AUSTIN--Austin is getting its first Major League team: Austin FC. Major League Soccer's commissioner, alongside city leaders, made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.
- MLS is officially coming to Austin
- Should start playing in 2021
- Announcement follows obstacles to bringing team to Austin
The announcement was made at an invitation-only event. Only 150 people were invited from the public.
Austin Anthem's Dan Conrad said the process has been rough, with pushback from building the stadium at McKalla Place to moving the Columbus Crew to Austin. But, now that the stadium has been approved with the lease signed and the Crew staying in Columbus, it'll all be worth it with Austin's very own team on the way.
"It's gonna be exciting because we get to go through the process organically," Conrad said. "We'll get to do the designated player drafts, we'll have first overall picks. We're actually building our team."
"Then, ultimately, it starts us off with our own natural rivals," Conrad continued. "So, you know, we have this rivalry with Columbus. My friends up there want to do a home and home, with pictures of both the stadiums. It's going to be fun."