whole new ball game

Austin’s first major league sports team bags big-name sponsor

Austin FC has bagged a big-name sponsor.

Photo courtesy of Austin FC

Austin’s first major league franchise has scored big with its latest sponsorship. Major League Soccer's Austin FC, which will kick off play in 2021 at a new $260 million state-of-the-art stadium in North Austin, has bagged revered Texas grocer H-E-B as a key sponsor in a multiyear deal.

As the official grocer of Austin FC, H-E-B has much in store for the partnership. The grocer will become the presenting sponsor of H-E-B Plaza, the fan zone located just outside the 20,500-seat soccer park that will act as a key tailgating spot prior to Austin FC games. H-E-B’s delivery service, Favor, will also become the official food-delivery service of the soccer club.

“H-E-B plays a central role in serving our community,” says Andy Loughnane, president of Austin FC, in a release. “We are honored to be aligning with a brand that has a remarkable history of service and a rich history of activating legendary partnerships with sports properties in Texas.”

In addition to the partnership, H-E-B will sponsor the Community Kick-Back Program, donating to local nonprofit groups every time Austin FC scores a gooooooooooooal during its first season. H-E-B will also be the presenting partner of Austin FC’s Season of Giving program, a Central Texas-focused platform aimed at supporting various community endeavors.

“We consider it our privilege to welcome Austin FC, their premier team members, and spirited fans through this unique partnership,” says Ashwin Nathan, H-E-B’s vice president of marketing and advertising. “We’re ready to get to work with Austin FC, both on and off the field, as we explore new and innovative ways to serve our community.”

The new partners are already in the giving spirit, with Austin FC’s Loughnane and head coach Josh Wolff getting the ball rolling on community involvement by visiting an Austin H-E-B store recently to purchase groceries for local shoppers.

“In honor of our new partnership with H-E-B, and in the spirit of the holidays and the season of giving, we decided to surprise a few customers last week,” Austin FC noted in a social-media post highlighting the store visit.

“We know it’s been a really difficult year,” Loughnane added, “but one of the things that Austin FC will do is support our community, so we’re proud to be here today.”

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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