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the McCallum High School / 5600 Sunshine / , TX 78756 / Feb. 5, 2016 Issue 3 shield/ Volume 63 WHAT’S INSIDE Senior Ariana Freitag wins best designer at annual benefit fashion show, STRADA page 16

Seniors race to register to vote as presidential primary season begins page 14 the shield

AUSTIN ACES ROUND ROCK STARS NBA Developmental EXPRESS World Team Tennis American Hockey ARENA: none currently League ARENA: Gregory Gym League (team won’t play in 2016 ARENA: ARENA: Diamond FOUNDED: 2014 ARENA: because it has no home Cedar Park FOUNDED: 2000 (moved from Orange Cedar Park Center stadium) FOUNDED: 2001 AFFILIATED WITH: County, California) FOUNDED: 1999 FOUNDED: AFFILIATED WITH: AFFILIATED WITH: 2011 AFFILIATED WITH: AFFILIATED WITH: BIGGEST STAR: N/A BIGGEST STAR: Danny Stars BIGGEST STAR: (MLS) BIGGEST STAR: BIGGEST STAR: Green SEASON: Trani Morin Devin Perales SEASON: April-September SEASON: July SEASON: October-April SEASON: March-Sept. November-April Is Austin a major league sports town?

STEPHEN TIBBETS facility would need to seat a minimum any pro sports thinking about Austin. “We LARGEST U.S. CITIES guest reporter of 18,000 and will also be used for high have also been fortunate to have the largest school football and several other sports.” and arguably most successful collegiate WITHOUT A MAJOR LEAGUE A current soccer team in Austin is the program in the country,” Aldridge said. SPORTS TEAM Most sports fans in Austin have Austin Aztex, a member of the United “Therefore we’ve been labeled as a college found themselves in the difficult position Soccer League, a less popular league than town for better or worse.” 1. AUSTIN of choosing where their loyalty lies: the MLS. In a USL News Release on Oct. 2, So, for now, fans in Austin will still be Population: 820,000 Houston or Dallas. An Austin option, the USL announced that the Austin Aztex wearing Cowboys or Texans jerseys. But there 2. El Paso even though it would be welcomed, have gained permission to skip the 2016 are still many other sporting events in Austin Population: 665,000 has never seemed like a real possibility. season because they don’t have a stadium people may be interested in. In addition to 3. Louisville, Ky. Austin is the largest city in the United States that meets the USL’s standards. The flooding UT athletics, Austin is home to some minor without a major professional sports team, of , the Aztex’s old stadium, has professional teams. The , the Population: 600,000 and that will not change in the foreseeable slowed the team’s search for a new location. Austin Spurs, and the 4. Las Vegas future. According to Lance Aldridge, executive The development of a new stadium will take are all minor league teams. The Austin Aztex, Population: 595,000 director of the Austin Sports Commission, place in 2016, and the Aztex are expected to and the , a team in World Team 5. Albuquerque, N.M. no talk of expanding or relocating to Austin return in 2017. Tennis, a league where tennis players play Population: 555,000 has been made within the major four leagues How the city goes about finding a new in a team format, are a couple of teams in (NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL). stadium may affect whether or not an MLS less popular leagues. Austin is also a home SMALLEST U.S. CITIES The continuous growth in Austin the team in Austin will happen. If a new stadium to auto racing and the X-games is big for past years is a good sign for future teams is built, and it follows the MLS protocol as many in Austin. “There’s a big community of WITH A MAJOR LEAGUE coming here, but the effects of our growth well as the USL’s, Austin would be a step people that do that stuff,” said Trent Huffaker SPORTS TEAM won’t kick in until further down the road. closer to hosting a MLS team. So while about the X-games. A freshman at McCallum, “While we are now the 11th largest city in Austin most likely won’t be one of the teams Huffaker said he likes seeing the X-games 1. Green Bay, Wisc. the country, so much of our growth has been in the ‘24 by 2020’ goal the MLS has set, in Austin rather than a major professional Population: 105,000 so recent,” Aldridge said. “This means we’ve it could be a viable option for further MLS sport. 2. Salt Lake City, Utah missed out on larger growth opportunities expansion. Despite there not being a MLB, NFL, for most leagues.” Other reasons why Austin appears to NBA, or NHL team in Austin, we still have Population: 190,000 One growth opportunity that Austin be out of the picture for a major professional many sporting events the people of Austin 3. Orlando, Fla. hasn’t missed out on, though, is Major sports team are because of proximity to can enjoy. Lance Aldridge agrees. “While Population: 240,000 League Soccer (MLS). “There is a lot of other sports franchises and UT. Since DFW, I wish we were fortunate enough to have a 4. Buffalo, N.Y. talk behind the scenes regarding a MLS which has a team in all of the four major major league pro franchise, we all need to be Population: 260,000 franchise launching here in town,” Aldridge leagues, Houston, which has a team in three, proud of what we have as the Round Rock said. “This will only happen if we first are and San Antonio, home of the Spurs, are all Express are arguably the most successful 5. New Orleans able to build a new multi-purpose facility so close to Austin, supporting a team would MLB franchise in the country and the Austin Population: 370,000 to accommodate a potential team. This be difficult. UT gives another problem for Spurs are very successful as well!” Source: FinishLine.com, 2013

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