The USL Austin Aztex, "with urging from" the league, are "looking for a new home stadium" for '16, according to Kevin Lyttle of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. USL officials said that the club "remains the only franchise in the 24-team league playing in a high school facility." A club official said that the Aztex rank 11th in the league with a "reported average home crowd of 3,063, but it languishes near the bottom in revenue." USL Senior VP/Marketing & Brand Development Tom Veit said, "We would like Austin to have a new facility for 2016. It’s very important for all our teams to play in top-quality venues." Aztex Owner Rene Van De Zande added, "I knew by 2017 we needed to be well on our way out of high school stadiums. We had not anticipated we might have to do it by 2016. Things are rapidly changing in the USL. It is getting more sponsors; the quality (of play) is increasing. They want to create value for the league." Aztex Business Dir Roberto Pinto da Silva Jr. "estimated the cost of a temporary stadium, which would seat 4,000 to 5,000," at $5M. He said that it would "take five to six months to build." A club official said that the "absence of revenue from alcohol sales, which aren’t allowed at House Park or Reeves Athletic Complex, was compounded this year when the club also had to turn down a lucrative jersey sponsorship by a beer company ... because it would have violated the school districts’ regulations" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 8/22).
BACK TO SCHOOL? In Orlando, Paul Tenorio reported Orlando City SC is "considering Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne as a venue for its new USL franchise," set to begin play in '16 pending MLS and USL approval. EFSC Associate VP/Athletics Jeff Carr said that the club is also "considering a venue in DeLand," possibly Stetson Univ.'s Spec Martin Municipal Stadium (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/23).
