Local news and fun, every day 6am.
Featured
austonia newsletter
Most viewed
Austin FC's on-schedule 2021 debut season shines as a bright spot for optimistic fans amid a pandemic

Jeremiah Bentley is planning to purchase season tickets for Austin FC, the soccer team that will be the city's first major league sports franchise, despite the uncertainty that comes with a pandemic.
Bentley is a member of Austin Anthem, the team's official supporters group, whose members have access to a designated section in McKalla Place, the $260 million stadium under construction in North Austin.
The stadium went vertical in early February and work has continued, thanks to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's March 31 executive order deeming construction an essential service. It is expected to open early next year, ahead of Austin FC's inaugural season, which is still expected to begin in the spring.
McKalla Place, the $240 million stadium under construction in North Austin(Austonia staff)
"I've got my supporters-section deposit in, and I'm planning on buying three [sets of tickets], for me and my two sons," Bentley said.
Amid the havoc wreaked by the pandemic, some Austinites have found a bright spot in Austin FC. A poll of Austonia readers found nearly 70% believe the team's debut will continue as planned, and meanwhile future fans are making pilgrimages to the McKalla work site to see its progress.
Our house is looking so good! Made me so excited to drive by and see the progress today!! @AustinFC @AustinAnthem… https://t.co/Yiyc1hqh07— Andi (@Andi) 1589064912.0
Sunday afternoon bike ride (dare I say pilgrimage?) to visit our favorite example of sacral architecture 🏟️🌳⚽🚴🏻♂️😄… https://t.co/gGymD5M2ef— Chris H (@Chris H) 1588529094.0
Beautiful afternoon to ride and wonder around. Decided to check out this beauty up close. Looks amazing!… https://t.co/5HyTfOC8MX— Juan M. (@Juan M.) 1588290531.0
"The club's fortunate—where we are in terms of timing—because you're still building the framework, you're still building the outside, so it's really easy to be able to do that socially distanced and safely," Bentley said.
Austin FC has not provided formal updates since mid-March, but its president, Andy Loughnane, reported to MLS that ticket sales were strong earlier this year.
When the team opened ticket sales to the public last June, it broke a league record for most deposits made in the first 24 hours: 30,000. Since then, sales have surpassed 40,000 deposits and the stadium's most expensive products—suites, field club and loges—have sold out entirely.
Ticket prices have not been announced, but local Austin FC blog Capital City Soccer compared prices from the league's newest clubs: FC Cincinnati, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Inter MIami CF and Nashville SC. Among those teams, supporters' season tickets went for $180-$425, with the high-end seats ranging from $1,400 to $4,100.
"It does not seem like interest has slowed down," Bentley said of what he's heard from other Anthem members. "I'm sure that there are individual people who are going to be affected by [the pandemic] that have to make changes because of their budget, but it doesn't seem to have had a significant effect on people's appetite for tickets."
The stadium went vertical in early February.
(Austonia staff)
The next batch of tickets that will be made available to deposit holders are more affordable. The team has committed to selling 70% of stadium season tickets for $48 or less in an effort to make the games accessible for the wider Austin community, and supporter tickets are expected to be even less.
In the meantime, both Austin FC and Austin Anthem are planning for the year ahead.
Sporting Director Claudio Reyna said at a January press conference that the team would likely sign its first players this summer, though this is a process that may be delayed by the pandemic for leagues around the world.
Austin Anthem has paused its in-person events for the time being. But Bentley is optimistic. "It's been a good change to plan and develop a strategy about how to grow [the group] out because it has been going nonstop with things ever since the club got announced [in 2019]," he said. "So a little pause is not the worst thing in the world."
Anthem has around 2,000 members on its email list—but has room to grow. There are over 3,000 seats in the supporter section at McKalla Place. "We need to double in size between now and a year from now," Bentley said.
Correction: This story has been updated with the correct value for the stadium. The original version said it was $240 million; it is $260 million.
