As museums experiment with ways of attracting new visitors beyond a niche audience of art lovers, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has assembled an ambitious exhibition anchored in a subject with wide appeal: sports.

Occupying over 13,000 square feet and the museum’s entire seventh floor, “Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture” opens this week and runs through February. The exhibition, whose curators say is the largest SFMOMA has undertaken, features more than 150 objects, including paintings, sculptures and photographs — many of them by former athletes — as well as examples of design innovations in sporting equipment and apparel. The idea is to explore the central, and often provocative, place that sports occupy in American culture.

“We are really thinking more about broad audiences and how do we make art meaningful to more people, and to make it matter in the world in the way that sports matters to people,” said Katy Siegel, the museum’s research director and one of the exhibition’s curators. (Another curator, Seph Rodney, is a New York Times contributor.) “I think we’re interested in, how do we hook into some of that cultural energy for art and make it meaningful and accessible?”

SFMOMA is also presenting six smaller shows inspired by sports on other floors, including one devoted to the culture of skateboarding and another about major international competitions like the Olympics.

The message arrived on LinkedIn: come to Australia to play for Kingborough Lions United.

Tilly Wills, now 24, had been playing football in the United States on a scholarship but a torn anterior cruciate ligament had limited her game time. She had mused about joining clubs in England but nothing felt right: it was tough, mentally, to countenance making a comeback with players who had known her before her injury.

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“I was looking for that breakthrough because I’d been out nearly three years with back-to-back surgeries,” she tells The Athletic. “The coach from Australia sent everything across. I didn’t really think it was legit but I went over because I was at that point. It ended up being really good, an outlet to make your comeback around people who don’t have any prejudgement of you. That one was a bit rogue.”

Often, this is how scouting works in the lower reaches of women’s football. Even in the Women’s Super League and other elite professional leagues, the picture is more complex than in the men’s game: with smaller budgets, clubs employ fewer scouts and managers do the brunt of the work, aided by StatsBomb, Wyscout and other tools that cover the top women’s leagues from several countries. The increase in data and video allows clubs to comb through a broader pool of players, but not necessarily a deep one. Coverage of other teams and leagues remains limited. Outside of the top leagues, data is scarce.

Managers and players, therefore, have to think outside the box or do things the old-school way. The financial realities of the women’s game can make recruitment harder still. Below the Championship, the second tier of women’s football in England, most players — Wills included — work full-time in other industries and take minimal earnings, if any, from football. Some may be able to claim expenses. How, then, do managers persuade them to move across the country? More significantly, how do they find those players in the first place?

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kingborough Lions United FC (@klufclub)

“There’s no way you can see games on a scouting platform at that level,” says Jonathan Pepper, formerly manager of Lincoln City Women of the fourth tier of women’s football and now boys’ academy manager at Sheffield Wednesday.

“Some clubs might have a volunteer or group of people going around, watching games and getting as much intelligence as possible, but it’s not sophisticated like it is in the men’s game at that level. You’re very much reliant on networks and personal knowledge. A lot of female players follow coaches or players that they played with before. Then it’s very rare that one player goes; it’s almost two or three players.”

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In two months, Pepper contacted 75 players to see if they would be interested in playing for Lincoln, a club able to pay some players’ travel expenses but with no staff dedicated full-time to the women’s game. Strong links to the club, though, gave them access to academy facilities and decent medical cover, video analysis and sports science support that proved crucial to winning over new signings.

He tried LinkedIn, coaches and managers, general managers, volunteers, experienced players who would have their own networks of players. Few players have agents at tiers three and four, but he had success reaching out to agents whose higher-level players were looking for game time and experience, getting one former youth international released from Manchester City and another on loan from another academy.

“You’re just trying to follow up on leads and many of them don’t come to anything,” he says. “Are you actually unearthing talent or is it just a merry-go-round of players going around the levels of tier three, four, five, bouncing around the different clubs at those clubs that don’t really have a youth system or academy system?”

Jonathan Pepper was formerly manager of Lincoln City Women and is now boys’ academy manager at Sheffield Wednesday (Jonathan Pepper)

Pepper wonders if the Women’s National League (levels three and four in English football) “could insist that every game is filmed and shared on a platform” to allow for greater analysis but understands the cost limitations. “In the men’s game, the pyramid is really important in talent identification,” he says. “The more access you have to the pyramid, the better that talent identification will be. At the moment, it relies very much on goodwill, word of mouth, people who have relationships with coaches or players. There’s no: ‘I’ve seen a player at tier four and their data looks like this — here are their possession stats, duel stats…’.

“There are some really good players at tier four who could play at tier two, and that would really help some of the clubs at that level. They might be playing with friends socially and don’t know how to get to the next level. They may not have the network themselves to progress.

“It’s a real niche market that needs developing. It’s whether clubs are willing to invest in that, whether that’s technology or people on the ground watching games.”

Jamie Smith was on sick leave from his day job as an electrical engineer when he began studying for his scouting badges, moving later to work in scouting for Macclesfield FC and Queens Park Rangers. Increasingly, he began to wonder what happened to released players and staff and how they could keep themselves visible enough to find a route back into the game. He went on to create InScout Network, an independent scouting and networking software with a player and staff database across the men’s and women’s games.

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“Once you get out of the WSL, the drop-off (in data) is incredible,” he says of women’s football in England. “I find it really frustrating, as a female football fan, that I can tell you key data on a tier 10 men’s football team striker but you try and find something on a striker who’s in the third or fourth tier of women’s football and it’s nigh-on impossible. It’s difficult to find out how many games they’ve played, never mind how many goals they’ve scored or how tall they are.”

Unlike equivalent software, which can price out players, InScout Network is free. Players can create a profile detailing their key information: their primary and secondary positions, strong foot, height, weight, career history, contract status, location, levels they are willing to play, distance willing to travel, whether they have or are looking for an agent. They can also add video highlights. Managers and agents can toggle through more than 20 attributes and open talks within the platform’s meeting room. InScout Network has vetted each agent that has access to its platform. A FIFA-registered agent, Smith is also on hand to give advice.

“We’ve got good connections in women’s football,” says Smith. “We’ve helped quite a few players to different clubs and trials, a few from abroad. The first thing people said is if you’ve got no footage, it’s very difficult to move. When we first set this off, we found a lot of girls didn’t have it. Now, the level of their profile is superb. It’s working.

“We like to think it looks like a profile, a portfolio online that you can share. It’s almost a bit like looking on Wikipedia or Transfermarkt for players who haven’t got the finances to have that or someone to update their Wikipedia.”

Smith has been working to get more women on his platform and recently picked the brains of businesswoman Deborah Meaden, of the BBC reality TV show Dragons’ Den, on how InScout Network could better support players returning from pregnancy or intervene when players are struggling with their mental health.

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“The idea of this tool is to primarily give somebody who’s a free agent or being released that safety net for us to catch them and say: ‘We know things haven’t worked out so far. Put it down on this profile’. We find when they build this, it actually gives them a little bit of a boost. We turn a negative into a positive. The secondary function is to try to find them a club.

“A lot of people think we get that the wrong way around — that it should be about finding a club first — but we think it should be about showing them the positives after their career so far, then using this profile to find them a club. It’s no good trying to find a club for somebody whose life is in freefall.”

A profile of a section of Andrea Salas’ InScout Network page (InScout Network)

Mexican goalkeeper Andrea Salas, 23, is one female player active on the platform. “It’s been really helpful for me to share my statistics, strengths, getting my profile in front of agents, coaches and club directors,” she says.

As a young player, she competed nationally and internationally and won a scholarship in Mexico to study and play football, training in academies worldwide when studying abroad in South Korea, Singapore and Dubai.

“My ultimate goal was always: finish my studies and find a club, even in Europe, Asia or the Middle East,” she says. Salas has arrived in England to get qualifications in her day job, but was also attracted by the depth of the football pyramid and the opportunities therein. “Every city has their club, directors and people involved,” she says. “I was making my network with their coaches in the UK, travelling by myself. I was going to the clubs, talking with the managers and head coach, arranging to have different trials, different meetings.”

Currently a free agent, she has been representing herself in those discussions. People outside the game do not realise how much work is involved, she says: she covers her own expenses, arranges her own accommodation and travel, reads the contracts herself, documents everything in the hope of a residents’ permit.

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“If you’re active for more than five years at a professional level, you can be managed by an agent more easily than at amateur, semi-professional or college level,” she says. “If a club is interested, they can discuss the salary, but you need to be informed before making an agreement because you don’t have an agent who helps you read the small (print). Having an agent is more secure, more organised: you only have to focus on your physical performance and not administrative tasks.”

