OK listen, this is not going to be my normal ‘comparing Austin FC players to boy band members’ schtick. We’ve got some important shit to discuss.
From the second Austin FC was announced, members of this community fought to establish it as one of the best soccer cities in the country. From announcement day up until that long-awaited first home game, dedicated groups of fans (who didn’t even have a product to support yet) combined their passion for soccer, culture, music and community to make Austin FC’s atmosphere what it is before a single home game was even played in 2021. One needs to only look back at that first Colorado Rapids “away” game to see how the excitement had boiled over to a degree that surprised supporters groups and front offices around the league. Now three seasons in, fans find themselves in a very one-sided relationship with the front office-who continues to take all that has been given to them, while treating fans as if they are guaranteed.
It was (poorly) announced to season ticket holders this week that their ticket prices were going up by as much as 14% next season. This was the email sent out to STH’s, and it wasn’t until you clicked to open your SeatGeek account that you saw the insane price hike.
We have crowdsourced pricing thanks to friends of The False 9 and can share a smattering of the increases around the stadium. This chart is a quick illustration of Austin FC’s greed, at the expense of their most dedicated fans.
A reminder: Inflation is not nearly up by these amounts and people in this community have been losing jobs due to layoffs. But hey, whatever gets more money in Precourt’s pocket, right?!
| Section | Percent Increase from 2023 to 2024 |
| 106 | 14% |
| 122 | 14% |
| 123 | 14% |
| 125 | 14% |
| 132 (club seats) | 5% |
| 133 | 13% |
| 135 | 11% |
| 136 | 14% |
| 230 | 11% |
| 231 | 14% |
| 232 | 12% |
| 233 | 11% |
| 234 | 12% |
| 310 | 9% |
| Supporters’ Section | 7% |
Ugh.
The increase is appallingly greedy. Usually, any given year sees a 3-4% increase for season ticket holders. These percentages are going beyond anything that could be explained away by stadium improvements, enhanced fan experience, extra matches, etc. However, if you are part of the fan culture Austin FC has so handily accepted, used and absorbed without much in return, this one stings even more given the lack of attentiveness we have been shown by the front office.
That first season, everything was new. The kinks were understandably being worked out by the front office, the coaches and the players, but what held its shape rigid with pride, blood, sweat and tears? The fans and their unwavering support. The music of La Murga de Austin rang loud over every broadcast. By the first game, enough people had turned up to practice songs with the band, learned them on the fly at road games, or from videos and lyrics posted on the internet, that their words and music filled the stadium. The supporter funded, planned and painted tifo was hoisted high above the field and established exactly how passionate and dedicated this fan base already was. Austin FC’s media teams were quick to embrace the sights and sounds of the South End and we were happy to provide the nurturing environment for which this team would grow in.
Three seasons in, not much has changed, for better and for worse. The passion is still there from the fans, but the rotating cast of ticket reps and front office staff has left much to be desired from the supporters’ point of view. And it is not for lack of trying, or lack of conversation on the fans or supporter groups’ part that these problems still exist.
The list below is not nearly everything, but is here to highlight some things that should have been fixed by now to EVEN REMOTELY JUSTIFY SUCH A STEEP TICKET PRICE.
We live in a fiery hellscape.
Cracks started to show before the end of the first season when the most basic necessity of life was made difficult to obtain in one of the hottest stadiums in MLS. The trickle of free water at the single working water station saw lines on the concourse of at least 25 minutes long. The only other option being a $5 bottle of Dasani, which still had lines too long to obtain during halftime. Something especially crucial for members of our band to obtain in a timely manner. After complaints rolled in, the stadium solution to the long lines was to take the larger plastic cups at the water station and swap them out for tiny paper cups, making it clear nobody was listening. A city, and allegedly an organization that takes environmental impact seriously (pay no attention to the Chevron corner! AVERT. YOUR. GAZE!) took until the second season to allow empty reusable water bottles in, and until the third to begin addressing the lack of water stations. Let’s temporarily gloss over other high concessions pricing, as we have a lot to get to.
Someone is going to get badly hurt.
