Sports in Austin, Texas

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Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, home of Texas Longhorns football.

The City of Austin, Texas, and its metropolitan area has no major league professional sports teams until Austin FC begins play in Major League Soccer in 2021. Austin is home to the University of Texas Longhorns and to several minor-league sports teams.

Teams

Austin area prominent sports teams
Club Sport Founded League Venue (capacity) Attendance
Austin Bold FC Soccer 2018 United Soccer League Championship Bold Stadium (5,000) 2,693
Austin FC Soccer 2019 Major League Soccer Austin FC stadium (20,500) Starts play in 2021
Austin Herd Rugby 2018 Major League Rugby Dell Diamond (11,631)
Austin Huns Rugby 1972 Texas Rugby Union 4107 Nixon Lane (2,000)
Austin Outlaws Football 2003 Women's Football Alliance House Park (6,500)
Austin Sol Ultimate 2016 American Ultimate Disc League Several venues
Austin Spurs Basketball 2005 NBA G League Cedar Park Center (8,700) 2,800
Round Rock Express Baseball 2000 Pacific Coast League (AAA) Dell Diamond (8,720) 8,181
Texas Longhorns Baseball 1894 NCAA UFCU Disch–Falk Field (6,755) 5,793
Texas Longhorns Basketball 1906 NCAA Frank Erwin Center (16,540) 13,669
Texas Longhorns Football 1893 NCAA Texas Memorial Stadium (100,120) 101,175
Texas Stars Ice hockey 2009 American Hockey League Cedar Park Center (8,700) 5,146
UFCU Disch–Falk Field front facade after its 2007 renovation

University of Texas Longhorns

Many Austinites support the athletic programs of the University of Texas at Austin known as the Texas Longhorns. During the 2005–06 academic term, Longhorns football team was named the NCAA Division I FBS National Football Champion and Longhorns baseball team won the College World Series.[1][2] The Texas Longhorns play home games in the state's second-largest sports stadium, Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, seating over 101,000 fans.[3] Baseball games are played at UFCU Disch–Falk Field which underwent renovation in 1996 with an increased capacity to 6,756 seats plus 11 stadium suites.

Professional sports

Until Austin FC's arrival in 2021, Austin is the largest city in the United States without a club in a major professional sports league.[4] Minor-league professional sports came to Austin in 1996, when the Austin Ice Bats began playing at the Travis County Expo Center.[5] Since then, the Austin Ice Bats have been replaced by the Texas Stars[6] of the American Hockey League. Other teams have come to Austin including the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League (later rebranded as the NBA G League).The Austin Huns Rugby Football Club entered into their first year as a professional sports entity in 2016. The Round Rock Express Baseball Club, the Triple-A Affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play at Dell Diamond. The Express are owned and operated by Ryan Sanders Sports and Entertainment, which is led by Baseball Hall-of-Famer, Nolan Ryan.

In October 2017, Precourt Sports Ventures announced a plan to move the Columbus Crew SC soccer franchise from Columbus, Ohio, to Austin.[7] Precourt negotiated an agreement with the City of Austin to build a $200 million stadium on public land at 10414 McKalla Place.[8] However, in October 2018, Jimmy Haslam, owner of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League, along with Columbus businessman Pete Edwards Jr. announced plans to acquire the Crew to keep the club in central Ohio and Precourt was instead granted an expansion club to operate in Austin.[9] Austin FC was then announced to start play in the 2021 season.[10][11][12]

Biking, swimming, and running

Natural features like the bicycle-friendly Texas Hill Country, limestone rock formations, and generally mild climate work with the centrally located Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail, and local pools like Barton Springs to make Austin the home of several endurance and multi-sport races and communities. The Capitol 10,000 is the largest 10 K race in Texas, and approximately fifth largest in the United States.[13] The Austin Marathon has been run in the city every year since 1992. The Austin-founded American Swimming Association hosts an open water swimming event, the Cap 2 K, and other closed-course, open water, and cable swim races around town. Austin is also the hometown of several cycling groups and the former seven-time Tour de France champion cyclist[14] Lance Armstrong, as well as environmentally and economically minded bicycle commuters. Combining these three disciplines is a growing crop of triathlons, including the Capital of Texas Triathlon held every Memorial Day on and around Lady Bird Lake, Auditorium Shores, and Downtown Austin.[15]

Auto racing

The Tower at the Circuit of the Americas.

