Phoenix Rising FC gets passed over for MLS expansion.
Austin lands franchise, which is set to play in ’21
AUSTIN – Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber formally announced Tuesday that Austin will receive an expansion franchise for the 2021 season.
That leaves the Phoenix Rising FC’s MLS expansion dreams in limbo with only one more team expected to be added to the league.
Austin FC will become the 27th team in MLS and the first major league professional franchise in the Texas capital city.
MLS is expected grow by one more team to reach an even 28.
The Rising, which currently plays in the USL and reached the USL Cup final last season, had been lobbying the MLS to consider the franchise for expansion.
The move had been expected as Austin became the target destination for efforts last year to move the Columbus Crew.
The Crew instead will stay in Ohio under a new ownership group.
Austin recently signed a lease with Austin FC majority owner Anthony Precourt, a California-based investor, to provide land for a privately-funded $225 million stadium.
The Austin venue will be an open-air facility with a natural grass playing field on land that has been vacant for 25 years.
The Rising currently play in a pop-up stadium near the 101 and 202 near the Tempe-Scottsdale border which can house close to 7,000 fans.
Cincinnati, which was awarded an expansion team in May of 2018, will join the league in 2019. Nashville and Miami will come aboard in 2020.