Austin Sports

Best known for its thriving college sports scene, Austin is a popular destination for young athletes wanting to break into the major leagues. It's also a great city for those who like watching and participating in sports.

Austin is home to a selection of minor league sports teams. Its sports scene also has an international flavor, with the city serving as a stop-off on both the Formula One Championship and X-Games tours.

Texas Longhorns

The University of Texas at Austin dominates the Austin sports scene in a number of sporting codes.

The university’s football team has a following that easily eclipses those of a number of NFL franchises, and its derby matches against the Texas A&M Aggies are among the highest profile national sports events of the year.

The Longhorns compete in the Big 12 conference of the NCAA, with home games played at the packed 101,000-seater Texas Memorial Stadium.

The Longhorns baseball team are no slouches either. This team has taken the college championship six times and has contributed over 100 players to Major League Baseball sides. You can catch their home games at the 6,755-capacity Disch-Falk Field.

If you’re into college basketball, the Longhorns have you covered there too. The university’s basketball team compete in the Big 12 conference , and play their home games at the 16.540 Frank Erwin Center located on the University of Texas at Austin campus.

Minor league sports

Austin is home to minor league sports sides representing the country’s five most popular team sports. These include:

• the Austin Outlaws, a championship-winning women’s NFL team competing in the Women’s Football Alliance
• the Austin Aztex, a newly blooded minor league soccer team competing in the United Soccer League
• the Austin Spurs, who compete in the NBA’s development league
• the Texas Stars, who replaced the Ice Bats as the city’s resident ice hockey team in 2009.

Formula One in Austin

Austin is the only city in the United States that hosts a leg of the Formula One Championship, the United States Grand Prix. The race takes place at Circuit of the Americas, just south of Austin. The United States Grand Prix draws massive crowds, with over 100,000 spectators attending the 2015 edition of the race.

Golf in Austin

photo via Texas Golf Mag

While Austin hasn’t traditionally been an important stop on the PGA circuit, this changed in 2015 when the city landed the hosting rights for the WGC Match Play Championship. This instantly put Austin on the golfing map. The city is now due to host the PGA’s most prestigious professional match play championship at the Austin Country Club, from 2016 to 2019.

Extreme sports in Austin

Austin is an important stop on the extreme sports circuit, hosting a leg of the Global X Games at the Circuit of the Americas. The city also introduced the country to flat track roller derby, with the Texas Rollergirls pioneering a new format for this popular contact sport.

Participating in sports in Austin

Austin’s great sporting facilities and climate provide ample encouragement for residents to get involved in sporting activities. Jogging, golf, cycling, and hiking are all popular fitness activities, and a wide range of team sports programs are available at clubs, gyms, and schools throughout the city.

If you’re an amateur endurance athlete and want to rub shoulders with some of the world’s finest athletes, you’re in the right place. A number of mass participant sports events are scheduled in Austin each year. These include the Austin Marathon, the Capital of Texas Triathlon, and the Cap 2K open-water race.

A rich sports scene is just one of the attractions that makes Austin a popular place to live. If you're considering buying or renting Austin property, contact us and we'll be happy to help.