AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin will cancel its adult indoor sports leagues, including basketball and volleyball, to save about $400,000 as the city faces budget constraints, officials said Friday.
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department notified players and team leaders of the decision Friday. The cuts eliminate two recreational programming positions and funding associated with adult indoor sports operations, according to the department.
“The approved reduction removes two recreational programming positions and associated funding related to adult indoor sports operations, totaling an estimated savings of $400,000,” the department said in a statement.
More than 11,000 people participated in Austin’s adult year-round sports leagues in 2024, according to the city. The program includes indoor and outdoor sports such as basketball, volleyball, softball and flag football.
The department recorded 1,113 team registrations across its adult sports programs in 2024. With a registration fee of $350 per team, the program generated about $389,550 in registration revenue.
The city has canceled its basketball leagues and plans to issue refunds to participating teams.
City weighs other options
The department said the cuts form part of Austin’s broader effort to address budget constraints. Officials are evaluating ways to continue offering adult sports in city-operated facilities.
The department said those options could include allowing community groups or private organizations to operate indoor adult sports leagues instead of the city.
Austin resident Pete Signor, who participates in the city’s adult sports leagues, told KVUE that losing the programs would leave players with few comparable options.
“If these leagues go away, there’s not another place that we can move and replicate what we’ve had for generations,” Signor said.
Signor said private leagues can cost substantially more than the city’s programs.
Austin charges $350 per team for its adult leagues. Some private leagues charge more. SportsKind, for example, lists an indoor basketball fee of $1,345 per team, while Austin SSC lists indoor volleyball at $529 per team.
Other cities have taken different approaches to maintaining adult recreational programs amid budget pressures.
Albany, Oregon, outsourced its adult leagues to a nonprofit, while San Diego increased fees for adult leagues to cover a larger share of the costs of providing sports fields.
Austin Parks and Recreation said it remains committed to recreation, wellness and community programs.