Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber on Thursday expressed unbridled optimism for Austin FC’s future ahead of the club’s first season. Then again, it’s difficult not to think positive when shooting the breeze with the Minister of Culture himself.
Garber and Austin FC part-owner Matthew McConaughey discussed the future of soccer in North America in a pretaped panel airing as part of this year’s all-virtual SXSW festival. The pair touched on MLS growth over the past decade, and the bright future of the league as the United States, Mexico, and Canada prepare to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But, as things regarding McConaughey often do, the conversation kept coming back to the Texas capital.
“What is important to us as a league today is that Austin is a city on the rise,” Garber said. “So much energy, so much culture… so many young people. We want to put Austin at the front porch of where America is going. And it’s going to be a great soccer town.”
The measurables projecting Austin’s demand for major league sports have been well documented, most recently with the club’s announcement last month that the waiting list for season tickets had surpassed 10,000 people. But for Austin FC to be successful beyond year one, Garber suggested the ownership group should not rely solely on the team’s on-field results to grow interest.
“Players get injured. Referees make bad calls. A winning team is not a sales strategy. It helps, but it’s not the way that’s going to drive that opportunity and value,” Garber said. “I think the most important thing for you particularly, Matthew, is to make sure that this team really represents your community.”
McConaughey, donning what must be the brightest Verde shirt Adidas has the capability to make, shed light on why he decided to invest heavily in Austin’s MLS venture from the start. He cited family – his wife, Camila Alves, is from soccer-obsessed Brazil, and their school-age children have developed a love for the game – as well as a desire to make “legacy choices” that will potentially outlive him.
“I’m looking for choices that I look forward to having on my proverbial ‘Monday morning desk’ every Monday, and next year, and ten years [from now], and when I’m on my deathbed. And hopefully something to pass on after I am gone to my kids and future generations,” McConaughey said.
The Academy Award-winning actor joins a growing list of celebrity MLS owners that also includes Will Ferrell and David Beckham. McConaughey laid out his vision for what he hopes Austin FC will mean to the city he calls home when the club is able to hold its first home match June 19.
“My hope is that if you take a snapshot of the stadium on any given night when we’re full, that snapshot from the sky, when you zoom in, should look like all the rich and diverse pieces of Austin in one stadium,” McConaughey said. “We’re creating a destination for all the communities in Austin to come together, 21,000 strong, and see the world’s game played our way.”
Roughly one hour after the session concluded, in a case of serendipitous scheduling, the SXSW Online conference aired a discussion with former U.S. President George W. Bush, who talked about using notoriety he gained from his ownership of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball to fuel a successful run for Texas Governor in 1994. McConaughey might be following that same blueprint as the actor reportedly flirts with statewide political aspirations.
In the meantime, his aspirations for Austin FC are, as you might expect, lofty, bold, and just a little bit abstract. “I hope that the history books say that we came in on the shoulders of cultural giants in the city, and we created new giants on the pitch,” McConaughey said. “That we were essentially, authentically Austin from day one.”
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This article appears in March 19 • 2021.
