After almost two decades without an American football team in Linz, April 19 promises to be memorable night as the city is poised to embark on a historic moment. Launched by Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) in 2022, the JKU Astros football team will face off against the Med Uni Vienna at the ASKÖ Bewegungscenter. The game is not only the Astros' first home game, it’s also the first American football game in Linz since 2004 when the Linz Steelers and Leonding Sharks joined forces to become the Traun Steelsharks.

The game will kick-off at dusk and finish under a nighttime sky with the Pöstlingberg church as a stunning backdrop. Spectators can expect a "Friday Night Lights" atmosphere (as portrayed in the American television series of the same name) in which life in certain US towns and cities revolves around the local high school’s Friday night football games.

Counting on Fan Support
Lorenz Wolf, head of the JKU College Sports Program, remarked: "This game is more than just a match between two universities; it symbolizes community and team spirit in Linz. We are not only bringing American football back to Linz, but also celebrating the strong ties between students at the JKU and the people of Linz."

The JKU Astros have been training hard and following a year and a half of training, at the beginning of the season they lost against the TU Vienna. The JKU Astros are now pinning their hopes on a homefield advantage and with good reason: the JKU Astros basketball team's fans boosted the team's success rate by 80%.

You won’t want to miss the JKU Astros initial home game on Friday, April 19, at the ASKÖ Bewegungscenter (Hölderlinstraße 26) so mark your calendar now!

Kick-off is at 7:00 PM; tickets are available at: https://acsl.at/events/jku-astros-football-gameday-1/, opens an external URL in a new window.