In June 2010 it was announced by the Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone that the Austin area would host the Formula One, United States Grand Prix, from 2012 until 2021. The effort was aided by State Comptroller Susan Combs. The State has pledged to put up $25 million in public funds annually for 10 years to pay the sanctioning fees for the race.[16] The event was last held in 2007 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.[17] A Formula One circuit will need to be built at an estimated cost of $250 to $300 million, paid for by private investors, and is expected to be located just east of the Austin Bergstrom International Airport. The Austin investor group is headed by Tavo Hellmund,[18] President of Full Throttle Productions, LP. Hellmund, of Austin, is himself a former race car owner and driver.[19] Circuit of the Americas will also play host to MotoGP World Championships from 2013. Lewis Hamilton won the 2012 United States Grand Prix at Austin on November 18.

Other sports

In July 2013 ESPN announced the X Games would relocate from Los Angeles to Austin, where the city served as one of six stops on the Global X Games circuit from 2014 to 2018 at the Circuit of the Americas.[20]

Austin is also considered the birthplace of all-women's flat track roller derby.[21] In 2003, the Texas Rollergirls formed as the first league to play modern flat-track roller derby[22] and, in 2005, were instrumental in the rule-setting and track design used by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Texas Wins Sixth College World Series. Title". Los Angeles Times. June 27, 2005. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  2. ^ "Horns of plenty: VY, Texas deny USC three-peat bid". ESPN. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  3. ^ "Texas 34, Texas Tech 24 box score". USA Today. September 20, 2009.
  4. ^ "Major Cities Without A Major Pro Team, And Their Likelihood Of Ever Landing One". SBNation. December 8, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  5. ^ "A to Z Encyclopedia of Ice Hockey – Au". Azhockey.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  6. ^ "Texas Stars". Texasstarshockey.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  7. ^ "Statement from Precourt Sports Ventures". October 17, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  8. ^ "Statement from Precourt Sports Ventures". MLS2ATX. June 29, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  9. ^ Wahl, Grant. "Columbus Crew Set to Avoid Austin Move After New Local Buyers Emerge". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  10. ^ Bogert, Tom (January 15, 2019). "Austin FC to begin MLS play in 2021 as league's 27th club". MLSSoccer.com. MLS Digital. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  11. ^ Creditor, Avi (January 15, 2019). "MLS officially welcomes Austin FC as 27th franchise". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  12. ^ Bils, Chris; Bohls, Kirk (January 15, 2019). "Austin FC officially announced as 27th MLS club with 'local roots'". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  13. ^ "Cap 10K race a running success". KXAN News. Austin, TX. April 11, 2010. Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  14. ^ Keller, Greg (July 15, 2010). "Tour de France Armstrong: 2010 Tour will be "tough"". Austin American-Statesman (Associated Press). Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  15. ^ "Capital of Texas triathlon maps". October 3, 2009. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014.
  16. ^ Maher, John (July 20, 2010). "Combs enthusiastic about F1 after watching Gritish Grand Prix". Austin American-Statesman.
  17. ^ Noble, Jonathan (May 25, 2010). "US Grand Prix returns to F1 in 2012". autosport.com. Haymarket Publishing. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  18. ^ "Formula One Headed for Austin". Austin American-Statesman. May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  19. ^ "Tavo(CT)Hellmund Bio". Racing West.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  20. ^ http://xgames.espn.go.com/article/9484217/x-games-announces-new-host-city-austin-texas-2014
  21. ^ Mabe, Catherine. Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels. Speck Press: Denver. 2007:61.
  22. ^ Mabe, Catherine. Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels. Speck Press: Denver. 2007.
  23. ^ "Rules Central – Women's Flat Track Derby Association". Wftda.com. May 26, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
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