Smith encourages the players who sign up to the platform to be open to talks with agents given they are in constant contact with clubs searching for players. Agents, too, are hungry to sign female players given the financial potential of the women’s game.

“I don’t have any doubt that in five to 10 years, probably less than that, that the gap between the top earners in the men’s game to the top earners in the women’s game is going to close significantly,” he says. “You can see season on season that the money’s going up. I do get a lot of inquiries from agents saying: ‘How can we speak to this player? How can we speak to that player?’.”

For better or worse, the WSL has welcomed its first $1million transfer, but the women’s game remains embryonic elsewhere. The speed at which it catches up will speak volumes about the end goal for the rest of the pyramid — and will have huge ramifications for the players inside it. Eagerly, the world watches.

(Photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)

Open Extended Reactions

Sometimes, the best ideas come from inside the ESPN offices. Last week in Bristol, Connecticut, I was talking to an editor about the long-departed Hartford Whalers and how they originally found their place in the NHL. “If you were starting the NHL today, you probably wouldn’t put a team in Hartford,” the editor said offhand.

That got me thinking about an idea I’ve kicked around for a long time. In England, a country roughly the size of Ohio, there are 92 professional clubs across the first five divisions of their soccer pyramid. (A couple of those teams are Welsh, to be fair.) This past season alone, seven of 20 teams in the top-flight Premier League were in London. Two play in Liverpool, with massive stadiums a 20-minute walk away from each other. By the bottom of the professional pyramid, stadium capacities drop down to a couple of thousand, but you get the idea: There are a lot of teams in a very small area.

In America, things have evolved differently. While minor league baseball has spread out across the country, those teams aren’t independent. There’s no promotion and relegation. Teams leave their local fans and move to another city or even another coast without repercussions. Franchises have been granted the rights to their cities and push back if anyone moves into their territory. Leagues expanded and contracted during much of the 20th century, but as they have become multibillion-dollar industries, the four major American men’s sports have turned into closed shops, with the NFL as the most prominent example. The league hasn’t admitted a new member since the Houston Texans in 2002, leaving dozens of football-loving cities out of professional football.

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We can’t fix all of that, but we can imagine something better. Let’s say a lawsuit opened up the league for business and prevented the NFL from limiting itself to 32 teams. If England can support 92 professional soccer teams, America can do better. In a universe in which the league didn’t retain the right to keep new members out, how many professional teams could the U.S. support? Could it be 100? And if so, where would those teams go?

I’m going to explore that universe and find homes for 100 professional football teams across America. I’m not going to focus on promotion and relegation, how the schedule would work or how the play on the field might evolve, but I’ll instead focus strictly on where these teams would play. Let’s lay out some ground rules and the logic I used in trying to make this work:

No NFL teams are disappearing as part of this exercise. The 32 existing franchises are sticking around. As part of the new 100-team league, though, several will need to make decisions about where they play versus where they represent. Teams that have stadiums outside the area they purport to represent will either need to move to where they’re supposed to be or change their name and let someone else move in to take their place.

No team holds any territorial rights. If someone wants to finance a professional team in Fort Worth, Texas, and compete for the hearts of Dallas-area fans, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones can’t do anything about it.

New cities and franchises were selected on a variety of factors. New teams are going to want as many fans as possible, so my first priority was finding places that had large population centers. I also considered whether each city had access to an existing football stadium and/or had a history of supporting football.

Fans aren’t going to change their allegiances overnight. At the same time, while there might be some fans in Fort Worth who would become fans of a new franchise, most people who have spent their life rooting for the Cowboys aren’t suddenly about to change their mind. I tried to be realistic about how adding a team to each area might impact fandom, and how saturated a market is with fans for each team. I was more aggressive putting new franchises next to each other as opposed to putting a new franchise next to an already-successful team.

As an example, Milwaukee obviously has more than enough of a population to support its own NFL team, given that the city has more than 560,000 people who already root for the NBA’s Bucks. Would it make sense to put a team there as part of this top-100 group? With the Packers having already put down roots just over 100 miles away and establishing themselves as Milwaukee’s team, it would be incredibly difficult for a Milwaukee-based franchise to establish itself. In New York, on the other hand, there are simply so many people that the Giants and Jets might not be enough.

There’s some crossover happening between college and pro football. In real life, the lines between college and pro football have been blurred by the impact of NIL money. Perhaps the lines are blurred further in this 100-team league. I’m not suggesting Alabama, Notre Dame and Penn State are going to field NFL teams, but putting pro teams in their respective locales might make some sense, especially because they have existing stadiums.

I’ve included a number of college cities as potential landing spots for teams here, although I’ve left others out if there’s a notable NFL team nearby. Do they exist as a hybrid team with professional status and the history of the college football team? Are they a smaller franchise that relies upon the existing fan base of the school and probably focuses on signing alumni of that college in free agency? I’ll let you decide.

In the end, I found 68 new teams to join the existing 32 to make 100 professional football franchises. Regions can overlap and have murky definitions, so don’t get too attached to where each team lands, but I’ve separated the country into a handful of sections and will address our new additions spot by spot. Let’s begin in the football hotbed of America: Texas is way too big for just two teams, but how many more could we add?

Jump to a region:

California | Florida | Mid-Atlantic

Mid-South | Midwest | New York/New Jersey

Noncontiguous states | Northeast | Pac. Northwest

Southeast | Southwest | Texas | West

See the 100-team map

Texas (9 total teams)

NFL teams that already exist: Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans

We’ll throw Jerry Jones’ family a bone here. While they’re going to be prevented from suing to try to keep most of Texas for themselves, we won’t put another team in Fort Worth or Arlington to try to compete with the Cowboys. Likewise, the Texans will retain Houston, America’s fourth-most populous city, entirely for itself. Instead, we’re placing six new teams around different parts of the state, many of which are several hours away from any of the others.

San Antonio: Already the most populous city in the country without an NFL team, San Antonio is 200 miles from Houston and 285 miles from Dallas, leaving a large area of potential fans to try to add. The city already rabidly supports its Spurs, and it already used the Alamodome to house teams in various spring football leagues, most recently the Brahmas of the UFL. Among cities that haven’t housed NFL teams in the past, San Antonio is easily the best expansion candidate.

Austin: The capital city has rapidly grown in recent years with an influx of tech workers from out of state, leaving the potential for a new team to win the hearts and minds of Austinites. The city recently landed its first professional men’s team, Austin FC in Major League Soccer, and already has a 100,000-plus seat stadium in place for the University of Texas.

Waco: Between Austin and Dallas on I-35, Waco might be just far enough from either city to justify another team in this football-obsessed state. There’s already a significant stadium on site for Baylor in McLane Stadium. I struggled to pick between Waco and College Station as a potential option here; Waco being a larger metro area helped it make the 100. College Station will be on our list for expansion when we make this the 150.

Former ownership of the Vikings once threatened to move the team from Minnesota, with San Antonio one of the options. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Corpus Christi: In trying to spread teams around the state, identifying Corpus Christi as a potential franchise for south Texas makes sense. San Antonio also qualifies as southern Texas, but Corpus Christi is more than two hours south of its neighbor and has a population of more than 300,000 people in its own right. It already supports a minor league team for the Astros.

Lubbock: Moving further west in this sprawling state, there’s a window for a team once we get several hundred miles outside of Dallas. Amarillo might have been a viable choice, but Lubbock is farther away from some of the other cities we’re adding to the 100; it has a population of more than 200,000, and there’s already an existing stadium for Texas Tech.

Odessa: It seems only fitting to give Lubbock a local rival in Odessa, about 140 miles to the south down US-87. Odessa might be more famously remembered as the town depicted in “Friday Night Lights,” and its stadium houses both the Odessa and Permian high school teams. While Odessa would be one of the smallest markets in our top 100 by population, I’m counting on the area’s passion for football shining through.

El Paso: Our final addition from Texas, the border city would be closer to some new rivals in other Southwest states than to its other rivals in the Lone Star state. As the league courts fans in Mexico by playing games in Mexico City and having teams visit Monterrey, a worldwide expansion would likely include at least one team in Mexico, if not more. With our goal to place 100 teams in the United States, though, El Paso is as close as this project comes to landing a team in Mexico itself.

Southwest (5)

NFL teams that already exist: Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders

Phoenix was the only city with an NFL team in this rapidly growing part of the country before the Raiders moved to Vegas in 2020. I’d argue Vegas might be able to support a second team given how new the Raiders are to town, but there’s no shortage of potential candidates in the Southwest for professional football teams. You could add Oklahoma in here if you consider it part of the Southwest, and its teams would have natural rivalries with Texas, but I’m sticking them in the Mid-South area instead.

