Austin Soccer Stadiums Past, Present, & Future

Soccer supporters in Austin have chased the game all over town, this past decade:

Dragon Stadium (Round Rock HS)

Nelson Field (John H. Reagan HS)

House Park (Austin ISD)

Mike A. Myers Stadium (UT)

Shoal Creek (during its temporary expansion)

Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex (RRISD)

Bold Stadium (Circuit of the Americas)

Some of these are clearly better than others. House Park has a certain shabby-chic 1930s charm, but the high-school football fields generally were very, very far from ideal. The … Read the rest “Austin Soccer Stadiums Past, Present, & Future”

Still Nothing Concrete in Stadium Search

The Austin American-Statesman published a story yesterday with news of progress – or lack thereof – in the Austin soccer stadium search: Aztex still seeking a place to call home.

Seven months after the franchise announced it was shutting down for a year, the Austin Aztex still need to find a stadium solution before they possibly return to the United Soccer League in 2017.

Owner Rene van de Zande said Aztex management is exploring three or four undisclosed options

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On the Record: an Interview with the Aztex

In the wake of last month’s news that the Austin Aztex would be on hiatus in 2016, with a planned reentry to USL competition in 2017, many questions came up about the club’s surprise announcement. Violet Crown Soccer had the opportunity to sit down at The Tavern last week with Aztex owner and CEO Rene van de Zande, founder David Markley and General Manager Roberto Pinto da Silva, Jr., and ask some of those questions.

It’s clear that the group … Read the rest “On the Record: an Interview with the Aztex”

What Swope Park and Titan Village Tell Us

This USL offseason we’ve seen several new teams join the league for 2016. Though it will be at least a year before we see them play against an Austin side, there are aspects of a couple of these announcements that stand out.

One new entrant is Sporting Kansas City’s new team: the Swope Park Rangers. The reception of this new club’s name, logo, and branding has been very positive, and with the solid SKC organization behind them, success is … Read the rest “What Swope Park and Titan Village Tell Us”

Stadium Standards & Smoke Signals

On October 2nd the Austin Aztex announced that they will not be participating on the field in 2016, with the intention to return in 2017. The press release made clear that the Aztex are under pressure from USL to find a suitable long-term home for the club. If they are truly returning in 2017, the owners and the remaining staff must be working furiously to accomplish their goal. Their only public step so far is the nice-looking Stadium for Austin … Read the rest “Stadium Standards & Smoke Signals”

Is a Stadium Enough?

The Aztex organization recently announced that they would be sitting out the 2016 season, because they need to continue their “quest for a soccer friendly venue in which professional soccer in Austin can thrive”.

Concerns, plans, and fantasies related to a soccer-specific home stadium for Austin’s soccer team are nothing new. For that matter, the issue is hardly unique in American soccer. Ask any team in the country, at any level: D.C. United, the New England Revolution, and Miami … Read the rest “Is a Stadium Enough?”

Aztex Stadium Crisis?

The Austin Aztex have made public that pressure is mounting for a permanent stadium solution prior to the 2016 USL season. Currently displaced from their original home field, the centrally located House Park, their final remaining USL league home match at their temporary suburban location is slated for September 5th. After historic Memorial Day flooding left House Park unfit, the move to Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex was the easiest and best solution for a new venue. While it was not … Read the rest “Aztex Stadium Crisis?”