Most U.S. states are not home to an NFL team; only 23 states (plus D.C.) currently have at least one franchise, meaning 27 states do not host a team.

Quick Scoop

When people ask ā€œwhat state is not home to an NFL team,ā€ they usually mean which states have no NFL franchise at all. The list is long, because teams are clustered in a relatively small number of populous markets.

States with NFL teams

These states (plus D.C.) have at least one NFL team. Every other state does not have a team.

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin
  • District of Columbia (Commanders play in the metro area, though stadium location has varied)

So which states donā€™t have one?

Any state not listed above does not host an NFL franchiseā€”this includes large states like Virginia and Alabama, and many smaller or less-populated states such as Maine, the Dakotas, Vermont, and others.

In forum discussions and memes, fans from these states often ā€œadoptā€ the nearest team or one they grew up watching on national TV.

Why so many states without teams?

  • NFL franchises are concentrated in large media markets and historic football cities rather than spread evenly across states.
  • Population, corporate presence, stadium deals, and regional fan bases all matter more than drawing even lines on a map.

TL;DR: If your state is not in the ā€œstates with NFL teamsā€ list above, itā€™s not home to an NFL team.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.