Reno, Nevada: More than 400 miles northwest of Vegas, Reno might have more of a rivalry with the Northern California teams in our 100 than its in-state competitors. The University of Nevada already has a stadium, and Reno has supported a Triple-A baseball team, so there’s sporting infrastructure in town. The lure of Vegas has helped its various teams add free agents, but what about Tahoe?

Albuquerque, New Mexico: A natural rival for the teams in West Texas, Albuquerque is one of the larger metros in the Western United States without a professional sports team, although the Triple-A Isotopes led the Pacific Coast League in average attendance last year. Playing more than 5,000 feet above sea level would give Albuquerque a built-in competitive advantage, something that has helped the Broncos during their time in the NFL.

Tucson, Arizona: A local derby with Phoenix? Tucson is closer than most of our other new additions around already-existing NFL teams, as you can make the 113-mile trip between the two cities in less than two hours if traffic’s right. With more than 500,000 people, though, it has a large enough base to support its own team. The indoor team is called the Sugar Skulls, which is a name that probably wouldn’t fly with the NFL and absolutely would stick around in our league.

Mid-South (7)

NFL teams that already exist: New Orleans Saints

On one hand, this is a tough area to address. It’s tough to imagine anybody in Louisiana not rooting for the Saints, and if you go much farther west, you end up in Texans country. Get out of the Bayou and go farther north, though, and there are a handful of cities that could produce rivals for the Saints, including a race for the rights to I-55:

Memphis, Tennessee: A popular pick for spring leagues over the past 25 years, Memphis is far enough away from Nashville and has an entirely different identity as a city. The Titans will certainly have picked up some fans in Tennessee after moving from Houston in 1997, but if you’ve seen the way Memphis supports the Grizzlies, you can imagine what that would look like in football form. An entire stadium of fans chanting “Whoop that trick?” A stadium in the shadows of the Bass Pro Shops pyramid? I’m excited. There’s another new Tennessee team on the way as well, although it’s in a different section.

Jackson, Mississippi: Between Memphis and New Orleans, there’s a window for Mississippi to get its first major professional sports team. There’s enough of a football interest statewide to support multiple SEC teams and Jackson State on Saturdays, so would a professional football team unite Ole Miss and Mississippi State fans for three hours on Sundays? Probably not, but there’s enough of a population base for a fun three-way rivalry with Memphis and New Orleans.

Shreveport, Louisiana: While I did say I can’t imagine anyone in Louisiana not rooting for the Saints, the exception among major cities there would be in the northwest, where Shreveport is closer to Dallas and more commonly associated with the Cowboys. In some places, a rivalry between two popular NFL teams might allow a new team to capitalize off of already-existing passions. This could be Texarkana’s team.

Little Rock, Arkansas: Arkansas is another state getting its first major professional team, as the capital would form a box of potential local opponents alongside Memphis, Jackson and Shreveport. You could argue Fayetteville is the focal point of football in the state and should get the state’s new team instead, but we’re also going to add another team about 100 miles to the west that could steal away some of its support (Tulsa).

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: OKC might be on the shortlist for potential NFL expansion sites in the real world given the city’s population, affinity for football and support for the Thunder once they arrived in town in 2008. It’s an easy pick, regardless of which division it ends up participating in.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Yes, our league can support two new Oklahoma teams just over 100 miles apart. There’s a 30,000-seat stadium in town for the Golden Hurricane, and the natural rivalry with Oklahoma City would produce an instantly exciting matchup for Oklahomans. Tulsa could also pick up some fans in Northwest Arkansas and Southern Missouri, although it might be tough to convince the latter to give up rooting for the Chiefs until Patrick Mahomes retires.

Midwest (17)

NFL teams that already exist: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings

The Midwest is the cradle of the NFL and has been a hotbed for professional football ever since. While it draws from Milwaukee and other areas, the success of the Packers into the 21st century proves a city with a modest population can support a successful football team at the highest level. The deep roots these teams have instilled in their communities will make it difficult for new franchises to compete, but there are a few landing spots that might add fun new rivalries to already-historic battles.

Rockford, Illinois: Given the sheer number of people in the area, there’s room for a third football team in Illinois and Wisconsin outside of Chicago and Green Bay. I mentioned the issues with Milwaukee, and Madison is still going to be Packers country. Rockford might be suburban enough to attract some separate fanbase, plus whichever Bears fans have been worn down by nearly 40 years of heartbreak and bad quarterback play.

Fort Wayne, Indiana: Going east of Chicago and north of Indianapolis, Fort Wayne is far enough removed from either city to have a case for forming its own football identity. The city supported a professional football team in the past, although the Fort Wayne Friars faded out of existence after the 1920 season. There are five different current NFL cities that could potentially consider Fort Wayne part of their catchment area, which would make it a fun landing spot for its own team.

Columbus, Ohio: Add a sixth team surrounding Fort Wayne to that list in Columbus, which has been in love with college football for generations. A Columbus team would find it tough to compete with the already-existing affinity for the Buckeyes, but we’ve seen the Crew thrive in MLS after efforts to move the franchise were thwarted. Steelers and Browns fans might stick with their prior affinities, but there should be enough of a Columbus-specific fanbase to build matchups with those juggernauts if they end up competing together.

Louisville, Kentucky: Kentucky is another state seeing its professional football team count jumping from zero to two. Northern Kentucky is Bengals country, but Louisville is 100 miles southwest of Cincinnati and has its own built-in interest in football (and a stadium) with the Cardinals. Indoor teams haven’t fared well in Louisville, but maybe an outdoor team would resonate more consistently.

The St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL had 40,317 fans in attendance for their first game of the 2024 season. Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire

Lexington, Kentucky: Louisville would also have a built-in rivalry with another college town in Kentucky that is about to land a professional team. With two teams about 80 miles away, there’s a chance the two potential fanbases could cannibalize one another and be too small to support either team. With nearly a million people between the two cities, though, Kentucky has enough people to support two professional football teams, even if some fans decide to stick with Joe Burrow & Co.

Wichita, Kansas: With Kansas in the news as it attempts to convince the Chiefs to leave Kansas City, a more realistic solution might be to leave the Chiefs in Missouri and get Kansas its own team. Putting a team just over the border as a local rival to the Chiefs might be fun, but going 200 miles southwest to Wichita would provide a larger population base in a relatively isolated area. The Chiefs might still be Wichita’s closest rivals, with our new team in Tulsa also coming into play.

Des Moines, Iowa: If Iowa can support multiple high-level college football teams, it should be able to support one professional football team. This could also be a spot for Cedar Rapids, but having this team in Des Moines creates a I-35 rivalry with two existing teams: the Chiefs and Vikings. If it wants to go with history, the Des Moines franchise could pull out the Warriors nickname, owed to a team that played in the little-remembered Professional Football League of America for three years in the 1960s.

Omaha, Nebraska: While Lincoln is the historic center of football in Nebraska because of the Cornhuskers, Omaha is a larger population and feels more likely to support a professional team. Omaha is more commonly associated with baseball by virtue of its Triple-A team and the College World Series, but it hosted a UFL team in the prior version of the league from 2009 to 2012.

St. Louis, Missouri: Duh. St. Louis never should have lost its team to begin with. At the very least, with the Rams leaving to return to Los Angeles in 2016, St. Louis should have been put in position to land an expansion team. With the UFL’s Battlehawks getting more than 40,000 people to attend their home opener in April, it’s clear St. Louis has both the appetite and fanbase for pro football. This would be a long overdue righting of a wrong.

West (8)

NFL teams that already exist: Denver Broncos

With sparsely populated states such as Montana and the Dakotas gaining population after the pandemic, there are a few natural landing spots for potential cities. Do they have the sheer number of people to sell 80,000 tickets to most home games? Probably not. In a country with 100 professional football teams, could they passionately support teams in smaller stadiums? Absolutely.

Salt Lake City, Utah: One obvious choice, given that SLC already has the Jazz and just added the former Arizona Coyotes to its roster. With more than a million people in its metro area, Salt Lake City would be the one city we’re adding in the West that wouldn’t have much trouble at all filling an NFL-sized stadium with fans.

Boise, Idaho: Would this team play on the blue turf? The capital city has come out in droves to support Boise State, and it would be able to draw on both its own population, the rest of Idaho and potentially Eastern Oregon. Its closest rivals might be in Salt Lake City, more than 300 miles away. There are going to be lots of flights between teams in the West.

