Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise Austin FC have appointed the Excel Sports Management agency to ramp up their sponsorship sales efforts ahead of their inaugural season in 2021, reports, www.sportspromedia.com/.

The agreement specifically relates to the club's search for a stadium naming rights and jersey sponsor, with Excel listed as the franchise's exclusive national and international third-party sales agency for both items of commercial inventory.

Excel will work alongside Austin FC's existing partnership team and cooperate with Steve Lauletta, the former president of US motorsport outfit Chip Ganassi Racing and founder of Pigeon Sports Marketing, who has been advising the club since the Texas city was awarded its first major league team.

"Austin FC is one of the most anticipated MLS properties with a first-class front office, and we are incredibly excited to partner with them at such a seminal moment in team history," said Jason Miller, senior vice president and head of properties at Excel Sports Management.

"Austin has such an incredible energy with a diverse, young population that is on the cutting edge of cultural trends. There is really no other market more primed to develop a rabid fan base for one of the fastest expanding leagues in the world."

Austin FC will become MLS's 27th team in 2021 after officially being accepted into the league at the start of this year. The team will play at the US$200 million, 20,500-seater Austin FC Stadium, which the club say they will break ground on in September.

"As Austin FC and Major League Soccer continue to grow, there are increasing levels of interest from potential partners that headquarter in Central Texas as well as firms that are located outside of Austin," added Austin FC president Andy Loughnane. "Austin FC is proud to closely align with Excel Sports Management to expand our reach as we explore relationships with brands from the global marketplace who view Austin as a priority market."