Texans' Home Stadium Gets a Familiar New Name

Reliant Stadium returns as the Houston Texans' home field after over a decade as NRG Stadium.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 11:06pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting in deep blues, reds, and whites, depicting the Houston Texans' home stadium in an abstract, multi-angled composition.The iconic Houston Texans stadium, reimagined through the lens of Cubist art, celebrates the return to its original Reliant name.Houston Today

The Houston Texans' home stadium will revert back to the name 'Reliant Stadium' starting in the 2026 NFL season, after over a decade of being known as 'NRG Stadium'. The change is being made by Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG, which originally owned the naming rights to the stadium when it opened in 2002.

Why it matters

The Reliant Stadium name has strong ties to the Texans franchise, having been the stadium's name since the team's inaugural season in 2002. Fans have expressed a desire to see the Texans return to playing in a stadium with the Reliant name, and the team is excited to celebrate their 25th season in the league in the familiar venue.

The details

Reliant Energy, which is a subsidiary of NRG, originally purchased the naming rights to the Texans' stadium in a 30-year, $200 million agreement back in 2002. The stadium was known as Reliant Stadium until 2009, when the name was changed to NRG Stadium. Now, Reliant Energy is reverting the name back to its original Reliant Stadium, a change that 90% of fans reportedly support according to a recent survey.

  • The name change will take effect once the World Cup's Round of 16 is completed in Houston after July 4th, 2026.
  • The Reliant Stadium naming rights agreement is set to expire in 2032, 30 years after it was originally signed in 2002.

The players

Mike Tomon

President of the Houston Texans.

Brad Bentley

President of NRG Consumer, the parent company of Reliant Energy.

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What they’re saying

“I don't think you could have mapped it out better from our perspective. We're excited to celebrate 25 seasons of Houston Texans football back where it all began when it was Reliant Stadium.”

— Mike Tomon, Texans President

“It's the brand that they connect with, that they do business with, that they trust to deliver their power and that we have relationships with, so we're excited to bring it back. We think we'll have a lot of good momentum and excitement among our customers.”

— Brad Bentley, NRG Consumer President

What’s next

The name change will be officially implemented once the World Cup's Round of 16 is completed in Houston after July 4th, 2026, allowing time for all necessary changes to be made before the start of the 2026 NFL season.

The takeaway

The return of the Reliant Stadium name represents a homecoming for the Houston Texans, allowing the franchise to celebrate its 25th season in the league in the same venue it has called home since its inception in 2002. The change reflects the strong connection between the Texans, their fans, and the Reliant brand, which has been a founding partner of the team.