When selling their vision for Major League Soccer, the leaders of Austin FC looked to Portland. After a trip to the Rose City, St. David’s HealthCare bought in.

On Wednesday, the club announced that the Austin-based medical care provider’s name will adorn the Austin FC training facility and practice jerseys, representing the first major sponsorship for the MLS franchise.

All it took was a visit to Providence Park. Last August, David Huffstutler, president and CEO of St. David’s HealthCare, went with members of the Austin FC front office to watch the Timbers play the Seattle Sounders.

“We had to be educated,” Huffstutler told the American-Statesman. “I’m not personally terribly knowledgeable about Major League Soccer, and we weren’t as an organization but we were intrigued. We saw the momentum building over time in the community.”

Financial terms and the length of the contract were not disclosed, but Huffstutler said he expects it to be a “long-term, multi-year” arrangement. A source familiar with MLS sponsorships said similar relationships often run “deep into the seven figures” annually.

Officially, the agreement makes St. David’s the first founding corporate partner, official health care partner, training partner and performance center naming rights partner of Austin’s first franchise in any of the five major North American sports leagues.

The location of the training and medical care facility, to be called the St. David’s Performance Center, will be announced at a later date.

“It’s super important for us to partner with local companies,” said Anthony Precourt, chairman and CEO of Austin FC. “St. David’s is one of the best companies in Texas and in Austin, and has done so much good for this community locally.”

Traditionally, the largest corporate sponsorships for MLS teams are the jersey sponsor and stadium naming rights partner. Austin FC president Andy Loughnane said he anticipates both of those sponsorships to be announced by fall 2020, prior to the team kicking off in the spring of 2021.

“This is a big relationship that solidifies our belief in the strength of the market and allows us to fulfill our vision of being an ambitious team in Major League Soccer,” Loughnane said of the St. David’s partnership.

Beyond naming rights, the organizations plan to collaborate on community initiatives, especially those centered around health and wellness. Loughnane said plans are already in the works to fund the building of a futsal court, host yoga sessions on the pitch at the new stadium and partner on programs in Austin ISD schools.

“It gives us exposure as Major League Soccer connects with Austin," Huffstutler said. “(Austin FC) will be the first and, for some period of time, only major league sports franchise in the community. It’ll get a lot of attention and we think that’ll be good for us.”

Conversations between the two organizations started soon after Precourt Sports Ventures announced it was exploring Austin in October 2017, helped along by Elizabeth Christian Public Relations – which is the PR firm for both organizations.

Ascension Seton, another major medical provider in Austin, is the title sponsor for Austin Bold FC, the city’s USL Championship soccer franchise that began play this spring. Huffstutler said discussions were underway with Austin FC before he even knew the Bold existed.

“We’ve always been focused on Major League Soccer from very early on in the process and established a relationship with Austin FC,” Huffstutler said.

In addition to year-round care for players, St. David's will be the on-site health care provider for staff and stadium guests during home matches. St. David’s currently fills those roles as the lead health care sponsor for University of Texas athletics. That agreement started in 2011 and runs through 2020.

Outside the announcement event, which took place at the Austin FC offices near the intersection of Kramer Lane and Metric Boulevard, were about a dozen protestors. Calling themselves "Friends of McKalla," they carried signs with messages like, "No Traffic Plan = No Building Permit" and "We pay taxes; you should too." City council members Sabino "Pio" Renteria and Jimmy Flannigan, both of whom voted for a stadium agreement last August, attended and posed for photos with Huffstutler, Precourt and Loughnane.