Austin FC

Austin FC is the first top-division major professional sports team in the Austin area, a market that had been previously overlooked by the major professional sports leagues due in part to the state capital's traditional support for the Texas Longhorns collegiate teams. The city's previous experience with professional soccer includes the Austin Aztex FC, founded in 2008 but later relocated to Orlando in October 2010 and eventually became MLS side Orlando City SC; the 2011 reincarnation of the Austin Aztex, which went on indefinite hiatus following the 2015 Memorial Day floods washing out their venue at House Park; and Austin Bold FC, which played in the second-division USL Championship at Circuit of the Americas from 2019 to 2021.[2][3]

In October 2017, Columbus Crew SC operator Precourt Sports Ventures announced their intention to move the group's MLS franchise rights to Austin for the 2019 MLS season.[4]

After several sessions, the Austin City Council, by a 7–4 vote during a special session on August 15, 2018, granted the City Manager the authority to negotiate and execute a lease for a stadium with Precourt Sports Ventures.[5]

On August 22, 2018, the group unveiled the name and badge for the club at the North Door on Austin's east side.[6][7] The crest was designed by local Austin brand studio The Butler Bros, who explained the badge as including the signature color "Bright Verde" to "project the vibrancy and creative energy of Austin", intertwined oaks that "stand for the bond between Club and City", and the four roots uniting all compass directions of Austin, North, East, South, and West.[8][9]

In October 2018, an Ohio-based group which includes Jimmy and Dee Haslam, owners of the National Football League's Cleveland Browns, and Columbus-based physician and businessman Pete Edwards, announced their intentions to acquire Columbus Crew to keep the team from moving. MLS officials stated that if the transfer of the Crew's operating rights were successful, Austin FC would be an expansion team operated by Precourt to begin play by 2021.[10][11]

On December 19, 2018, Precourt Sports Ventures and the City of Austin reached a financing agreement for a new soccer-specific stadium to be constructed at McKalla Place, which was projected to open by early 2021.[12] Nine days after finalizing the stadium deal, Precourt Sports Ventures reached an agreement in principle to transfer the operating rights of the Columbus Crew SC to the Haslam and Edwards families in January 2019.[13]

On January 15, 2019, Austin FC was officially announced as an MLS club with a 2021 start date.[14][15][16] In July 2019, the ownership group was renamed to Two Oak Ventures and later expanded to include local celebrities and businesspeople.[17][18]

Josh Wolff was named the club's first head coach on July 23, 2019,[19] and Claudio Reyna was announced as their sporting director on November 21.[20]

Construction progress, July 2020

Austin FC are the operators of a newly built stadium at McKalla Place. The stadium is near The Domain, a large shopping center complex. The stadium, built on public land and owned by the City of Austin, was privately financed by Two Oak Ventures. The lease was signed on December 19, 2018. The stadium seats 20,738 fielded its first Austin FC game on June 19, 2021.[29][30]

The club announced plans for a $45 million, privately funded training facility, the St. David's Performance Center, on November 13, 2019. The performance center, located in the Parmer Pond development in northeast Austin, will have four full-size soccer fields, one with a 1,000 capacity seating section, in addition to a 30,000 square foot indoor facility.[31]

Construction Progress for McKalla Station, 2022

In 2022, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority started construction on a commuter rail station for the Red Line, McKalla Place station. It is expected to be finished in 2023, as part of Project Connect.

Austin FC has several supporters' groups, including Austin Anthem,[32] Los Verdes, the La Murga de Austin band, Fighting Leslies DC, the student-oriented Burnt Orange Brigade, and a group from New Braunfels, Oak Army New Braunfels.[33]

The club colors are bright green (stylized by the club as "verde," the Spanish word for the color) and black. The team's color scheme has been frequently highlighted in team promotions and at Q2 Stadium, with green lights flashing after each Austin goal.

Austin FC have sold out all 36 home games since their debut at Q2, which is currently the longest active streak in MLS.[34]

For the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Nexstar Media Group served as the team's broadcast partner. The majority of games appeared on KNVA, with select matches also appearing on KXAN and KBVO. Adrian Healey served as the play-by-play announcer, while Michael Lahoud joined in as a color analyst.[36] In April 2021, Austin FC reached a deal with Univision as its Spanish broadcast partner. KAKW and KTFO broadcast each regionally televised match in Spanish.[37] From 2023, every Austin FC match is available via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.

English-language radio rights are held by Alt 97.5 FM, with Lincoln Rose on the call.[38] KLQB serves as Austin FC's flagship Spanish radio station.

Austin FC is owned by Two Oak Ventures, formerly known as Precourt Sports Ventures, which is led by CEO Anthony Precourt.[17] Other investing partners in Two Oak Ventures include actor Matthew McConaughey, local entrepreneur Eduardo Margain, former Dell executive Marius Haas, and energy entrepreneur Bryan Sheffield.[18]

Minor

• Copa Tejas (Division 1)
  • Champions (1): 2022

• Copa Tejas: Intrastate rivalry with FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo FC

• Media related to Austin FC at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website