Austin kicking things into high gear

​​AUSTIN – Professional soccer will return to the capital in 2019 after a three-year absence​ with a rebranded United Soccer League (USL) franchise playing in a new 5,000-seat stadium at Circuit of the Americas.

The stadium will be between the Austin 360 Amphitheater and the circuit’s grand plaza.

Although cost estimates for the stadium haven’t been disclosed, USL venues with similar capacities have $5 million to $10 million price tags, not counting land acquisition.

This will be the only American soccer stadium on the grounds of a motorsports facility.

The city’s USL team will no longer be known as the Aztex. FC Austin is a strong candidate for the franchise’s new name, but team officials will take suggestions in the coming months.