Laramie, Wyoming: Nearly 700 miles to the east, Wyoming’s lone team in the 100 will be in Laramie for two reasons. One is the presence of a stadium, thanks to the University of Wyoming. I don’t believe there are any other major football stadiums across Wyoming, which doesn’t have the population to support many large facilities. The other benefit is that Laramie is 130 miles away from Denver, which sets up a natural rivalry with the Broncos. By the standards of teams in this part of the country, a two-hour drive might as well be walking distance.

An NFL team in Idaho could play on Boise State’s famous blue field. Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire

Bozeman, Montana: Another new state for professional football! While Billings is the biggest city in Montana by a considerable margin, Bozeman is rapidly growing and already has a 20,000-seat football stadium for Montana State. With the popularity of the “Yellowstone” TV show growing the city, Bozeman might only be a couple more spin-offs away from requiring a larger park for its new team.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota: South Dakota gets its team. One option would be to put it in Vermillion with the University of South Dakota, but we’re going 65 miles to the north for a larger population and an airport. Our new team will need to win the hearts and minds of South Dakotans who have otherwise adopted the Vikings, but Minneapolis is more than 230 miles away. We can make this work, especially given that there’s going to be some competition in North Dakota.

Bismarck, North Dakota: Bismarck is one of North Dakota’s two teams in the 100. Who suspected that? Bismarck doesn’t have a significant outdoor football presence, but it has had various indoor teams throughout the years, and the University of Mary is planning to build a new football stadium in town.

Fargo, North Dakota: If North Dakota State can send two quarterbacks into the top three picks of the NFL draft, why not cut out the middleman and just get a pro team in Fargo? The Fargodome holds 19,000, which would be a perfect size for a city of just over 130,000 people. About three hours between both Bismarck and Minneapolis, Fargo would probably have a tougher time shedding its purple and yellow jerseys. Bringing Carson Wentz and Trey Lance back to throw passes for the new team might help.

Pacific Northwest (3)

NFL team that already exists: Seattle Seahawks

While the Seahawks enjoy enormous popularity in the Seattle area, there’s enough of a population here to support multiple teams. Across the border, the BC Lions just announced an attendance of nearly 54,000 fans for their CFL home opener earlier this month. Leaving Vancouver aside, I can see room for two more teams to rival the Seahawks:

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Portland, Oregon: While there are certainly people in Portland who root for the Seahawks by default, that would change quickly if Oregon’s largest city landed a football team. Think about the rivalry between the Trail Blazers and Sonics in the NBA or, in more recent years, between the Sounders and Timbers in MLS. This would instantly become one of the most entertaining local fistfights in the league.

Spokane, Washington: Again, by default, the people of Spokane have little choice but to be Seahawks fans if they want to support a “local” NFL team. With the city nearly 300 miles east of Seattle, they could just as easily have their own team and draw fans from the nearby area. This team could also be in Pullman, where Washington State has a huge stadium, about 75 miles south of Spokane. If the state can support a legendary rivalry between two college football teams, why not a pro rivalry, too?

California (11)

NFL teams that already exist: Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers

With Los Angeles already supporting two teams and the Bay Area hosting two of their own before the Raiders moved to Las Vegas, it’s clear the state’s biggest population centers have little trouble mustering up fans for multiple pro teams. If anything, while there are two imported teams playing in Inglewood, I wonder if a truly homegrown team might be able to surpass them both. We’re adding a handful of teams to both Northern and Southern California, including one that shouldn’t have lost a franchise to begin with:

San Diego: Give it the Chargers identity back and let the team that moved to Los Angeles find its own. San Diego State University’s Snapdragon Stadium now sits on the land that was once the Chargers’ home, and while it’s about half of the prior venue’s size, having a smaller, more intimate stadium isn’t the worst thing in the world. Ask the current Chargers about playing in front of a huge stadium filled with the other team’s fans on a weekly basis.

Anaheim: While Orange County might only be about 40 miles south of Inglewood and the two current Los Angeles teams, anyone who has driven in Southern California knows the pain of trying to get to and from Los Angeles if you’re outside the area. With a team in Anaheim attracting fans from Irvine and Santa Ana, football obsessives wouldn’t need to make the trek into Los Angeles. The Rams played at Angel Stadium for 15 years before their move to St. Louis; the nearly 60-year-old stadium could be the home of another team if given the opportunity.

San Bernardino: Yes, the Inland Empire is getting its own team. There’s a Single-A stadium for the Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino, which gives it the tiniest of nods over the more densely populated Riverside for the home of our team. In the same metro area, the San Bernardino franchise could call on a base of nearly 600,000 fans between itself and Riverside alone. That population base hasn’t landed much more than minor league baseball in years past, but here’s an opportunity to sink its teeth into football.

Bakersfield: Likewise, Bakersfield is expanding beyond minor league baseball to land its first major professional sports team in our 100. Bakersfield College has a stadium that holds just under 20,000 people on its campus, which is probably the appropriate size for a city that hasn’t necessarily shown itself to be a football-loving town. As with other cities in California, though, it’s tough to see the population — more than 400,000 — and not dream that a local team would draw crowds.

San Diego lost its NFL team when the Chargers relocated to Los Angeles in 2017. AP Photo/Denis Poroy

Fresno: Going further north, Fresno would give Central California a long overdue team at the highest level. There’s college football and minor league baseball here, but outside of a couple forays in the Arena League, there hasn’t been a significant professional outdoor team. Fresno State’s stadium has expanded over the years to seat more than 40,000 people; if a Fresno team plays well, the city should be able to serve as serious competition for other teams in the state.

San Jose/San Francisco: This is a complicated one. The 49ers are obviously the toast of San Francisco and have been for decades, but they play their games in Santa Clara, 40 miles south of where Candlestick Park once stood. While that’s not an impossible trek for dedicated 49ers fans, it’s essentially occupying two valuable metros in one fell swoop, as Santa Clara is next to San Jose.

In this universe, we’re forcing the 49ers to make a choice. If they want to stay in Santa Clara, that’s fine! They’re going to become the San Jose franchise, and a team with the 49ers logos and history will sprout up in San Francisco. If the 49ers are willing to move back and actually play in the San Francisco area, we’ll build a new franchise for San Jose. I wonder where they could play.

Sacramento: The state capital is far away enough from both San Francisco and San Jose to justify its own team. The existence of the Kings doesn’t infringe on the Warriors in the NBA. The Sacramento Mountain Lions lasted four years in the original UFL before it folded, but they bounced around stadiums in San Francisco and San Jose before taking turns in different spots in Sacramento. The last of those destinations was the Sacramento River Cats’ stadium, a building which is now destined to host MLB’s Athletics before their move to Vegas. A pro football team would be a more dignified guest than the A’s.

Oakland: Speaking of the Athletics, we’re going to stop the outflux of teams from the East Bay. The Warriors built a building across the Bay in San Francisco, the Raiders moved to Vegas and the Athletics are eventually going to follow them out of town. Let them leave. A new franchise won’t have the history or cachet of the Raiders — and some fans will stick with the Vegas edition — but there has to be something in a team that actually plans on sticking around and laying down roots in the East Bay.

Outside the 48 contiguous states (3)

While they’re not conventional destinations for professional sports teams, the biggest cities outside the lower 48 should have both the population and passion to support football franchises. While they would endure some arduous trips to road games, these teams would also have significant home-field advantages when they hosted opponents.

Honolulu, Hawaii: On the other hand, while the various New York teams would endure a flight of nearly 11 hours to land in Honolulu, nobody ever gets mad about ending up in Hawaii. Anyone who stays up too late on Saturday nights has seen how the local area supports the Rainbow Warriors, and there has been a steady stream of Hawaiian high school talent out to the mainland, with quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa as notable examples. Could our Hawaiian team convince a majority of those exports to return and play at home?

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San Juan, Puerto Rico: Baseball has always been the most popular sport in Puerto Rico, but the island supported a semi-pro league in the past. This would be an “if they build it” scenario for a franchise; not many teams will be able to reach a larger untapped audience than San Juan, which has more than 340,000 residents. Building the first major league team in an untested location can lead to spectacular results, even if it’s not an area known for a particular sport; while it’s a much larger landing spot, ask the Golden Knights whether they regret taking a shot on hockey in Vegas.

Anchorage, Alaska: This is the toughest of the three potential fits outside the lower 48. The cultural home of football in Alaska might be Fairbanks, which had a minor indoor team as recently as 2011, but that’s six hours away from the population base in Anchorage, where there’s about seven times as many people. It feels right to have a team in Alaska, although Floridian teams won’t love flying 10 hours to make it to Anchorage.

Florida (7)

NFL teams that already exist: Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Speaking of Florida, let’s head all the way southeast across America and add some competition in the Sunshine State. The Dolphins dominate the state outside the pockets around Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, but there are plenty of cities that could easily justify having a team to call their own.

