SBJ Ranks Arlington as No. 24 Best Sports Business City in 2026

Published on May 26, 2026

By the Office of Communication

Sports Business Journal has named Arlington the No. 24 Best Sports Business City on its 2026 list.

Arlington is home to the Bowling International Training & Research Center (the hub for the United States Bowling Congress); the UFL; and the Western Athletic Conference (moved from Denver in 2022). Arlington’s event résumé is extensive: Big 12 Football Championship (since 2017, through the 2030 season); Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (at AT&T Stadium since 2010); 2025 SMITE World Championship at Esports Stadium Arlington; 2025 Convention, Sports & Entertainment Facilities Conference; and next spring’s Stadium Managers Association annual seminar.

The City’s professional sports teams, venues and other entertainment destinations help draw a combined 16 million attendance. And this summer, the world-class AT&T Stadium in Arlington will host nine matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the highest number of matches for any host city.