re: Will the state of Alabama ever be home to a professional team

Of course metro New Orleans has nearly 3x the population of Metro Huntsville.And that doesn’t count the Mississippi Coast. You are cherry picking numbers. The metro median income in New Orleans, while still lower than Huntsville, is considerably more than within the city limits, and you need to consider the North Shore area as well as part of the New Orleans income median, even if not officially part of the metro stats.

Huntsville is too close to Nashville and too far from Birmingham to be a serious contender for a pro team anytime this century. New Orleans on the other hand is the only pro team in football between Houston and Jacksonville. It draws fans from 3 states (LA, MS, south Alabama.) Huntsville would be competing with Nashville and Atlanta for fans within a fairly close proximity. In the end, not a good market for a pro football or basketball team. Nothing against Huntsville, but just not the right location for a pro team.

The population of Birmingham would be a more likely draw, but I would be doubtful for a variety of reasons, partly because of the dominance of college football and the distance to Atlanta.

I should also note that because New Orleans is major tourist destination, it has the hotels and restaurants and attractions that support the ability to draw attendance from opposing teams. The part of the city that tourists and fans go to is compact and walkable. The stadium is close to the major hotels, restaurants, bars, etc. Probably the best location for a Super Bowl that there is. I’m not sure that Huntsville has the hospitality industry in place necessary to support a pro franchise. New Orleans does.