Texas-Sized Sporting Events Across the Lone Star State

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas sports fans are as loyal as the state is vast, and they have much to be excited about this year. With state-of-the-art stadiums, sports museums, and championship games scheduled in the state, Texas is the ideal destination for sports fans nationwide.

College Football:

• Texas vs. The Nation, a post-season college football game, will be held in the Sun Bowl Stadium on February 6, 2010 in El Paso. This all-star game pits top Texas collegiate players against other collegiate players from around the nation.

The new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington is the world's largest domed stadium, accommodating up to 111,000 people. It will host Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011, the first Super Bowl in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and the third in Texas.

Basketball:

• The Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington will host the 2010 NBA All-Star game on February 14, and the NCAA Men's Final Four in 2014.
• Houston's Reliant Stadium will host the NCAA South Regional Conference - March 26 and 28, 2010.
• The Alamodome in San Antonio will host the 2010 NCAA Women's Final Four - April 4 and 6, 2010, and the 2011 NCAA Men's Southwest Regional - March 25 and 27, 2011.

The 2010 Major League Soccer All-Star game will take place in Reliant Stadium in July 2010. Houston is home to the Dynamo, two-time MLS Cup champions, who play at Robertson Stadium at the University of Houston.

Four 2010 PGA Tour stops will be played in Texas:

• Shell Houston Open - March 29-April 4, Humble
• Valero Texas Open - May 10-16, San Antonio
• HP Byron Nelson Championship - May 17-23, Irving
• Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial - May 24-30, Fort Worth

The International Bowling Museum opens January 25, 2010 in Arlington at the International Bowling Campus. The three-story museum and Hall of Fame will encompass 18,000 of the campus's 103,000 square feet.

With professional rodeo, top entertainers, barbecue cook-offs and trail rides, Texas rodeos offer something for everyone.

• Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo - January 15-February 7
• San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo - February 4-21
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo - March 2-21
• Austin Star of Texas Rodeo - March 12-27

For more information about travel in the Lone Star State, visit http://www.TravelTex.com.

About Tourism in Texas

Tourism is one of the largest industries in Texas, supporting 544,400 jobs across the state. In 2008, travelers spent an estimated $60.6 billion in Texas. Travel expenditures generated $2.9 billion in state taxes and $1.0 billion in local taxes. For more information on Texas travel events and vacation destinations, visit TravelTex.com or for a free Travel Guide call 1-800-8888-TEX.

SOURCE Texas Tourism