Heading into the 2025-26 season, things look promising for the New Orleans Pelicans. Zion Williamson is officially entering his prime at 25 years old. Trey Murphy III is hoping to take the next step as the valid #2. Herb Jones is back healthy. The addition of two NBA champions in Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole, along with young, promising rookies in Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears. With this new look roster Joe Dumars has put together, the Pelicans are in a prime position to make the postseason in 2025-26.
With one New Orleans taking a step forward, another one is taking a step back as this upcoming NFL season doesn't look like it's going to be nice to the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints are far removed from the years of Drew Brees and making the playoffs, as their last appearance in the postseason came in 2020. Although the future appears to be bright under first-year head coach Kellen Moore, the Saints still may be a year or two away from making their return to the postseason.
Despite still having some big names like Demario Davis, Cam Jordan, and Alvin Kamara, all three of whom are 30 or older, they won't be able to shoulder enough of a load to reach the postseason. This, paired with the mediocre QB play of Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, may lead some fans not to tune in every Sunday.
This presents the Pelicans with an incredible opportunity to grow their audience.
Could a good year help the Pelicans takeover?
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There's no arguing that New Orleans will always be a city that prides itself on its football, and that won't change. However, with the Saints likely having a bottom-five finish this season, if the Pelicans meet their expectations as a playoff team, they could grow their following even more.
If on a night-in, night-out basis, the Pelicans find themselves in tightly contested battles filled with highlights from Williamson, Murphy, and Poole, there is no reason for people not to tune in.
Even though many people do tune into both the Pelicans and Saints, many aren't consistent viewers of both. It's much easier to watch just football as there's only one game a week, but if the Pelicans are good, it may force many fans to invest in this group.
During this offseason, we've seen a ton of NBA personalities come at the Pelicans, most notably Bill Simmons. He mentioned that there was a [lack of a fan base](https://pelicandebrief.com/bill-simmons-ridiculous-comments-about-the-pelicans-future-should-infuriate-fans) and that he wouldn't be surprised if the team were moved out of New Orleans. Making the opportunity to steal some fans from the Saints this season even more valuable, as it could finally end the discussion around the team being relocated.