After a productive offseason, we are officially ready to pop the lid for what should be a wild ride in Season 5. It’s become a bit of a tradition to write a few words on the new additions that Austin FC fans will have a chance to enjoy in the upcoming season, and I think it’s safe to say the investment made to reshape our roster during this offseason is the most noteworthy callout of what’s new in ‘25.
To help complement some of the changes across the roster, let’s explore a few additional updates you’ll have a chance to experience in ‘25:
THE HEARTBEAT KIT
Verde and vertical stripes are important Club design elements that we’ll continuously reinforce in new ways as our jersey collection evolves over time, and the introduction of our first-ever monochromatic striped kit featuring 2 shades of Verde will become the 6th jersey to be worn across the history of the Club. Known officially as the Heartbeat Kit, this verde-on-verde striped jersey pays tribute to our fans who are the heartbeat of our Club and it’s also an homage to a Supporter-led ritual that comes to life before every home match in the Supporter section. I’m particularly fond of the heart-themed jocktag which we believe is the first-ever integration of an anatomically correct human heart design within a professional soccer jersey.
NEW OPPONENTS MAKING FIRST VISITS TO Q2 STADIUM: SAN DIEGO, ATLANTA, AND NEW ENGLAND
We get the chance to welcome 3 first-time visitors to Q2 Stadium in ’25:
- San Diego FC, MLS’ 30th club playing in its inaugural season, will travel to ATX on Sunday, March 23 for an afternoon match kicking off at 3pm. Not only is this San Diego’s first-ever visit to Q2 Stadium, but this match also marks the lone Sunday home match on our regular season schedule and it is also 1 of 2 home regular season matches with an afternoon kickoff time.
- Atlanta United will make their first trip to Austin for a weekday matchup on Wednesday, May 14. This matchup represents 1 of 2 Wednesday home games on our regular season schedule in ‘25.
- New England Revolution, an original MLS Club who launched back in ’96 in the League’s first ever season, will make their Central Texas debut at Q2 Stadium on Saturday, July 12.
CLOSE-PROXIMITY PARKING OPTIONS ADDED
As our parking network evolves, you will notice additional inventory added in the Teal Lot for the ‘25 season. This addition will provide more stadium-adjacent parking opportunities. The new inventory in the Teal Lot also allowed us to increase the number of season long passes available to fans, and I can now share that all season-long passes in Teal Lot are now sold-out for ’25 season. Some more good news: in addition to season long passes available in the Teal Lot, we are also making season long passes available in the Pink Lot. The Pink Lot is located on Donley Drive (near new rail station) and is in close proximity to the stadium.
MICHELIN STAR COMES TO Q2 STADIUM
We’re very excited to welcome la Barbecue to Q2 Stadium for all Austin FC home matches. If you like the taste and smell of Texas-style smoked brisket, then you’ll love la Barbecue who will now occupy the BBQ stand & smoker in the SE Corner of the stadium next to the Supporter Section. For those not familiar, la Barbecue is a Michelin-star rated BBQ joint in East Austin, and Q2 Stadium becomes la Barbecue’s first satellite location. I have a feeling this is going to be VERY POPULAR as this is (almost assuredly) the first-ever Michelin star restaurant to feature within a stadium in the US, so please make sure to arrive at Q2 Stadium early to enjoy their selection of match day specials including a pork chop sandwich, sloppy jo’s, beef ribs, pork ribs, and turkey legs.
NEW MENU ITEMS + UPDATED LOCATIONS
la Barbecue is the feature addition in ’25, but it doesn’t stop there.
