The Houston Texans were established as an NFL expansion franchise in 1999, and they began playing their first season in 2002.

Quick Scoop

  • The NFL officially awarded Houston an expansion team in 1999, filling the gap left after the Houston Oilers moved and became the Tennessee Titans.
  • The franchise was publicly unveiled as the “Houston Texans” name and branding at a downtown event in Houston on September 6, 2000.
  • The Texans’ inaugural regular season was in 2002, making them the youngest current franchise in the NFL.

Little timeline snapshot

  1. 1997: Local Houston ownership groups push to bring NFL football back after the Oilers leave.
  1. 1999: Houston is officially granted the NFL’s 32nd franchise, which becomes the Texans.
  1. 2000: “Houston Texans” name, logo, and colors are revealed to fans at a public rally.
  1. 2002: The Texans kick off their first NFL season and win their debut game against the Dallas Cowboys.

In forum discussions and fan chats, you’ll often see people split between saying the Texans were “founded in 1999” (legal franchise date) and “established in 2002” (on-field debut), but both point to the same modern expansion era of Houston football.

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