Earlier today, the Austin Aztex announced that they will not be participating on the field in 2016. The announcement ends speculation around the club’s immediate future but does not help with lingering concerns about the viability of soccer in Austin.
The United Soccer League announced today that it had granted permission for the Austin Aztex to not participate in the 2016 season due to the unavailability of a stadium that meets league standards and the unforeseen delays in the development of a soccer-specific stadium in Austin. The Aztex will resume play in the 2017 season.
While the club ran into some unforeseen stadium challenges in 2015, it was apparent that they did not enter USL with a solid fiscal plan. With only one year as a professional side, today’s announcement is another bitter pill to swallow for supporters of professional soccer in Austin.
During the regular season, it became evident that there was a drop-off in local marketing of club. Fans began to wonder about the lack of announcements regarding 2016. Players such as Mikey Ambrose and Trevin Caesar, who were signed to multi-year contracts, are now left to scramble for a new club. The biggest event to foreshadow today’s bad news was yesterday’s announcement that Kris Tyrpak was signed by the San Antonio Scorpions, the only club with a regional rivalry to Austin.
Follow Violet Crown Soccer for news related to the Aztex organization as they are faced with picking up the pieces after another pro soccer calamity in Austin.