does any other team do this/done this?
Austin has grown to be a massively important market right down the road. The Spurs want to do everything possible to make sure they are controlling the eyes and dollars in the region.
We’re damn near connected at this point with the several towns that were in the middle, now legit cities. There’s not much rural area down I35 between SA and Austin now
Yeah when you drive from Austin to SA there’s not any country left on I-35 it’s fucking crazy how connected they’ve become. I used to live in Bulverde around 281 and 46 intersection before you even get into SA and that area has exploded too, lots of big stores and fast food chains and tons of road construction.
honestly makes loads of sense from a business perspective, austin’s exploded in the last decade and has proper money flowing through it now. reminds me of how some premier league clubs will occasionally play friendlies or cup matches at different grounds to tap into new fanbases, though obviously not quite the same thing. the spurs are probably looking at all those tech bros who’ve moved to austin and thinking easy money, plus it’s not like they’re traveling to bloody houston or anything. smart move really, especially since san antonio itself isn’t exactly growing at the same rate as austin
Growing in what way?
I’ll be doing my part to rep the Suns! I love these games though, much easier walking the mile to the arena than it is driving to SA.
Fellow Suns fan here. I’m back in the valley but lived in the Hill Country for five years or so. Getting to see a Suns/Spurs game in Austin is an absolute dream of mine.
Last year they beat us, hoping for a different outcome tonight.
Y’all have had our number this year, probably the team I would want to see the least in the first round
Growing up in Texas, I never really tethered the connection between San Antonio and Austin but it seems they are becoming closer sorta like Dallas and Fort Worth
The area between the two has grown a bunch lately, to the point where there’s no longer a clear break between where San Antonio ends and Austin begins. Austin is also a large media market with no major sports teams outside the Longhorns (and apparently a soccer team).
It’s not quite Dallas-Ft Worth where the two cities are close to touching, bit it is kind of like a San Francisco/San Jose situation.
It’s not quite Dallas-Ft Worth where the two cities are close to touching, bit it is kind of like a San Francisco/San Nose situation.
With San Francisco/San Nose just a Jose ahead imo.
Gerrymandering Texas GOP seemed to think so when they made half of each downtown, and a small sliver of i-35 access road one congressional district.
Honestly never knew that until today. How long has this been a thing?
Ever since we opened up the new Moody Arena at UT. It’s part of their rodeo roadtrip.
Gotcha
feels like forever. i believe this is their “rodeo trip.” when an event takes precedent over their games for about a week.
Interesting. The lakers always have a Grammys roadtrip that’s fairly long. It would probably be better to go play a couple games in Anaheim or San Diego or something.
Knicks get booted for the Big East tournament too.
Kinda like how the Hanshin Tigers are kicked out of their stadium every time there’s the High School National Championships! That’s pretty cool :)
(Also, Let’s go Carp! I’m hoping for a reasonable season this year. Please no 4 win months)
Ah understandable
It’s actually three weeks.
This might be the third year I think
This is the 3rd year
80’s Celtics used to play some home games in Hartford.
Indiana Bears
Ham Bears
Spurs are just doing it more strategically for market expansion.
No at least not nowadays
The Pacers used to travel the state, thus why they’re called the “Indiana Pacers” instead of the “Indianapolis Pacers”.
But not anymore, obviously. And they just moved their G-League team from Fort Wayne to a suburb of Indy.
A few years ago the Clippers played a pre season game in San Diego (Oceanside)
A lot of teams out west do this where they’ll go to Hawaii or Vegas or Seattle or SD. I think it’d be cool for one of the LA teams to go to SD but like also why would you ever pass up on playing at Crypto or Intuit
This happens pretty often in preseason. One of Charlotte’s preseason games is usually in Greensboro NC
In the 70s/80s, the now-Sacramento Kings were the “Kansas City/Omaha Kings” and split their home games between the two cities.
I don’t think there are a ton of teams that have the kind of unique opportunity that the Spurs have with Austin. Honestly, what the Spurs are doing with Austin is a no-brainer.
Austin and San Antonio are barely an hour apart. They are two of the 15 most populated cities in the United States (SA #7, Austin #13). Austin is one of the only top-20 cities without ANY pro-sports franchise. Even San Jose has hockey. I think San Diego might be the only other market top-20 in US population without a pro sports franchise, and they had the chargers not that long ago.
What this means is that The Spurs have a COMPLETELY UNTAPPED major market literally down the road, with essentially ZERO competition for fan loyalty. The simple fact that the Spurs are making an effort to win over the Austin market is going to earn them a lot of new local-ish fans. It’s additional eyes on their broadcasts, more people to buy merch and more people to make a trip to SA once or twice a year to catch a home game.
Austin is also transplant heavy. This means lots of sports fans who can’t follow their local team and an opportunity to become their second team. Living in Phoenix, the pro teams out here literally would not survive if our residents from all over the country didn’t adopt the Suns and Cardinals as their “other” squad.
San Diego has the Padres
Thank you! My point is enhanced.
Barely an hour apart. Laughs in Austin traffic.
For years, the Celtics played home games in Hartford. Between 1975 and 1995, they played 66 home games there.
https://www.bristoledition.org/blog/2023/04/03/the-boston-celtics-used-to-call-old-hartford-civic-center-its-home-away-from-home-for-nearly-25-years/
The Clippers played some regular season games and a playoff game in Anaheim back in the 1990s. I can’t remember any others outside of preseason games like when the Mavs played in Fort Worth.
The Los Angeles Clippers of Inglewood?
Was trying to remember if the clippers vs spurs game I saw there was preseason or not. Got to see the Worm in action.
Wonder if they’ll still do it after they get the new arena
At the very least, the Rodeo Road Trip will probably be no more.
Is a new arena in the works? I went to game a couple years back and the arena looked great.
yup, it’s going to be downtown across the Alamodome at Hemisfair.
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I’d love to hear what state you think Madison Square Garden is located in
When the Kings were in Kansas City they split regular season games between KC and Omaha. And then they played several in St. Louis.
Wasn’t Wilt’s 100-point game a home game in Hershey, PA?
They’re doing it to spite you specifically
Pistons played a home game against the Mavs in Mexico City this season lol
Don’t the Jacksonville Jaguars play a game in London every year?
IIRC the Packers would play one game in Milwaukee every season back in the old days.
Austin is a significantly more dynamic market than San Antonio with a comparable metro population. The Moody Center is also way nicer than AT&T Arena where the Spurs play
I disagree, plus the spurs have started construction for a new billion dollar arena
Las Vegas Oakland Athletics of Sacramento
Santa Clara 49ers
New Jersey Giants
New Jersey Jets