Fort Lauderdale: We’ll start by building a derby. If you’ve ever been in Fort Lauderdale and thought the traffic was too awful to drive the 30 miles or so to Miami, this team is for you! As adjoining cities with differing identities, a Fort Lauderdale team could try to carve out a very different sort of existence from its neighbor in Miami. Fewer crypto sponsorships, maybe. With so much talent coming out of the Miami area, there should be enough in the way of homecomings to support two teams.

Fort Myers: Across Alligator Alley, there’s enough of a burgeoning city in Fort Myers to justify its own team. Fans there could theoretically drive across the state to Miami or 130 miles north to get to Tampa, but between Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples, there are plenty of fans who could support a team in Southwestern Florida. With some expansion work, the new franchise could make use of the spring training facilities in town from September to January.

Orlando: Central Florida’s biggest city still only has one team across the four traditional men’s sports in the Magic, which seems surprising. The since-renamed Citrus Bowl hosted AAF and XFL teams without much success, but local fans have gotten behind UCF football in their 45,000-seat stadium. If you give them a competitive product, Orlando will get behind a team. The ample tourism to the area will also help.

Tallahassee: With nearly 80,000 people packing Doak S. Campbell Stadium for Florida State home games during the fall, there’s no shortage of football history in Tallahassee. There’s also enough of a gap between it and the rest of Florida’s teams to help build up an audience beyond FSU students; Jacksonville, 165 miles away, would be its closest opponent.

You could make a case for Gainesville or even West Palm Beach, but Tallahassee’s location in Northwest Florida completes the state’s enrollment of seven teams into our 100.

Southeast (10)

NFL teams that already exist: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans

There’s no doubting the passion for football in the Southeast, but much of that passion is reserved for the longstanding rivalries of the SEC. In this universe, some of those cities have been drafted into our 100-team league, both for their history and for their adjacency to nearby major population centers.

Auburn, Alabama: Take Auburn. The Tigers don’t require much of an introduction. Jordan-Hare Stadium is a readymade base for our new franchise. About 35 miles away over the border with Georgia, Columbus is the home of one of the most successful indoor football teams of the past two decades in the Columbus Lions. Adding a team here to the border fills in the area between Atlanta, Birmingham and Tallahassee. Given the presence of Fort Moore nearby, a military tie-in for this franchise’s branding makes sense.

Mobile, Alabama: Let’s also add a team from the Gulf Coast. Mobile already has a football tradition as the annual host of the Senior Bowl, where the host stadium holds just over 25,000 people. Mobile would be another team in our Battle for I-10, starting with San Antonio in the west and making its way through Houston, New Orleans, Mobile and Tallahassee before ending up more than 1,000 miles to the east in Jacksonville. Call it the Battle for Buc-ee’s.

Columbia, South Carolina: While Augusta also would have been an option, we’re bypassing the home of the Masters for one of our teams in South Carolina. The Gamecocks already have a stadium that holds more than 77,000 people on campus, so there wouldn’t be much of a need to add infrastructure for our new team. With two other new teams just over 100 miles away in different directions, Columbia could remain the centerpiece of football in the Palmetto State or lose some of its market share to other major cities.

Knoxville, Tennessee: It would seem foolish to not include the home of the Volunteers as an option. Knoxville is a big enough city in its own right for a franchise, and Nashville is far enough away to avoid infringing on its fanbase. Would Titans fans who went to Tennessee abandon their pro team for the opportunity to root for a Knoxville franchise? My guess is they would.

Mobile, Alabama, hosts the Senior Bowl ahead of the NFL combine every year. Could it support an NFL team? Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Tuscaloosa, Alabama: You probably saw this one coming, as well. Most minor and/or spring football leagues have tried placing a football team in Birmingham, which makes sense; there’s a large population base and a huge passion for football in Alabama. That usually hasn’t led to the expected results. Here, the team’s playing 55 miles away on the Alabama campus. Maybe the muscle memory will kick in and get more fans to attend.

Charleston, South Carolina: Moving back to the Atlantic coastline, it makes sense to put a team in either Charleston or Savannah. Charleston’s steadily growing population made it a logical pick. The Citadel also has an 11,500-seat stadium in town, although I’d imagine a successful pro team could command larger crowds. Wilmington feels like a natural rival, but there’s not enough sports infrastructure in the town; it could be another expansion team if we were stretching this out to 125 or 150.

Raleigh, North Carolina: On the other hand, Raleigh was one of the first cities on the list for our 100. I’m not sure the Panthers would be thrilled by the idea of adding a team 150 miles or so away to the Northeast, but their feelings don’t matter in this exercise. Raleigh has 1.5 million people in its metro area and already supports one professional sports team in the NHL’s Hurricanes. The Triangle already has a significant football presence on the Duke and North Carolina campuses, but Carter-Finley Stadium at NC State can comfortably support enough fans within the Raleigh city limits.

Mid-Atlantic (6)

NFL teams that already exist: Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens

Let’s work our way up the coast and add more teams in the mid-Atlantic area. Baltimore and Washington could be considered part of the Northeast, but several of the teams joining the 100 here are going to be local rivals from the population bases that have sprouted up around Washington. The Commanders would have had a stranglehold on these areas in decades past, but after the Daniel Snyder era, there’s room for challengers to arise.

Alexandria, Virginia: There are a number of places west of the Potomac that would make sense for a potential new franchise, especially if the Commanders end up staying where they are or move back into D.C. Take Woodbridge, which isn’t exactly a major city, but it’s where the Commanders were reportedly buying land as part of a potential plan for a new stadium in the Virginia suburbs. Alexandria has a much more significant population base, is on the D.C. Metro and recently flirted with getting the Capitals and Wizards to move to a new development.

Richmond, Virginia: The state capital, on the other hand, is far enough south to support its own team without considering the shadow of the Ravens or Commanders. There would still be ties to the Commanders given they were the only team in town for a long time, but Richmond already has a modest stadium in town that could be expanded with the appropriate level of demand.

Norfolk, Virginia: Yes, a third new team in Virginia! Ninety miles to the Southeast, Norfolk could call on a variety of cities in the nearby area to help build demand, including Newport News, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. There are more than 1.1 million people between those four cities. Norfolk gets the nod by virtue of having the largest football stadium in the area, with Old Dominion’s S.B. Ballard Stadium holding 21,000-plus people.

Charleston, West Virginia: We’re also adding a new team to the Mountain State. Charleston fills in a large gap without teams, and because of its isolation, there might not be many other opponents within a comfortable driving distance. Its closest rival would probably be Lexington, 175 miles to the west, although there would be a natural capital city battle between Charleston and Richmond.

Northeast (6)

NFL teams that already exist: New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers

We’re leaving New York and New Jersey aside for our final section. Here’s where two states, unfortunately, miss out on their own franchises. Delaware’s small size and proximity to Philadelphia make it Eagles country. The Patriots play in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is closer to Providence (22 miles) than the city the team nominally represents in Boston (30 miles). It ends up occupying both states in our scenario, so while Rhode Island technically doesn’t have a team, it’s really getting the Patriots.

The Patriots are New England’s team, which means they’d either have to change their name or occupy much of the rest of the region. Let’s make them the Massachusetts Patriots. In the end, I felt like the best place for a team in Vermont was just outside of the state. I’ll get to that team in the New York section, but let’s touch on the teams that will challenge Drake Maye & Co. for prominence in New England.

Portland, Maine: With Durham just over the New Hampshire border and Portland 45 minutes away from the state line, this could be something closer to a shared team between the two states. (We’ll get a Manchester team in the leap to 125 teams after the first 100 are so successful.) The East Coast’s Portland is thriving as a tourist destination, and with the city already supporting a successful Red Sox farm team in the Sea Dogs, there’s some proof Portland will come out for sports. Fitzpatrick Stadium is going to support a USL team, but with 6,000 seats, it’s probably going to need to grow if the new football franchise gains prominence.

Durham, New Hampshire: New Hampshire was one of the toughest decisions on the list. Do you put the team in Manchester, which has the largest population of any city in the state, but is also just 50 miles from Boston and likely still to be Patriots country even after we expand to 100 teams? Or do you put it in Durham, which only has a population of about 17,000 people, but a recently renovated stadium on the UNH campus and 20 miles of further distance from Boston? I went with the stadium in the hopes they could draw on potential fans from the west and even southern parts of Maine, although Manchester might end up being the better choice.

