'A Houston Texans parking space:' Rio Rancho's NFL melting pot

RIO RANCHO — There is a Houston Texans logo in the Rio Rancho High School parking lot.

No, the Rams haven’t changed their look. No, a visiting high school team from out of town isn’t here with the same logo.

It’s just football season.

And while Fridays are for the Rams and Storm and Saturdays for the Lobos and Aggies, Rio Rancho prepares to once again answer New Mexico’s annual Sunday question: “Who is your NFL team?”

One student at RRHS used their senior painted parking space to show their fandom and to make a bold claim, stating that the Houston Texans will be the 2026 champions.

This Texans supporter remains anonymous because, well, there was no car in the parking spot.

But this allotment of 8-foot by 16-foot pavement does not represent all of the City of Vision’s rooting interests in what is just a small representation of New Mexico’s overall National Football League melting pot.

A prime example of NM’s pro football pandemonium is the recorded NFL jersey sales by state, with the top-selling jersey in New Mexico being from a different team just about every year. Top players from the 2010s, like Denver’s Von Miller or Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald, made the list, while current stars like Dallas’ Dak Prescott or San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey top recent entries.

If you had to gather somewhat of a trend, teams in the Southwest make up most of the representation in the Land of Enchantment. One “local” team will be in action tonight, with the neighboring-state Dallas Cowboys facing the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.

“We have a lot of Cowboys fans, who are naturally guests of ours, who are excited,” President and CEO of Apache Nugget Corporation, Tony J. Amormino, said when speaking on the opening of the casino’s sportsbook in Cuba. “And I know I’ve already seen quite a few bets placed on that game the moment we went live last week.”

Outside of Sandoval County’s support of the navy and silver, teams with significant representation include the Denver Broncos, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Las Vegas Raiders, among others.

Businesses and restaurants in Rio Rancho encourage fans to come watch the games at their spots, some even being fans themselves.

Slate Street Billiards reportedly once housed Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings fans at one point, and if you keep driving down Southern Boulevard, you may run into some Kansas City Chiefs fans serving you at Turtle Mountain Brewing.

But some Rio Rancho establishments, however, are still looking for a fandom to call home.

“In Rio Rancho, we get a mix of fans,” Brew Lab, another local brewery, stated. “We haven’t found that it gets super packed, but we would love to get a fan group.”

Brew Lab hosts a Detroit Lions fan group at its Albuquerque location, but it has recently posted on its Instagram about looking to host a group over on Southern Boulevard.

While the 21-plus crowd only gets NFL action through their television screens, Rio Rancho’s youth athletes may be getting the closest thing to an NFL experience.

“Our league is New Mexico’s largest, with 70 teams,” NFL Flag NM, New Mexico’s premier youth flag football league, stated. “A large chunk of our players are from Rio Rancho.”

With flag football rapidly growing nationwide and here in New Mexico, NFL Flag NM uses NFL licensing for its team logos and colors.

No NFL teams will be headed to the state anytime soon, but kids can still live the dream of lacing up the cleats on Sundays.

“Coaches actually request the NFL team names, and we issue them based on availability,” the league said. “The kids and parents love wearing the NFL gear.”

So whether or not you root for your hometown team, the fan favorite at your go-to bar, or just what team your kid currently plays for, the choice is yours.

The NFL season opens up Thursday night, with the Dallas Cowboys facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Kickoff set for 6:20 p.m. MST.

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