- Devastated Austin tourism may take years to recover - austonia ›
- Bad vibes: Austin fears for fate of ACL—official word: 'too early to tell ... ›
- Texas A&M, University of Texas systems expect to reopen in the fall ... ›
- Austin FC names forward Rodney Redes as first club signer - austonia ›
- Beer hall added to Austin FC's $260 million stadium design - austonia ›
- Los Verdes partners with Austin Justice Coalition in bandana - austonia ›
- Austin FC fan club Austin Anthem to host Matthew McConaughey in memers-only Q n A - austonia ›
- Austin FC announces designated player Cecilio Dominguez - austonia ›
- Soccer support groups team up on merch, proceeds benefit LGBTQ youth - austonia ›
- Austin FC stadium one seat closer to opening this spring - austonia ›
- Drone: Verde grows at new Austin FC stadium - austonia ›
- New media company to cover soccer all across Texas - austonia ›
- Austin FC official 2021 home jersey revealed - austonia ›
- Austin FC to add players in expansion draft next week - austonia ›
- Austin FC acquires four new players in MLS Expansion Draft - austonia ›
- Austin FC acquires midfielder Diego Fagundez - austonia ›
- Austin FC gets first pick at 2021 MLS SuperDraft - austonia ›
- MLS reveals start date for Austin FC - austonia ›
- Austin FC signs Designated Player Tomas Pochettino - austonia ›
- Austonia announces Austin FC reporter hire - austonia ›
- Austin FC midfielder Alex Ring was once NYCFC captain - austonia ›
- Austin FC midfielder Alex Ring was once NYCFC captain - austonia ›
- McConauhgey and Don Garber say ATX will be the next big soccer town - austonia ›
- Austin pets alive dogs to be honarary Austin FC mascots - austonia ›
- LIVE: Austin takes on Portland for final match of the season - austonia ›
- Austin FC sees disappointing season finale in 3-0 Timbers loss - austonia ›
- MLS 2022 schedule is released - austonia ›
Popular
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
The original Z’Tejas location on West 6th Street is closing its doors after more than 30 years on the lot to make way for new development.
Z'Tejas owner Randy Cohen told Austonia the restaurant will be open at least through the end of 2022, possibly through March 2023.
Cohen said the owners—Larry McGuire of McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality—of the land have something new planned, though he’s not exactly sure what. Additionally, Cohen said maintenance costs for the old building were becoming prohibitively expensive.
“I think the people who own the dirt will tear it all down and build condos or some other development,” Cohen said. “I mean, it's a 60-year-old building, Z'Tejas has been here for 33 years and before that, it was something else. So it's just progress, that's all."
The restaurant isn’t going away though—Cohen said Z’Tejas is already looking for a new spot in the downtown area to move into. Z’Tejas also has a location in Avery Ranch, another in the works for Kyle and two in Arizona.
“We have all our ducks in a row right now and the management team is all rowing in the right direction,” Cohen said. “We're just excited, we're excited to build this iconic brand back.”
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Once he finds a new place, Cohen plans to bring along its mural, “The Last Zupper,” which features Willie Nelson, Matthew McConaughey and Barbara Jordan. Cohen also plans for the adjoining ghost kitchen, Woo Woo Burgers, to follow to the new downtown location.
“We're still booking events through the end of December,” Cohen said. “Come ‘Z' me at Z’Tejas, we'd love to see you before we’re gone.”
- Complete guide to Austin FC's Q2 Stadium food options 2022 ... ›
- Austin food under $10, cheap eats that are delicious - austonia ›
- Sustainability office spearheading regional food plan - austonia ›
- Brazilian food places to try in Austin - austonia ›
- From Mexico City, machetes have made a spark in the Austin food ... ›
(Google Street View)
Two towers could be coming just south of the Austin American-Statesman’s former headquarters in the South Central Waterfront district.
According to city filings, the proposed planned unit development agreement is set for 200 East Riverside Drive, an area Project Connect’s Blue Line is slated to pass by someday.
Carrying this out involves removing the existing building, which is a state office complex and surface parking.
The new towers in place would reach just over 400 feet at their maximum and include office space and space for retail on the ground level. The mix of office and retail is a trend that’s been cropping up in downtown sites like the Perennial and the Meta tower.
The proposal on a plot of about four acres aims to incorporate green infrastructure and create a lively environment for pedestrians. It’d also be adjacent to the 118-acres of the South Central Waterfront Initiative, which is aimed at enhancing connections to and along the waterfront over the next couple of decades.
The filing lists architects STG Design, a group involved with work on the sailboat-like Google tower.
- More people looking to live downtown as towers fill with workers ... ›
- Meta, TikTok and Google offices are just the beginning of tech's ... ›
- By Lady Bird, an Austin tower of the 80s gets polished up - austonia ›
- Where to find Austin's moon towers, and why we love them - austonia ›
- The towers that will shape Austin's skyline in the 2020s - austonia ›
- 5 towers and development coming to Austin in 2022 - austonia ›
- A new office tower is coming to North Austin's Domain area - austonia ›
- Towers - austonia ›