Hartford, Connecticut: After the conversation that spurred this debate, it only seems fair for Hartford to also land a team. Connecticut has been shut out of major professional sports since the Whalers left for Carolina in 1997, but there are a number of minor league teams and 1.2 million people in the Hartford metro area alone. Connecticut ends up often becoming a middle ground for sports fans who pick between the teams from Boston and New York; here, it would finally get its own team to adopt once again.

New York/New Jersey (8)

NFL teams that already exist: Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, New York Jets

We’ll finish by fixing something ridiculous that has existed for decades. The Bills have understandably carved out Western New York for themselves. The Giants and Jets have spent nearly a half-century playing in New Jersey, even though many of their fans live in New York and all the way further north in Connecticut. Fans who live in New Jersey have to root for teams in New York, a rival state. Nets fans didn’t love it when the team moved to Brooklyn. There’s no reason we should tolerate this any longer.

So, we’re giving the Giants and Jets a choice. They can move back to New York or lose their names. In this scenario, they’re staying put to stay in their stadium, and we’re sprinkling new teams around New York. Fans can decide if they want to keep commuting to North Jersey or support a local team that is a short hop away.

Downtown Manhattan, New York: The biggest city in America has zero professional teams playing the country’s most popular sport within its city limits. That needs to change. The attempt to build a stadium on the west side of Manhattan failed for myriad reasons and is no longer viable. This stadium would eventually be on reclaimed land south of Battery Park, potentially if that land joins up with Governors Island.

Bronx, New York: I believe New York City could support a half-dozen high-level teams if there was space for their stadiums, but with a recently built stadium already in place for the Yankees, the next logical landing place for a team north of Central Park would be in the Bronx. With easy access and already-existing infrastructure, the biggest issue here would be keeping the grass in good shape.

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, hosts both the Giants and Jets, and New York currently has just one team that plays in its state. Getty Images

Brooklyn, New York: With more than 2.6 million people in Brooklyn, the borough clearly had the population to support sports teams for decades between the departure of the Dodgers in 1957 and the arrival of the Nets (and briefly the Islanders) in 2012. The Brooklyn Navy Yard would be one potential landing spot for a stadium, although options further south or west might have better public transportation links and create more differentiation from the teams in Manhattan. The Cyclones have thrived with a baseball stadium in Coney Island; could a football team follow?

Queens/Long Island, New York: Jets fans abound east of Manhattan, but after decades of misery, are you really enjoying taking two trains and a shuttle (or leaving four hours before the game in a car) to get to a stadium named after your local rivals? I’d love to see the Jets be the ones to move to Queens or Long Island to serve their fanbase appropriately, either by moving back in with the Mets or building a stadium that’s accessible via LIRR. If the Jets stay in New Jersey, well, there are 10 million people between Long Island and Queens. A few of them will choose to support a team that doesn’t play in another state.

Albany, New York: And finally, after all that, our 100th team is competition for the Bills. The New York state capital is in somewhat of a no-man’s land. Buffalo is nearly 300 miles away. Boston is 170 miles to the east. Hartford is closer, but you’re still looking at a significant drive to get to a local team if Albany doesn’t have one. Syracuse has more football infrastructure, but it’s also close enough to Buffalo to remain faithful to the Bills. Albany is 35 miles or so from the Vermont border and could also draw fans from Western Massachusetts. A team that fills in gaps among three different states feels like the appropriate final team for our 100.

The full map: All 100 potential franchises in the U.S.

The Athletic has live coverage of 2025 Men’s March Madness

There is no formula for accurately predicting who will win the NCAA Tournament. But over the years, we’ve learned a thing or two.

Including UConn last season, 19 of the past 22 national champions have been ranked among KenPom’s top six teams entering the postseason. Beyond that, 25 of the past 27 teams to win it all entered March Madness ranked in the top 20 in adjusted offensive efficiency and top 40 in adjusted defensive efficiency. The two exceptions are 2014 UConn, the outlier of all outliers, and 2021 Baylor, which barely missed those cutoffs during the COVID-19 season.

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All of which is to say, while it’s fun to predict a team coming out of the woodwork to cut down the nets … it probably isn’t happening.

Using those criteria as our North Star, we’re left with only 11 teams. If history is any indication, one of them will be your 2025 national champions.

The favorite

Duke (31-3)

Why the Blue Devils can win it all: What more could you want? The Blue Devils have lost only once since Thanksgiving and are on an 11-game winning streak. They are the only team in college basketball with a top-five adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency ranking, per KenPom, a testament to their elite ability on both ends of the floor. You’ll hear this stat repeated ad nauseam: Duke has the second-best net rating of any team ever in KenPom’s 29-season database, behind only 1999 Duke, widely considered the best team to never win it all. Not too shabby! Jon Scheyer’s team is also the tallest in the country, with every rotation player at least 6 feet 5.

Offensively, Duke is balanced and is top-10 in 2-point percentage and top-20 in 3-point and free-throw percentage. Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, Sion James and Isaiah Evans shoot better than 38 percent from deep, and 7-foot-2 center Khaman Maluach has the best offensive rating of any player in the field. Oh, yeah — and all of that is without mentioning superstar Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-9 forward ensures the ACC champions have the best player on the court every game. Plus, Scheyer won a national championship both as a player in 2010 and as an assistant in 2015, so he knows what it takes to cut down the nets.

The concerns: Health, mostly. Flagg and 6-foot-9 forward Maliq Brown, Duke’s most versatile defender, went down in the first half of the Blue Devils’ ACC tournament opener last week and haven’t played since. The long-term prognosis seems bleaker for Brown, who Scheyer said reaggravated a shoulder sprain. Best-case scenario, it’s hard to see Brown — who averages 3.1 steals per 40 minutes — returning before the Final Four. As for Flagg, it’s a rosier outlook. His sprained left ankle looked serious at the moment, but X-rays came back negative and Flagg never required a protective boot thereafter.

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The other favorite

Florida (30-4)

Why the Gators can win it all: The hottest team in the country has won six straight — all against Top 25 teams — to clinch the SEC tournament title and earn a No. 1 seed. Since a 20-point shellacking Feb. 1 at Tennessee, Florida has been the second-best team in the country, per Bart Torvik, courtesy of the nation’s most efficient offense. Todd Golden has the best three-guard triumvirate in the field in Will Richard, Alijah Martin and Walter Clayton Jr., a first-team All-American averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds in March while shooting 41.5 percent from 3. Australian big man Alex Condon has been a revelation lately, emerging as one of the best screeners in America and a playmaking force at the top of the key. And on the rare occasion that the Gators’ shots aren’t falling? They’re also top-10 in offensive rebounding and fourth in Division I in second-chance points, with 15.3 per game, per CBB Analytics. Combine all that with an elite transition game, and Florida has unquestionably the most lethal offense in the field. But don’t let that distract from the defense, which is also top-10 in opposing 3-point percentage and top-15 in 2-point defense. Anyone who wins the best conference in the history of the sport, which sent 14 teams to the field, is more than capable of winning it all.

The concerns: An intensifying spotlight on Golden and assistant coach Taurean Green. Florida closed its Title IX investigation into Golden in late January, after finding “no evidence” to support allegations, the school announced. The investigation became public in November, when the UF student newspaper, The Alligator, reported that Golden was accused of sexual harassment and stalking. Green continued to coach after he was accused of sexual assault during the Title IX investigation.

Beyond that, for as good a coach as Golden is, and as strong a roster as he’s built, he’s never won an NCAA Tournament game as a head coach. His only tournament team at San Francisco got bounced in the first round against Murray State in 2022, and last season, his Gators were upset 102-100 by Colorado as a No. 7 seed. That will almost certainly change this season, but can he reasonably make the Final Four in his first true run? Basketball-wise, the biggest concern is a team outside of the top 200 in free-throw percentage.

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The rest of the KenPom top-six

Houston (30-4)

Why the Cougars can win it all: Owners of the longest high-major winning streak entering the NCAA Tournament, Houston’s third consecutive No. 1 seed might be Kelvin Sampson’s best (and healthiest) team yet. After losing three nonconference games in November — two of them against top-2 seeds Auburn and Alabama — the Cougars have lost once since: by a point, in overtime, to Texas Tech. That’s why since December began, Bart Torvik ranks Houston as the best team in America. Sampson’s teams are always known for their staunch defense. Houston is second nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom, and holds opponents to 58.5 points per game, the second-fewest in D-I.

But these Cougars can also finally shoot it. In fact, they’re tops among all NCAA Tournament teams in 3-point percentage at 39.8 percent, with three players — Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan, and L.J. Cryer — above 42 percent from deep. Combine that with Houston’s typical tenacity on the offensive glass (top-15 nationally), and there’s little Sampson’s squad can’t do. Plus, after years of being snakebitten in the NCAA Tournament — including last season, when All-American Jamal Shead went down in the Sweet 16 — these Cougars avoided disaster last week when leading rebounder J’Wan Roberts went down with a sprained right ankle. He, like Flagg, is expected to be available this week, giving Houston its full eight-man rotation.

