History of Austin FC in Timeline

Austin FC is a professional soccer club based in Austin, Texas, competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) since 2021. As a member of the Western Conference, the team plays its home games at Q2 Stadium. Austin FC holds the distinction of being the first major professional sports league team in Austin, a city that was the largest in the U.S. without one prior to the team's inaugural season.

2008: Austin Aztex Founded

In 2008, the Austin Aztex were founded, marking the city's previous experience with professional soccer.

October 2010: Austin Aztex Relocated

In October 2010, the Austin Aztex relocated to Orlando and eventually became Orlando City SC in MLS.

2011: Austin Aztex Reincarnated

In 2011, the Austin Aztex were reincarnated, continuing the city's professional soccer endeavors.

2015: Austin Aztex Go on Hiatus

In 2015, the Austin Aztex went on indefinite hiatus following the Memorial Day floods that washed out their venue.

October 2017: Precourt Sports Ventures Announces Intention to Move Columbus Crew to Austin

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

August 15, 2018: Austin City Council Grants Authority to Negotiate Stadium Lease

On August 15, 2018, the Austin City Council voted 7-4 to grant the City Manager the authority to negotiate and execute a lease for a stadium with Precourt Sports Ventures.

August 22, 2018: Austin FC Name and Badge Unveiled

On August 22, 2018, Austin FC unveiled its name and badge, featuring "Bright Verde" and intertwined oaks symbolizing the bond between the club and city.

October 2018: Ohio-Based Group Announces Intentions to Acquire Columbus Crew

In October 2018, an Ohio-based group, including the Haslam family (owners of the Cleveland Browns), announced their intentions to acquire Columbus Crew to prevent the team's relocation.

December 19, 2018: Financing Agreement Reached for New Soccer-Specific Stadium

On December 19, 2018, Precourt Sports Ventures and the City of Austin reached a financing agreement for a new soccer-specific stadium at McKalla Place, projected to open by early 2021.

January 15, 2019: Austin FC Officially Announced as MLS Club

On January 15, 2019, Austin FC was officially announced as an MLS club with a 2021 start date.

January 2019: Agreement in Principle to Transfer Columbus Crew Operating Rights

In January 2019, Precourt Sports Ventures reached an agreement in principle to transfer the operating rights of the Columbus Crew to the Haslam and Edwards families.

July 2019: Josh Wolff Hired as First Head Coach

In July 2019, Austin FC hired Josh Wolff as their first head coach.

July 2019: Ownership Group Renamed to Two Oak Ventures

In July 2019, the ownership group of Austin FC was renamed to Two Oak Ventures and expanded to include local celebrities and businesspeople.

August 2019: First Professional Soccer Academy Begins Play

In August 2019, Austin FC announced the first professional soccer academy in Austin, TX would begin play.

November 13, 2019: Plans Announced for St. David's Performance Center

On November 13, 2019, Austin FC announced plans for a $45 million, privately funded training facility, the St. David's Performance Center.

2019: Austin Bold Founded

In 2019, Austin Bold was founded and played in the USL Championship.

2019: Planned MLS Season

In 2019, it was expected that Precourt Sports Ventures would move the Columbus Crew's MLS franchise rights to Austin

January 2020: Juan Delgado Hired as Academy Technical Director

In January 2020, Austin FC announced that they had hired Juan Delgado as their Academy Technical Director.

July 2020: Rodney Redes Signed as First Player

In July 2020, Austin FC signed Rodney Redes as their first player.

April 2021: Univision Deal

In April 2021, Austin FC reached a deal with Univision as its Spanish broadcast partner.

April 17, 2021: First MLS Match

On April 17, 2021, Austin FC played their first MLS match against LAFC at Banc of California Stadium, losing 0–2.

June 19, 2021: Home Opener

On June 19, 2021, Austin FC held its home opener against the San Jose Earthquakes, ending in a 0-0 draw.

July 1, 2021: First Home Victory

On July 1, 2021, Austin FC secured its first home victory, defeating the Portland Timbers 4–1, with Jon Gallagher scoring the team's first home goal and the first MLS goal at Q2 Stadium.

July 29, 2021: Sebastián Driussi Signed

On July 29, 2021, Austin FC signed Sebastián Driussi from Zenit Saint Petersburg for a $7 million transfer fee.

September 9, 2021: Owen Wolff Signed as First Homegrown Player

On September 9, 2021, Owen Wolff signed a homegrown player contract with Austin FC, becoming the club's first homegrown player signing.

2021: Start Date Announced

Austin FC was announced as an MLS club with a 2021 start date in January 2019.

2021: Austin Bold Ended

In 2021, Austin Bold ended.

2021: Anticipated Start Date

In 2021, 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.

2021: Projected Stadium Opening

The McKalla Place stadium was projected to open by early 2021.

January 23, 2023: Anthony De Anda Signs Professional Contract

On January 23, 2023, Austin FC II announced the signing of Anthony De Anda, the first Austin FC Academy player to sign a professional contract.

May 17, 2023: David Rodríguez Signs Short Term Contract

On May 17, 2023, David Rodríguez became the first Austin FC II player to sign a short term contract with the first team.

October 8, 2023: Changes Announced to the Front Office

On October 8, 2023, Rodolfo Borrell announced that both Sean Rubio and Manuel Junco were no longer with Austin FC and Borrell would be overseeing scouting and player personnel, hiring five new scouts to be located in Europe and South America. Borrell also announced that Josh Wolff would remain on as the Austin FC coach.

2023: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

Starting in 2023, every Austin FC match became available via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.

January 10, 2024: Burton Signs as Homegrown Player

On January 10, 2024, Austin FC announced they had signed Burton as a homegrown player.

February 2024: Armadillo Jocktag Added

In February 2024, Austin FC added an armadillo jocktag to the team's uniform.

February 24, 2024: McKalla Station Opened

McKalla station opened and began service on February 24, 2024 for Austin FC's first match of the 2024 season.

October 6, 2024: Josh Wolff Released as Head Coach

On October 6, 2024, Austin FC announced that Josh Wolff had been released from his head coach position after the team failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.