Barely Kicking: Austin Aztex Cancel 2016 Season

Austin’s only professional soccer team won’t be competing for at least a year as it searches for a new stadium that allows alcohol sales during games.

The Austin Aztex of the United Soccer League were founded in 2011 as a member of the USL Premier Development League. After three seasons, the team was the most successful franchise in the PDL and moved on to compete in the USL.

The Aztex played their home games at the House Park High School football stadium. But when Memorial Day flooding damaged the facility, the Aztex moved to Kelly Reeves Stadium in Round Rock. Both venues barred the sale of alcohol because of regulations imposed on facilities owned by school districts.

Although the Aztex ranked 11th in the USL with an average attendance of 3,063, they were struggling financially because of the inability to sell alcohol. After failing to find a new home in 2016, the Aztex opted to cancel the season outright, a move that was later approved by the USL. The Aztex released a statement on their decision.

“We would also like to express our gratitude to AISD and RRISD for allowing us to use their facilities. However, these facilities have not proven to be economically viable solutions for our professional team,“ read the statement.

Although the team won’t be playing this year, the Aztex will be busy looking for a new home and are committed to returning in 2017, the statement said.