Here’s a look at what North Texas sports fans can expect in 2025

It was a rollercoaster ride for many North Texas sports fans in 2024.

The Mavs played in the NBA Finals and the Stars fell just short of a Western Conference title.

For Cowboys fans, the season ended in disappointment after the team was eliminated from the playoffs with three games left in the season.

Here’s a look at what fans can expect this year with their sports teams.

Big question for the Cowboys

Dallas is sitting at 7-9 heading into its season finale on Sunday against Washington.

The Cowboys have already been eliminated from playoff contention and will miss the postseason for the first time since 2020.

The question is if a tough season will lead owner Jerry Jones to part ways with coach Mike McCarthy.

McCarthy had led Dallas to three straight 12-5 seasons and NFC East Division titles in 2021 and 2023.

Injuries have played a key role in the Cowboys’ struggles this year. Quarterback Dak Prescott played in just eight games due to a hamstring injury he suffered in a game in Atlanta.

Th Cowboys will pick in the top half of the first round of the upcoming draft, which could allow Dallas to add a key piece to its roster.

Texas Rangers look to bounce back

Repeating after winning a championship, or coming anywhere close to it, is a tall task in any professional sport.

The Rangers were hoping to make a run at another World Series after a stellar performance in 2023 but missed the playoffs entirely.

Rangers co-owner and managing partner Ray Davis has made it clear that one of the team’s priorities is to stay under the 2025 luxury tax threshold of 241-million dollars to avoid significant financial penalties.

The Rangers have already made a few moves so far this offseason.

That includes signing designated hitter Joc Pederson and retaining pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on a new three-year deal.

Another great run by the Mavs and Stars?

The Mavericks enter a new year with a lot to build on following a run to last season’s NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics.

Dallas is off to a decent start at 20-14, but they’re facing a tough road after Luka Doncic suffered a calf strain that will likely keep him out of the lineup for a month.

The Stars are in a similar position after their appearance in the Western Conference Finals last season when they fell to the Edmonton Oilers.

Dallas is in seventh place in the Western Conference with 45 points and has placed star center Tyler Seguin on injured reserve with a hip injury.

College sports landscape in North Texas

SMU is coming off a landmark season in football that saw the Mustangs make the College Football Playoff in their first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Mustangs fell to Penn State in a first-round game, but garnered national attention they will look to build on in 2025.

The SMU men’s basketball team is also off to a promising start under new coach Andy Enfield.

The Mustangs have won seven straight heading into a home game against Duke on Saturday.

Meanwhile TCU finished its football season on a high note, beating Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl.

They’ll look to carry momentum from that win into a new season.

North Texas heads into 2025 looking to cap its 2024 football season on a high note.

The Mean Green will face Texas State in the First Responder Bowl on Friday.

UNT drew the last bowl date among American Athletic Conference programs. At 6-6, the Mean Green can finish with a winning record for the first time since 2018 with a win.

UNT is also seeking its first bowl win since the 2013 season. The Mean Green have lost six straight bowl games, one of the longest active slides in college football.

Meanwhile, UNT basketball teams are off to promising starts as they look to build on milestone seasons.