DALLS — Football is king in Texas, so it just makes sense to play with footballs from Texas.
Only two companies manufacture footballs in the United States: Wilson, which you've heard of, and Big Game, which is based in Dallas. The company produces 70,000 footballs in a year.
Almost all of the Nike and Adidas footballs used in college football games are actually made here.
"Of the 12 FBS teams in Texas, we make balls for 10 of them," said Cory Jensen, Big Game's high school sales representative.
Right now, Navy is the only FBS school that uses footballs with the company's name on them.
College programs usually buy between 300 and 500 footballs. Big Game also sells to high school programs, including Cedar Hill, Highland Park, and Bryan Adams. Those orders are smaller, between 25-and-75 footballs.
Making a ball is complex, and exact. The four leather panels are stitched together inside-out, and then comes the process of "turning."
The finished product has to weigh between 14-and-15 ounces.
A majority of the company's business comes with commemorative footballs. Big Game has a deal with almost every bowl game.
"Every bowl game that you see on TV, every kid on that team is going to get a ball with his name on it," said Jensen.
From a company that's making a name for itself.