Dallas Ranks Top Five for Sober Game Day
Bridges Sober Living Apartments' new index scores all 32 NFL markets on alcohol-free game-day access.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Substance Abuse
Live Poll
Do you plan to drink less alcohol during NFL game days this season?
Bridges Sober Living Apartments published the Sober Game Day Index, ranking all 32 NFL markets on how accessible sober game-day viewing is. The Dallas Cowboys placed No. 4 nationally with a score of 72, while the Houston Texans ranked No. 23 with a score of 52.
Why it matters
The index highlights a gap between markets for fans who want to watch football without drinking, a group that a national survey of 1,011 NFL fans suggests is sizable. With 41% of surveyed fans either not drinking during games or trying to cut back, stadium and bar options shape whether they can watch comfortably.
The index weights stadium alcohol-free availability at 60% and sports bar density at 40%, with Dallas at 72 and Houston at 52 on a 0-100 scale. Only six of 30 reviewed stadiums offered three or more alcohol-free beers, and nine offered just one, though the source does not detail how the scores were validated.
The players
Bridges Sober Living Apartments
Bridges Sober Living Apartments is a sober living provider that published the index and the survey behind it.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional football franchise in the NFL and ranked No. 4 nationally on the index.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional football franchise in the NFL and ranked No. 23 nationally on the index.
The details
The index scored all 32 NFL teams using publicly documented alcohol-free availability at each stadium for the 2025-2026 season, combined with the number of sports bars in each metro area, where fewer bars yielded higher scores. Teams sharing a stadium received the same score. In the accompanying survey of 1,011 American NFL fans, 84% said watching football is just as enjoyable or better when sober, 36% reported regretting how much they drank during a Sunday game, and 14% admitted to calling out of work the following Monday.
Timeline
The index draws on stadium alcohol-free availability data for the 2025-2026 season.
Bridges Sober Living Apartments published the Sober Game Day Index on November 10, 2026.
Big Picture
The index measures the 2025-2026 NFL season's stadium alcohol-free beer offerings, where only six of 30 reviewed stadiums offered three or more options. It turns that concession data into a city-level ranking that shows how sober fans' options differ sharply between markets such as Dallas and Houston.
Fans who want to watch games sober can use the index to pick a team's market with more alcohol-free beer options and fewer sports bars competing for the crowd. Given that 14% of surveyed fans admitted to calling out of work the following Monday, the ability to watch comfortably may also affect next-day productivity.
The takeaway
Fans who want a sober game day should check their local stadium's alcohol-free options before the game, since availability varies widely across markets. Planning ahead with designated viewing spots or non-alcoholic drinks can make watching football as enjoyable for those cutting back as the survey suggests it is for most fans.
Further reading
For more on how alcohol use is tracked and discussed across the country, explore Substance Abuse coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CW33 Dallas / Ft. Worth.
Live Poll
Do you plan to drink less alcohol during NFL game days this season?
