It was another noteworthy year in Texas sports — from a North Texas team making their debut in the College Football Playoff to a few teams inching closer to championship titles. This year, KERA News and the Denton Record-Chronicle teamed up to tell those stories each Friday on 90.1 KERA News and online.
To wrap up the year, the Denton Record-Chronicle’s Brett Vito sat down with KERA’s Bekah Morr to look back at the highs and lows of Texas sports in 2024.
How ‘bout them Cowboys? (Don’t ask)
It was a rough year at Jerry World. Expectations were high heading into the year after three straight 12-5 campaigns and an offseason that saw star quarterback Dak Prescott become the highest-paid player in NFL history.
But the team struggled in 2024. Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the ninth week of the season. Now, Dallas is eliminated from playoff contention and 7-8 heading into a game at Philadelphia Sunday despite winning four of their last five games.
A tough season has led to speculation over whether owner Jerry Jones will fire coach Mike McCarthy. Prescott came out in defense of McCarthy late in the season.
The Cowboys have two games left before heading into what could be an eventful offseason.
Texas won’t be without a playoff team: The Houston Texans have secured an AFC South title and face the Tennessee Titans Jan. 5 before heading into the playoffs. The Texans could be without wide receiver Tank Dell, who suffered a knee injury in their loss to the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, and that could make their path in the playoffs a little bit tougher.
SMU’s historic season
It was an exciting football season at Southern Methodist University. The Mustangs came into their first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference and enjoyed a breakout year, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff in its first season as a member. The Mustangs went 11-1 during the regular season before losing to Clemson in the conference championship game.
One of the big questions heading into the unveiling of the playoff field was if SMU would be included. But SMU did make the field and faced Penn State in the first round, where the Mustangs lost to the Nittany Lions.
The Mavs’ surprise run
The Dallas Mavericks’ postseason was one of the top stories in all of Texas sports. Dallas was only the second-ever team to make the NBA Finals as a No. 5 seed. They fell four games to one against the Celtics in the finals, despite a tremendous performance from Luka Doncic, who averaged 29.2 points per game. But their run sparked hope for basketball fans across North Texas.
The Mavericks are 19-11 this season and are sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference. And they’ll face a challenge as they look to solidify their place among the top teams in the NBA: Doncic suffered a calf injury in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas Day. That could put him out for a while.
Rangers can’t recreate the magic
The Texas Rangers rolled into 2024 as reigning World Series champions for the first time, boosting expectations for another extended playoff run.
Those hopes went unfulfilled when Texas finished third in the AL West behind the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners, and failed to make the playoffs. Houston won the division, and went on to fall to the Detroit Tigers in the first round.
The Rangers have made some moves of late, resigning pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and adding Miami Marlins infielder Jake Burger heading into the offseason. Berger will bring power to Texas lineup and is one of a few additions the Rangers have made in the offseason. Pitchers Jacob Webb and Hoby Milner have also joined the team. Milner is a Fort Worth native who pitched at Texas.
The Stars: Big and bright
The Dallas Stars made an extended playoff run on the backs of players like star goalie Jake Oettinger and forwards Jason Robertson and Tyler Seguin. The fell to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference finals, but Dallas pushed Edmonton to six games before a 2-1 loss in the decisive game.
Now, the team’s sitting in fourth place in their division with 40 points and in the thick of a playoff chase again this year.
They’re looking to solidify that spot in the postseason — but without star center Seguin, who is out for up to six months with a hip injury.
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