In what has to be a positive sign for the financial health of the club, FC Dallas has landed a new major sponsorship, the first in quite some time and almost certainly the biggest since John Alper left the club, in the form of giant domestic beer brand Budweiser. Anheuser Busch is now the official domestic beer partner of FC Dallas and Pizza Hut Park, the club announced today. (That would have been a massive jersey sponsor, one can dream right)

As part of the sponsorship the beer garden on the stage with be renamed the Budweiser Beer Garden and have drink specials each week. In addition the fan selected man of the match (via texting) is now the Budweiser Man of the Match.

The Budweiser Promo Girls will be at the Londoner in Frisco at 6 p.m. for the March to the Match at this Saturday’s game versus the Columbus Crew. Budweiser also donated hundreds of tickets to Tickets for Troops, which underwrites complimentary tickets to military members and their families for the July 2nd game and fireworks show.

Budweiser is also now the associate sponsor of the Rio Grande Plate derby between FC Dallas and Tigres. The two sides played in Monterrey, Mexico, earlier this year with Tigres claiming a 2-1 win. The second leg of the series is set for Pizza Hut Park on Sept. 3. Its nice to see renewed investment in the Tigres series and partnership. That's a largely untapped partnership that could pay dividends for both club as the CAP partnership has.

Anheuser Busch will also sponsor the Budweiser Adult Summer Showdown at Pizza Hut Park Aug. 13-14. The amateur adult tournament will welcome 50-60 teams, who will compete for cash and prizes across multiple divisions. Participants must be 21 years of age or older to play in the tournament (which makes sense because of the drinking age).