Overcrowding in the supporters’ section has been a problem since word started to get out what a blast it was in the South End. By the second season, the team was playing well, the ticket prices on secondary market were way up and the supporters’ section FELT IT. Aisles were often completely packed, row after row of people smushed in, unable to even leave to use the restroom otherwise their seat would be taken and security would tell them to go to the back of the crowd. People would buy standing room only tickets or be seated elsewhere in Q2 and would opt to “join the party” in the South End, making it dangerously overcrowded and creating an environment of aggressive fair-weather fans who only came to get wasted and take selfies for social media.
Security did such a terrible job giving a shit (I’m fully aware they do not get paid enough to handle the huge task at hand) that supporter groups began taking volunteers (WHO STILL PAY FOR THEIR TICKETS) to help keep fans safe, watch out for over-served individuals, watch for signs of heat exhaustion, stop property theft, spot away fans trying to start fights and watch over a crowd the front office is supposedly in charge of. When it was suggested multiple times to multiple people, including higher-up members of the front office that a wristband system would help keep the supporters’ section safe, the request has gone unanswered every time.
Hello, 911?
In lieu of a designated set of trained people handling smokes in the supporter section, boxes controlled by the FO were installed to be handled remotely by them. They caught fire. Multiple times. So many times in fact, memes, gifs and emojis were made by the supporters, one of them set to trigger anytime someone typed “shitshow” on Los Verdes slack.
Funny at first glance, but capos were also endangered by such situations. A situation they are trained to SAFELY handle themselves (and have proven to be able to do so at numerous events), but are barred from it inside the stadium in order for the front office to have the control. Related: it appears as if Austin FC replaced the old brand in the third season with something that puts off the most pathetic amount of smoke…and still catches fire.
An atmosphere with heart.
Austin’s fan base has been credited as what has attracted so many talents here. A team with only half a season to show for themselves was aided by the fan atmosphere when Sebastian Driussi signed on in late 2021, specifically citing the fan intensity as a reason Austin stayed in his mind. When we are down in the standings, or suffering a tough loss, Austin FC socials can always count on pivoting to the atmosphere. “From day one, the energy at the fortress has always been legendary.”
“The energy was felt tonight.”
“Always grateful to have y’all by us.”
Those are just some of the captions from this year so far. A healthy supporter culture is usually part of a symbiotic relationship with their team and the front office. In this case, it’s getting harder and harder to feel that way when the most basic of concerns are not being addressed, even when brought up by the elected leaders of the SGs who are supposed to have a working relationship with the FO for safety purposes.
How Very Austin Of You.
Anyone even mildly aware of their surroundings can look at what Austin has become with cost of living skyrocketing, developers finding every spare square foot to make a buck off of, iconic restaurants, stores and entire areas of town being bought out and gentrified. If someone says they honestly think Austin FC raising prices so obscenely will replace one set of fans for another who will support the team just as heartily, they’re lying to themselves. People who shelled out big bucks to buy tickets on the secondary market when the team was on fire in 2022 were not only a frequent headache in the supporter section, complaining about the flags, the beer showers and the music not stopping when the other team scored, but most never even cleaned up their trash. The most basic level of respect you can show to our stadium. It’s something so small, but it speaks so loudly of the group as a whole who you can expect to see if we get priced out.
Through shit and good and shit again, fans have showed up, camped out hours until gates open and stay until the final plastic cups have been picked up from the supporter section. La Murga members pay for season tickets so they can play instruments that this team and this atmosphere DEPENDS on. Capos spend the game with their backs to the field. Folks in the upper deck will be paying extra to get their ear drums blasted by the music of the away fans because the roof designed to reflect and intensify noise works in multiple ways. Our most intense fans are the ones in the cheapest seats. Want to take a guess which sections have been consistently leaving early this season? Hint: It’s not the “cheap” ones. Raising the cost and pricing our precious fans out of their passion will earn Austin FC exactly what it deserves.
In the wise words of Travis McTravelface:
“This club is just Frisco without us. An average team with a boring experience.”
It may not be immediately noticeable next season, but as people struggle to hold onto their tickets, are continually met with empty promises to “escalate concerns” and as the sellout record becomes harder and harder to hold onto, people not in the know will talk about the days Austin FC had something magical going for it and will wonder what happened. The original fans, however, will know exactly why it happened.
Bonus Content
The front office also steals creative ideas from the supporters, Just in case you thought we didn’t notice. It’s #VHLM not #AHLM. Unless you bought one of the “special edition” hats. Then #VLHM, I guess.
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