Austin FC Signs Defender Riley Thomas to Short-Term Agreement

Austin FC announced today that the Club has signed defender Riley Thomas to a Short-Term Agreement from its MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Austin FC II. Thomas will be available for selection for Austin’s MLS match against LAFC on Saturday, March 15 at BMO Stadium.

Thomas joined the Club last December via the MLS SuperDraft and spent the preseason training with the Austin FC first team before signing a professional contract with Austin FC II. In total, he appeared in five (5) preseason matches for Austin FC. Thomas made his MLS NEXT Pro debut last Friday, playing all 90 minutes of ATXFC II’s 4-2 win.

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Thomas played collegiately at the University of North Carolina. He appeared in 86 matches across five (5) seasons at UNC, starting 85 of them. In 2024, he was selected as a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American. He was voted to the All-ACC Second Team and named to the All-ACC Academic Team for the third year in a row as a senior.

Per the 2025 MLS Roster Rules and Regulations, a club may sign a player, age 25 or younger during the league season, from its affiliate (MLS NEXT Pro) to a maximum of four Short-Term Agreements (up to four-day contracts) each season (maximum of 16 days). An individual player may be included on up to four (4) MLS league season match rosters each season, however, that player may appear in no more than two (2) MLS league season matches. An individual player may appear in any number of non-league games during the terms of his four (4) Short-Term Agreements.