Documents show that Major League Soccer and Precourt Sports Ventures began to explore relocation to Austin, Texas as early as the summer of 2017.

Emails obtained by The Dispatch show league outreach to Austin in September 2016.

On Sept. 29, 2016, Charles Altchek, special assistant to the MLS commissioner, emailed Mayor Steve Adler’s office looking to set up a phone call with Adler to introduce him to Major League Soccer deputy commissioner Mark Abbott and discuss “the league and some research that we will be doing in Austin.”