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 St. Louis on Sunday, March 30 at Energizer Park. Thomas signs his third Short-Term Agreement this season.
Thomas joined the Club last December via the MLS SuperDraft. He made his MLS NEXT Pro debut on March 7, playing all 90 minutes of ATXFC II’s 4-2 win against Colorado Rapids 2. He was on the bench for Austin FC’s 1-0 win over LAFC on March 15 and 2-1 win over San Diego FC on March 23. A product of 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.
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.
