We hosted our July Area Business Connections event on July 29th at the Boy Scouts of America's Austin Headquarters. Andy Loughnane, President of the Austin FC, and JJ Gottsch, CEO of the PBR Austin Gamblers, sat down with Drew Hays, the Austin Sports Commission Executive Director, to discuss professional sports in Austin.

Andy Loughnane has been instrumental in launching and growing Austin FC, the city's first Major League Soccer team. Under his leadership, the team has become a cornerstone of Austin's sports culture.

JJ Gottsch leads the Austin Gamblers, a team in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Team Series and also serves on Austin Chamber's Board of Directors. With a background in baseball and a passion for bull riding, Gottsch has successfully brought a new sport to Austin, leveraging his extensive experience in sports management.

Learn more about the vision, challenges, and future prospects of professional sports in Austin below.

Drew: Why did you choose Austin to start a major league team?

Andy: “Austin has untapped potential and pent-up demand which is a remarkable condition to start a franchise in. It is also one of the most fertile cities in North America. Austin is not only ripe for sports, but it is also immensely popular as a city. The culture of Austin directly lends itself to a pro soccer team because of its specific popularity to Austinites.

JJ: “How a league picks a city is based on two major things: does it have the population to support multiple teams, and does it have a large corporate support with a desire to partner with sports teams?”

JJ explains how cities with high populations but little corporate support lack the foundation necessary to support a pro team. Twenty years ago Austin did not have the population or corporate energy to support a major league franchise, now it has the ability to support several pro sports teams. He also attributes this success to the demographics of people living in Austin.

“The people that are here now are not from here. That would lead you to believe those people truly want to be here, and they want to have as many quality of life and entertainment options as possible. They did not graduate from UT and they are looking for a team to support, and now they’ve got options."

Drew: What is the process of building a Pro team from scratch?

Andy: “There are so many aspects in building a team besides just finding the players and forming the team. You must consider infrastructure and training facilities.

Despite facing difficulty during the pandemic in the areas of relationship building, Andy was able to focus on the positives of the situation.

JJ: With more experience in starting pro teams from scratch, JJ detailed his journey from creating a baseball team in central Texas, then moving to Corpus Christi 6 years later to do the same thing, then finally ending up in Austin after an opportunity for bull riding came at a unique time.

“I took the experience I gained from launching two different organizations, both the mistakes I made and the successes”.

He attributes opening up with the Moody Center as the very first sports team there, establishing them as a pro team and garnering awareness from Austinites.

“We intentionally found the best companies in their industry in Austin or Texas. We wanted the Gamblers to be an Austin team because there are so many people that moved here that are looking for something to grasp onto. We created an Austin team with the goal of being authentically Austin. One last thing we did is we took from the playbook of what Andy did in launching the Austin FC because of how intentional and Austin-focused it was.”

Drew: What are the Obstacles faced when starting a team in Austin?

JJ: “Austin is the most non-Texas, Texas city, so there is a lot of education to do because people didn’t grow up here. They didn’t grow up riding horses or living on a ranch. What we really need is continued education on what bull riding is and what rodeo is. Something people are not very well versed in is animal welfare. Bulls are treated better than any animal you can imagine”

What can people expect with the MLS All-Star Game coming to Austin next year?

Andy: “The MLS All-Star will be the first time in history that Austin is able to host a major league all-star event. This gives us the opportunity to showcase Austin and its reputation as an events city. There's still a lot to be determined for 2025, but our hope is to bring everything great about Austin into the MLS All-Star Game experience.”

What can folks expect for the upcoming Austin Gambler Days presented by Tecovas?

JJ: “Well it’s really a celebration of the Austin experience. August 23-25 is Gambler Days at the Moody Center where we will be celebrating Austin and Western culture. There is a fan festival and live music every night. We are watching the best bulls in the world and best bull riders which makes for an amazing experience. It’s basically rodeo meets WWE meets rock concert.”

What makes Q2 a perfect venue?

Andy: “It is a slice of Austin. It is both indoors and outdoors and very tech-forward. This stadium brings events to Austin that have never been here before, not just soccer. We were able to host the first U.S. men's World Cup qualifying match in Texas.”

Andy shows his excitement for the stadium by highlighting its pivotal role in U.S. soccer. He even claims that it is a fortress for U.S. soccer since every game played in Austin ends in victory and the opposing teams have yet to score a goal across all matches.

What does the future of professional sports look like in Austin?

JJ: “It’s very, very bright. With that being said, the potential for an NFL or NBA team is limited because there are lots of hurdles in Austin that would need to be cleared. MLB is a possibility for the area, but it might not happen within the city limits.”

JJ voices his belief that the organizations that would be most likely to see success are the WNBA, or NWSL. This is because they wouldn’t need to build a stadium and the Austin community would support women's professional sports.

This event provided a glimpse into the world of professional sports in Austin. Through the insights shared by Andy Loughnane of Austin FC and JJ Gottsch of Austin Gamblers, it's clear that Austin's sports scene is not only growing but also uniquely positioned for success. Whether it's soccer, bullriding, or other potential new sports ventures, Austin's unique culture and supportive business community make it an ideal origin for professional sports teams. The future looks promising, with more exciting developments and opportunities on the horizon for sports enthusiasts in Austin.