Goal!
Professional soccer returns to Austin with new headquarters — and more
Austin's professional soccer club is making a comeback. After a two-year absence, the local branch of the United Soccer League (USL) is ready to roll with a new name and digs for the 2019 season.
The team formerly known as the Austin Aztex was displaced in 2015 when its former headquarters, House Park, was flooded. Since then, the organization has been without a home.
That's all about to change. Circuit of The Americas chairman Bobby Epstein, who assumed majority ownership of the Austin Aztex in 2017, is renaming the club and adding a brand-new, USL-approved soccer field to the COTA grounds.
"The USL's return to Austin is a major moment for the league as it continues to lead the growth of professional soccer across the country," says USL CEO Alec Papadakis in a release. "We could not be happier to be doing so with Bobby Epstein as the new leader of the organization's ownership group."
"His work alongside the league's leadership over the past two years to ensure professional soccer's long-term stability in an outstanding city with a passionate fan base has been exceptional, and we are delighted that this day has arrived."
The field will take over the open grassy area in front the Austin360 Amphitheater. More details on the facility, and the team's new moniker, have not yet been released.
"I'm excited to help bring professional soccer back to Austin," Epstein says. "Preparations for kickoff in 2019 are already underway, and I look forward to revealing more information about the club in the coming future."
