While the National Football League often dominates the American sports landscape. There’s a part of the nation they could do a better job to embrace. The five inhabited territories of the United States.

The NFL had their second game of the season in London, England last Sunday. Days earlier, the National Hockey League’s regular season began with a game in Prague. The NFL will have another game in London later this month. On November 13th, the NFL will have its first ever regular season game in Germany. With the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers set to play in Munich. On November 21st, the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals will play in Mexico City. The National Basketball Association also had international games in recent years.

Major League Baseball also played regular season games in Mexico, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom. MLB is to my knowledge the only major league to have regular season games in one of America’s five inhabited territories. Those territories are Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. The Montreal Expos played several home games in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2003. MLB also plans on having a future game in San Juan. A move that makes a ton of sense for MLB. Given how popular baseball is in Puerto Rico and the numerous MLB stars with Puerto Rican connections.

While it’s great to see major leagues connect with the world through international games. America’s major leagues are mostly missing a big opportunity. By not holding games in U.S. territories. The NFL in particular is missing a huge opportunity. By not having games in American Samoa, a territory that is home to several NFL stars.

Former Cincinnati Bengals players Domata Peko, Jonathan Fanene and Rey Maualuga have familial connections to America Samoa. Troy Polamalu is perhaps the first person many Americans think of when they hear about American Samoa. While the major leagues strive to boost their international profile. They’re missing a chance to embrace a part of America that often unfortunately gets ignored. The ignorance of American territories by many living in the 50 states stems from a few things.

Most significantly, the territories lack political power in Washington D.C. They have no voting representation in Congress and don’t have electoral votes in presidential elections. Florida is rightly utilizing its political and cultural clout in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Many have some kind of connection to Florida. Through family, friends and acquaintances. Along with being a place many go to vacation or retire.

Hurricane Ian also left an impact on the sports world. Several college football games were moved to a different day because of the storm. One question that loomed as Ian approached Florida. Was whether the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers game would happen as scheduled. That game ultimately took place as originally scheduled in Tampa.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico was walloped days before Ian by Hurricane Fiona. A gut punch to an island still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria five years earlier. As Hurricane Ian approached Florida, some feared Puerto Rico was already being forgotten. As the nation’s attention and resources turned towards Florida. None of the territories have a major league team of their own. Leaving those places largely invisible to many casual sports fans.

Sports maintains the power to rally communities together. Consider how Cincinnati celebrated the Cincinnati Bengals’ Super Bowl run last winter. Along with how Western Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky student-athletes pitched in to help. After natural disasters hit their communities in the last year. With athletes from across Kentucky pitching in to help too.

It’s no secret that the NFL holds a lot of clout with the American people. By having NFL games in U.S. territories, the league could help connect U.S. mainlanders to the territories and vice versa. By utilizing the clout few other institutions in the U.S. have. If we are going to have these territories be a part of the nation. We should do more to make these territories feel more like they’re part of the nation.

Especially considering the challenges they face. The territories face economic challenges and dwindling populations. They are acutely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In the Pacific territories case, China and North Korea present them with challenges. A football game won’t solve these significant issues. Yet, it could make many Americans more aware of their fellow Americans struggles.

I understand that there would be logistical challenges to playing NFL games in U.S. territories. They don’t have the palace-like football stadiums Europe and Mexico have. Yet, Major League Baseball made two games in an Iowa cornfield work. Surely, the NFL can find a way to make a game in a U.S. territory work.