Round Rock To Host Big 12 Soccer Championships

ROUND ROCK, TX — For the first time in seven years, Texas will play host to the Big 12 Soccer Championships when the competition moves to Round Rock next fall as part of a multi-year agreement, city officials said Thursday.

The agreement runs from 2020-2022 during which the championships will take place at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex. The tournament will feature the top soccer players in the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics conference facing off in an eight-team, single-elimination bracket — with the winner moving forward to the NCAA Soccer Championships. The tentative tournament dates are Nov. 1, 6, 8, 2020; Oct. 31, Nov. 5, 7, 2021; and Oct. 30, Nov. 4, 6, 2022.

“Round Rock has a history of supporting soccer and the Big 12 is looking forward to that engagement as we continue to elevate this event,” Dayna Scherf, Big 12 Executive Associate Commissioner for Championships, said in a prepared statement. “Additionally, the staff and management of the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex are experienced in hosting a variety of events and have demonstrated a commitment to using that expertise to provide a championship experience that our teams and fans will enjoy.”

Last hosted by Texas in San Antonio in 2012, the Big 12 Soccer Championships will return to the Lone Star State with the Conference noting that the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex was chosen due to its versatility and amenities, officials noted.

The announcement furthers city officials' efforts to bill the city as the self-described "Sports Capital of Texas." Buttressing that claim was the city's recent hosting of the US Youth Soccer Southern Presidents Cup and upcoming hosting duties for the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) National Soccer Championships later this month on Nov. 21-23.

"As soccer fandom continues to grow in Central Texas, Round Rock is building its reputation as an exciting hub for high-profile soccer competitions," city officials said in a prepared statement.

Added Chad McKenzie, City of Round Rock Sports Management and Tourism Director: "The Round Rock Multipurpose Complex was built for premier athletic events like the Big 12 Soccer Championships and we are very proud of this new partnership. We look forward to welcoming the Big 12 student-athletes and our region’s many loyal sports fans to another elite soccer event in the Sports Capital of Texas."

Fans interested in purchasing tickets can visit goroundrock.com/round-rock-texas/big-12-soccer-championship for more information and to sign up on the ticket waitlist.

ABOUT BIG 12

The Big 12 Conference is comprised of 10 Universities - Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Big 12 is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics conference that encompasses five states with over 40 million people within its geographic footprint. In its 24th year, the Conference has produced over 680 Academic All-America selections and claimed national championship team titles in 17 of its 23 sponsored sports. Its student-athletes and teams have combined for over 660 individual NCAA titles and 63 team national championships. Nearly 5,000 student-athletes from across the United States and around the World compete annually under the Big 12 banner. For more information, visit Big12Sports.com and follow the Conference on Facebook (Facebook.com/Big12), Twitter (@Big12Conference) and YouTube (YouTube.com/Big12Conference).

ABOUT ROUND ROCK MULTIPURPOSE COMPLEX

Located at 2001 N. Kenney Fort Blvd. within Old Settlers Park, the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex is a $27 million state-of-the-art sports venue that enables Round Rock to host many new types of events, such as lacrosse, soccer, rugby, ultimate frisbee, flag football and more. The 60-acre sports complex features a championship field with natural grass, another championship field with synthetic turf, four multipurpose fields with natural grass and four with synthetic turf, and Musco sports lighting on all 10 fields. Spectator amenities include permanent seating with shade structures for 250 people on each of the championship fields, plus options to add portable seating. The complex also has more than 900 parking spaces and a clubhouse with meeting rooms overlooking the fields. Additional amenities for families include plazas, pavilions, playgrounds and more. For more information, visit roundrockmpc.com.

ABOUT ROUND ROCK SPORTS TOURISM

The Round Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, a division of the City of Round Rock Sports Management and Tourism Department, promotes Round Rock as The Sports Capital of Texas for youth, amateur and recreational sports to tournament and meeting planners across the nation. A central location in Texas, unique shopping opportunities and an abundance of tournament-ready fields, courts and courses are helping Round Rock quickly become the top choice for planners when selecting a location for their next big event. Here’s to Round Rock: a great place to visit and a great place to play. Game on! For more information, visit GoRoundRock.com. Follow Go Round Rock on Facebook @goroundrock and Instagram @goroundrock.