The NW corner (Sections 118 -121) will now feature new selections including: nachos, brisket cheesesteaks, the Butcher Block BBQ featuring in-house BBQ concepts, Easy Tiger pretzels, Cervezas Locales for a local beer selection, and our Verde Vegan stand. Continuing around to the Northside you’ll be able to visit Mum Foods, an Austin-based BBQ Smokehouse and Delicatessen, and the Stoppage Play Shop (Section 123) featuring popcorn, cotton candy, and pretzels. Our Confection’s Corner has moved over to Section 133. Taco Flats will also have a portable at Section 108. If you are looking for full-service bars, new additions have been made at La Barra near the Supporter Section, Section 107, and the YETI Bar now at Section 125. If you’re looking to cool down in the summer, frozen drinks are now available at La Barra and the Taco Flats stand at 108 (frozen drinks still also available in 107, 119, and 133). And last but definitely not least, we have a new Loaded Mac & Cheese portable station outside of 127.
VALUE MENU ITEMS & VALUE MENU SALES LOCATIONS
As we have since our inception, Q2 Stadium continues to feature value menu options for beer, soda, water, and kids’ meals. As a reminder: the value menu includes $6.99 domestic 12oz beer and $7.99 premium beer available in Munchies (Section 103), Eastside Eats (Section 127-128), and Double Dave’s Pizza (Section 123). The kids’ meals (hot dog, chips, and small soda or water) are available for $6.49 and can be found in Munchies (103) and Eastside Eats (127-128).
MLS ALL-STAR GAME
For the first time in the history of Austin and Austin FC, we will be hosting the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 23 at Q2 Stadium. This is an incredible opportunity for our city, our fans, and our Club to showcase the very best of Austin to the rest of the soccer world. Our scenery, our food, our music, our nightlife, and our kick-a@% in-stadium atmosphere will be on full-display for a series of events in late July that include an All-Star Skills competition on Tuesday, July 22 and the actual All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 23. The MLS All-Star opponent will be named by MLS in the coming 45 days and tickets will go on sale shortly after the opponent is publicly announced.
CUSTOM YETI ENGRAVING MACHINE / GIFT CARDS / RFID IN VERDE STORE
In partnership with YETI, we’re pleased to announce that a new customization opportunity has made its way to The VERDE Store at Q2 Stadium. Located on the second floor, a custom YETI engraver is now available – capable of personalizing your new YETI for all styles. Whether it’s your name or an Austin FC logo, head to the VERDE Store with your design ideas and check out how the YETI engraver machine can make your idea come to life.
In addition to the engraver, two other new features are included at the VERDE Store this year: (1) we’re introducing VERDE Store gift cards which can be found at points of sale on the first floor for purchase and can be gifted to friends and family and are redeemable in the VERDE Store; and (2) as Austin FC continues to integrate new technology into the experience at Q2 Stadium, radio frequency identification – or RFID for short – has been implemented into our retail operations in ‘25 to create a faster and more seamless check-out experience.
MLS SEASON PASS ON APPLE TV UPDATES
MLS Season Pass on Apple TV is the broadcast platform that allows fans to subscribe & watch 100% of all MLS regular season and playoff matches in one place. MLS Season Pass on Apple TV will expand its reach in ‘25 with several key partnerships, and I want to call out a few of those key new partnerships:
- T-Mobile (and Metro) customers will have a chance to claim a free MLS Season Pass subscription starting February 18 at no additional cost.
- Android users will for the fist time have access to download an MLS Season Pass app in their app store.
- DIRECTV satellite and streaming customers can now directly sign up for MLS Season Pass on DIRECTV or in the Apple TV app.
And as a reminder: if you are an Austin FC Season Ticket Member you will automatically receive a complimentary subscription to MLS Season Pass.
ENHANCED MATCH EXPERIENCE FOR HOME OPENER ON FEBRUARY 22
Since our inception, and thanks to our fans, Austin FC has been known for having a world-class match experience at Q2 Stadium. To kick-off the 2025 season the right way, we’re adding a few new enhancements for our home opener, including rooftop pyrotechnics throughout the match, as well as a new in-stadium lightshow experience for those in attendance. To participate in the lightshow, all you need to do is have the Austin FC app downloaded to your phone, press the lightshow link on the homepage and follow the prompts to allow access to your camera and microphone.
As always: thank you to our fans for making Q2 Stadium the best party in Austin and looking forward to hanging together in ‘25.
Andy Loughnane
President
Austin FC