Austin sets MLS mark for ticket deposits

Interest in Austin FC, the expansion Major League Soccer team that Precourt Sports Ventures received in the Texas capital in exchange for giving up control of Crew SC, has reached record-setting levels.

The team said Thursday it has received over 30,000 seasonticket deposits in under two days, a day after it announced it had set a one-day record for deposits. Although the team didn’t provide a number Wednesday, it has been reported that it took Atlanta United, who has the most season-ticket holders in MLS, three months to reach 26,000 deposits.

Deposits were coming in so quickly Wednesday that the team’s website temporarily crashed. Anthony Precourt, chairman and CEO of the franchise, said he wasn’t expecting so strong a response.

“To exceed 30,000 deposits in 24 hours; we were at 25,000 within three hours even with the site crashing,” Precourt told the Austin American-statesman in a podcast interview. “Miraculous support and it’s still growing.”

Austin FC is set to begin play in 2021 in a new stadium that will seat 20,500. The deposits are refundable and represent a place in line to select an eventual seat location. Cost is $50 for general seating or a standing-only supporters section, and $100 for premium seating. A single deposit allowed an individual or business to reserve up to eight seats.

In October 2017, Precourt announced that he would consider relocating the Crew to Austin because of inadequate corporate sponsorship for the team and an inability to secure a deal for a facility to replace Mapfre Stadium.

In October 2018, MLS announced it was in talks with the Edwards and Haslam families to take control of the Crew, with a new stadium in the Arena District as part of the deal, and Precourt was allowed to start a franchise in Austin.