The concerns: If Roberts is anything short of 100 percent, then Houston’s frontcourt depth is juuuuust shallow enough to make you nervous. JoJo Tugler is sensational and a deserving national defensive player of the year semifinalist, but he’s the only true rotation player outside of Roberts who is taller than 6 feet 6. Against some of the sport’s longer teams, that could be problematic, especially as it relates to Houston’s offensive rebounding prowess. One reason the Cougars thrive despite making 49 percent of their 2s — the second-lowest percentage of any high-major tournament team behind Texas A&M — is because of that dominance on the boards. But other than that? There is a tendency at times to over-foul — but we’re clearly nit-picking here.

Auburn (28-5)

Why the Tigers can win it all: Two and a half weeks ago, Auburn would’ve been the favorite. Are people seriously trying to argue that three losses since — all to top-four seeds — mean Bruce Pearl’s team isn’t one of the best in the nation? Auburn’s season-long resume is easily the most impressive in the country, and the Tigers winning the SEC regular-season title by multiple games only shows how dominant they’ve been. They’re second nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and 12th in adjusted defensive efficiency, one of only four teams to rank top-15 in both. Of course, any Auburn conversation starts with Johni Broome. He’s averaging 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 blocks per game, and there’s no better low-post scorer in the entire NCAA Tournament. But the rest of his supporting cast is exceptional, too, with championship-caliber role definition. Four Tigers — Chad Baker-Mazara, Tahaad Pettiford, Miles Kelly and Denver Jones — shoot above 37.5 percent from 3, and any of them are liable to go off any given night. Dylan Cardwell gives Pearl more beef inside, both as a rim-runner and rim protector, and Chaney Johnson is one of the better glue guys in America. Plus, in Pearl, Auburn has a coach who’s made a Final Four before.

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The concerns: OK, so maybe there is reason for concern — especially defensively. Since Jones injured his ankle against Kentucky on March 1, the Tigers rank 54th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Bart Torvik, having regressed on the defensive glass and at defending without fouling. He’s returned, but the 6-foot-4 point guard and defensive player of the year semifinalist hasn’t looked quite himself. Broome — who suffered his own ankle injury in January, costing him two games — has also looked a little worse for wear, especially as it relates to his rim protection and lateral mobility. It’s fair to wonder if the grind of this SEC might be catching up to the Tigers. Also, we can’t avoid Baker-Mazara’s unpredictability. His ejection against Yale in the first round of last season’s tournament was a huge reason the Tigers got upset, and he was recently ejected against Alabama for elbowing someone in the head.

Tennessee (27-7)

Why the Vols can win it all: A Hall of Fame coach who made an Elite Eight run just last season? Check. Rick Barnes has one Final Four appearance to his name, but he’s made the second weekend nine times as a head coach, including both of the past two years. A top-three defense in adjusted efficiency, per usual? Also yes. Tennessee allows 63 points per game, the 11th-fewest in D-I, and is the only team outside of Houston that can reasonably claim it has the country’s most physical defense. Perimeter scorers Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier each have the potential to go off any given night. And don’t sleep on Jordan Gainey’s continued emergence. The 6-foot-4 senior guard has taken his offensive game to a new level, averaging 15.5 points over Tennessee’s past six games, including a season-high 24 against Florida in the SEC championship game.

The concerns: Per usual with Barnes, an offense that lags behind the defense. Tennessee actually has its second-best offensive rating of the Barnes era, but that doesn’t make this team immune to periods of offensive stagnation. For as good as Lanier is, he’s the only player on the roster with at least 20 made 3s this season at a 33 percent clip or better. When he’s off, or when defenses load up on him, can Zeigler or Gainey or Igor Milicic step up to keep teams honest? And let’s not ignore the year-over-year concern about how Tennessee’s physicality defensively is going to be officiated. All it takes is Lanier getting in foul trouble one time for the Vols’ best offensive player to be sidelined.

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Alabama (25-8)

Why the Tide can win it all: Nate Oats’ team is fourth nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency with the nation’s fastest tempo, which is the biggest reason Alabama has a chance to make consecutive Final Four appearances. The misnomer on Alabama is that the Tide live and die by the 3, which they shoot at a 35 percent clip this season. But that ignores the real purpose of Oats’ offense: shot volume and efficiency, largely via 2s and free throws. To that point, Alabama is the second-best 2-point shooting team in March Madness (behind only Creighton) and is fifth among tournament teams in free-throw rate. It also helps to have first-team All-American Mark Sears. (See: His game-winning floater versus rival Auburn.) The difference between this Alabama team and last year’s, though, is depth. Ten players average at least 15 minutes per game, meaning Oats can ride whoever has the hot hand. Don’t dock the Crimson Tide for their schedule, either. Alabama has played nine straight games against ranked opponents, a key reason for its 4-5 record down the stretch.

The concerns: Start with Grant Nelson, Alabama’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder, who injured his knee midway through the Tide’s SEC tournament loss to Florida. Nelson sported a clunky brace on the sideline the rest of the game, and while Oats said on Selection Sunday that he’s “hoping to get Grant back,” hope is not a plan. Alabama isn’t the same without Nelson — whose 24-point, 12-rebound outburst against North Carolina in last season’s Sweet 16 was arguably Alabama’s best individual postseason performance. Then there’s a defense that has allowed 90 points or more in five of its past nine games and forces turnovers at the third-lowest rate of any team in the field. Oats’ late-game coaching has also come into question. Alabama might be the most boom-or-bust top-2 seed in the entire bracket.

Honorable mentions: The rest of the 20/40 club

Texas Tech: Second- and third-leading scorers, Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian, missed the team’s Big 12 tournament loss to Arizona, although coach Grant McCasland told reporters that he’s “optimistic” they’ll be available for the opener against UNC-Wilmington. Since Feb. 1, TTU ranks as the sixth-best team in America, per Bart Torvik, behind only Duke, Florida, Houston, Alabama and Auburn — and that includes arguably the best win by any team all season: a one-point overtime victory on the road against Houston, in which All-American JT Toppin and McCasland were both ejected minutes into the game. Winning without the 6-foot-9 Toppin was borderline unbelievable, especially since he’s been averaging 23.4 points and 10.5 rebounds over the team’s past 11 games. The only question is, is the defense up to snuff?

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Gonzaga: It looked a little hairy there for Gonzaga’s NCAA Tournament chances. But winning the WCC tournament erased all doubt and reminded folks why the Zags have been a metrics darling all season. Still, the disparity in Gonzaga’s seeding and its KenPom ranking proves this isn’t a typical Mark Few team. Of the No. 8 seeds, Gonzaga is ninth in KenPom’s rankings, while its peers — Louisville, Mississippi State and UConn — come in 23rd, 32nd and 35th. Wildly, the other two NCAA Tournament teams that Gonzaga beat all season bookended its schedule: a season-opening beatdown over Baylor and the WCC championship against Saint Mary’s. Few’s team is fifth nationally in free-throw shooting percentage and top-10 in 2-point percentage, but its 34.4 percent mark from 3 is middle of the pack. But there’s no understating the value of a coach who’s been there and a team whose players expect to make the Sweet 16.

Iowa State: Injuries have robbed TJ Otzelberger’s team of a legitimate chance to win it all. Second-leading scorer Keshon Gilbert is out for the season, and since February began, Iowa State grades out as having the 40th-best offense in the country anyway, per Bart Torvik. Among Curtis Jones, Milan Momcilovic, Joshua Jefferson and Dishon Jackson, there’s still talent here to win a few games, but the Cyclones had limited depth already. Which is a shame, since in November and December, it looked like ISU had a real shot.

Can Wisconsin guard John Tonje lead Badgers to the title? (Reggie Hildred / Imagn Images)

Wisconsin: The last time Wisconsin’s offense was this elite, the Badgers made the 2015 national title game. Greg Gard’s multi-year offensive evolution hit its peak this season, and while Wisconsin has stumbled down the stretch — only the 33rd most efficient offense in the country over its past 10 games — its run to the Big Ten title game, including a semifinal win over Michigan State, proves anything is still possible. Guard John Tonje averages 19.2 points and crossed the 30-point threshold five times. Pray that we get the Badgers against BYU in the Round of 32, because that might be the most exciting, high-octane game of the tournament. There’s little to write home about defensively here, and when the 3s aren’t falling, the Badgers could find themselves bounced quickly.

