If you grew up in Austin in the 1990s, our city was a great place to live -- but it was missing something: a major league sports franchise.

Today, Austin is the 13th largest city in America, with more than a million residents inside the city limits and 2.5 million in Central Texas. That makes us the largest U.S. city without a top-four professional sports team -- and one of the fastest-growing large TV markets.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has said he hopes to expand the league from 30 to 32 teams before 2029. Cities like Nashville and Salt Lake City have already launched organized bids. That's why we formed the Austin Baseball Commission in July 2024: to give our city the strongest possible case for an expansion franchise.

Our mission is simple -- harness Austin's cultural, professional and civic energy to build an elite baseball franchise. Our vision is a stadium district that serves as a "third downtown," modeled on successful mixed-use projects in Atlanta and Arlington. The stadium would be surrounded by housing, restaurants, retail, green space and a youth baseball complex.

Just as importantly, it would serve as a gathering place that unites Austinites from all walks of life and creates year-round activity for families, workers and visitors. Eastern Travis County offers promising possibilities with affordable land, airport access and future growth.

Austin is already a baseball town. The University of Texas program is the second winningest in the country, and pairing it with an MLB team would create a true baseball hub. A professional franchise would also inspire the next generation of young athletes, giving Little Leaguers and high school players in Central Texas a new level of aspiration.

The cost will be significant. Expansion fees are projected at more than $2 billion, with stadium construction pushing the total investment to about $4 billion. But the return would be transformative. Expansion helps MLB secure a stronger labor deal and media package while creating 80 new player jobs. And for Austin, the payoff would include thousands of construction and hospitality jobs, increased tourism and the long-term boost of a major-league identity on the national stage.

Why Austin? After more than 500 meetings, we're convinced this city can win because we have:

We've also engaged with the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, who understand that a third Texas franchise would only strengthen the game. Just as the NBA has shown, intrastate rivalries fuel fan passion and create some of the sport's most memorable moments.

To prepare, we've assembled a first-rate team: a former MLB deputy commissioner as chairman, a stadium executive who has opened eight major league venues, and the nation's top sports architecture firm. We've launched a $2 million seed round -- we're 25% of the way there after only three events -- to fund economic, market and real estate studies, the groundwork for a world-class bid.

Austin is ready. We are a city of innovation, creativity and growth. With the right vision, an MLB team here wouldn't just bring baseball. It would build community, strengthen our economy and elevate Austin onto the global stage.

As entrepreneurs who love this city and plan to stay here, we believe now is the time for Austin to step into the big leagues. Learn more and join us at atxmlb.com.

Matt Mackowiak, Derrik Fox and Dustin Byington are the co-founders of the Austin Baseball Commission, which was founded in July 2024 to produce the strongest bid to bring an expansion Major League Baseball team to Austin.

Austin's time has come: Why we deserve Major League Baseball | Opinion