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Arizona: Any team that beat Iowa State, BYU, Kansas, Texas Tech (twice),and Baylor (twice) deserves to be taken seriously. But Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats have been a shell of their typically consistent selves. From Feb. 8th until the Big 12 tournament, Arizona did not win consecutive games. Much of that is predicated on an offense that ranks 12th nationally in adjusted efficiency but would be much better if Arizona wasn’t such a disaster from deep. Lloyd’s team makes 32.4 percent of its 3s, which barely is a top-250 rate in the country. The Wildcats are top-20 nationally in offensive rebounding rate and free-throw percentage, so they’ve found ways to win, but that’s hard to maintain in a single-elimination tournament. Of course, the last caveat here is that Arizona has graduate guard Caleb Love. He giveth, and he taketh. Which side of that scale wins out will determine if Arizona has a real shot to beat Duke in the Sweet 16.

(Photo of Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr.: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

Crunch Fitness’ Polk St. location. Courtesy of Crunch Fitness

From crowd-favorite Crunch Fitness to the luxury chain Equinox, opinions vary widely when it comes to all the gyms San Francisco has to offer. We’ve pulled a selection of excellent gyms around the city for a variety of budgets and fitness levels. Whether you want to join a national fitness club chain or a small family-owned outpost, this list should give you a good overview of the best gyms in San Francisco to fit all sorts of lifestyles, in no particular order.

1. Fitness SF

Fitness SF began as part of a national gym chain before breaking away to become an independent brand in the Bay Area. Their mission is to create opportunities for all people to go to the gym, and their commitment to the community even stretches into local volunteering. Whether you go to Fitness SF’s SoMa location or the Transbay location spanning 2 city blocks, the excellent gym facilities are fantastic for those seeking an open gym experience, private training sessions, or group classes. They also host completely FREE workout classes at Salesforce Park every single week that are open to the public. Thanks to Fitness SF’s commitment to eliminating enrollment fees, cancellation fees, processing fees, and annual fees, members can enjoy a no-hassle payment process. This is one of the best gyms in San Francisco if you’re trying to get the most bang for your buck.

💵 Prices: All-gym access membership is $119.95/month. You can get a 1-day membership to try the gym for free.

📍 Locations: See all 8 locations for Fitness SF here.

2. Crunch Fitness

Ever since its humble beginnings in an NYC basement in 1989, Crunch Fitness has strived to provide a judgment-free environment open to a diverse clientele. No matter your fitness level, body type, or background, you’ll find a way to achieve your own best self thanks to their range of all-level group fitness classes, online videos, state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, and personal training options. Their commitment to maintaining a fun and energetic environment means you’ll keep coming back — and might make some new friends in the process. Above is an image of their stunning Polk Street location, which is located inside of the former Alhambra Theatre.

💵 Prices: Monthly memberships range from $14.99-34.99. There is a free trial available as a 1-day pass.

📍 Locations: See all locations for Crunch Fitness in San Francisco here.

3. YMCA SF

The YMCA has served communities worldwide for over 160 years, and it dates back to 1853 in San Francisco’s Portsmouth Square. Since the, YMCA SF has opened 14 branches, 54 after-school programs, and 120 program sites around the city, each of which is dedicated to a central mission of building healthy communities for all. Your YMCA membership will give you access to every branch in SF, San Mateo, and Marin; access to all pools, classes, and equipment; access to all virtual classes; and access to 1-on-1 coaching. As a nonprofit organization, the YMCA is all about removing obstacles to fitness for everyone. They offer financial assistance for eligible members and special programming for children and seniors.

💵 Price: Adult memberships are $88 per month with $149 join fee. There are also packages for seniors, young adults, and entire households.

📍 Locations: See all YMCA SF branches here.

4. Mission Cliffs

As SF’s oldest climbing gym, Mission Cliffs‘ reputation precedes it. The gym is run by Touchstone Climbing, which is constantly renovating and updating about 23,000 square feet of terrain to provide the most interesting routes possible. With a 50-foot lead wall and 160+ routes, even experienced climbers will be impressed with the facilities here. But the gym has more than just climbing walls — here you’ll find a variety of fitness classes including yoga, flexibility, strength and conditioning, and functional fitness, not to mention a weight room, cardio equipment, and saunas.

💵 Price: General monthly membership is $107/month with a $100 initiation. More price options are available for day passes, partners, families, seniors, youth, college students, and more.

📍 Location: Mission District – 2295 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA 94110

5. LuxFit

LuxFit is a premier outdoor gym in San Francisco that prides itself on science-based training and community-centered programming. It’s a great option if you love exercising outdoors but want all the top-level equipment and resources of a full-service gym. They offer personal training, small group workouts, and open gym memberships to fit any fitness level. The trainers are independent contractors who run their respective small businesses through LuxFit, so you’ll find that prices and class types fit a wide range of budgets and lifestyles.

💵 Prices: Personal training sessions are $125 per session, Group classes are $185/month 2x per week, Open gym access is $150/month 2x per week, and one-day passes are $25 for non-members.

📍 Locations:

Hayes Valley – 432 Octavia St Unit C, San Francisco, CA 94102

Mission Rock – 1090 Dr Maya Angelou Ln Suite E, San Francisco, CA 94158

6. YuBalance

In 2011, Shala and Rory Cox started YuBalance Gyms for people who “hate the gym.” They now operate two gyms in San Francisco offering high-intensity free-weight workout classes and personal training. The experience is designed for busy professionals who want an efficient total body workout in 45 minutes or less, carefully structured to build strength, cardio, and core muscles over time. Although YuBalance doesn’t offer an open gym experience, it’s great for people who crave more guidance and accountability in their exercise routine.

💵 Prices: Try 6 classes for $99 and 8 personal training sessions for $399.

📍 Locations:

Noe Valley – 4159 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

Inner Sunset – 447 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

7. Equinox

Equinox is a luxury fitness chain with 107 locations worldwide, all of which offer state-of-the-art facilities, high-quality personal training, and excellent unlimited group classes. Whether you seek access to a pristine spa or a top-notch Pilates class, you’ll find that Equinox’s dedication to quality goes for all aspects of the experience. Across the six Equinox sports clubs in SF you’ll find indoor pools, heated yoga studios, eucalyptus steam rooms, skincare services, and more. This is a popular option for those seeking out luxury gyms in San Francisco.

💵 Price: Memberships can range from $200-400+ per month

📍 Locations: See all SF Equinox locations here.

8. Hit Fit SF

Hit Fit SF is a popular boxing gym in San Francisco that’s dedicated to providing a safe, fun, and high-intensity experience for everyone. Beginners are well taken care of with an introductory course that teaches you the basics of punches, footwork, head movement, and how to wrap your hands. From there you can jump into the intermediate boxing classes which include jump rope, partner combination drills, bag work, and conditioning. In addition to boxing, they offer 60-minute HIIT Fit classes which will no doubt get your heart rate up. This gym is a great option if you’re in the market for intense guided workouts.

💵 Prices: $100 for 1 class per week, $180 for 2 classes per week, $220 for unlimited classes. You can also try the new client trial which is $40 for unlimited classes for 1 week.

📍 Locations:

Polk Gulch – 1150 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Mission District – 2345 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA 94110

9. Live Fit Gym

Live Fit Gym began as a chiropractic office over 2 decades ago and remains the only doctor-owned gym in San Francisco. Here you’ll find an inviting mix of resources dedicated to luxury fitness and holistic wellness, made easy with their eight locations in the city. This is a great option if you want a gym that goes above and beyond the fun group classes and high-quality facilities (although they offer both). Additionally, you’ll find everything you need in the realms of nutrition, skin and body treatments, physical therapy, and massage. Enjoy top-notch services whether you visit the swanky Live Fit location at the Fairmont Hotel or the converted Masonic temple in the Inner Richmond.

💵 Price: Basic package is $107-127 per month, including unlimited classes. Additional packages available for monthly chiropractic adjustments.

📍 Locations: See all 8 Live Fit Gym locations here.

10. Bay Club

After opening its flagship SF location in 1977 as the first co-ed gym in country, Bay Club has expanded into a regional chain operating 26 campuses across California and the Pacific Northwest. In San Francisco you’ll find four centrally-located campuses with a huge range of facilities including year-round pools, basketball courts, tennis and pickleball courts, saunas and steam rooms, and state-of-the-art fitness centers. Some people thrive in an all-encompassing fitness club that goes beyond the resources of your typical gym. If this sounds like you, it might be worth looking into Bay Club as an option.

💵 Price: Plans starting at $239 per month, can add up to 7 people for package pricing

📍 Locations: