In the team’s first season, McKinney Chupacabras FC had an average home game attendance of roughly 3,500 fans.

The team wrapped up its inaugural season in July after bringing thousands of fans to McKinney’s Ron Poe Stadium.

The specifics

A total of 20,874 tickets were sold for the team’s home games in the 2025 season, and the team also saw 1,046 season tickets sold.

While average attendance at home games was nearly 3,500 fans, the team’s highest single game attendance was 4,192.


Owner and managing partner Michael “Hitch” Hitchcock said when forming the team, he didn’t know what the fan turnout would look like for the team’s games but that he aimed to create an experience for the community.

“Over 2,000 people attended the [June 25] game with a couple hour delay, bad weather [and] I was like, ‘This community cares, they truly, honestly care’,” Hitchcock said. “That, to me, was a special moment for the team.”
Hitchcock said the game tickets were priced to ensure affordability, including game tickets sold for less than $20 and concessions available at lower costs, in addition to local food trucks. The highest season ticket price was $200, and came with benefits like a free jersey and access to free children's soccer camps.

“It's not easy out there, and I think sports should be an outlet and something that families can do together and create special moments ... we will always keep it as affordable as possible,” Hitchcock said.

More than 4,300 pieces of team merchandise were sold in the season. The team’s merchandise is available at Chupacabras Corner, a section of Hitchcock’s store, ProRel Soccer Shop, in downtown McKinney. The shop also offers other soccer apparel and soccer-focused merchandise.


“When we created Chupacabras Corner, I was like, ‘I don't know if it's gonna sell one t-shirt a month or it's gonna sell $8,000 worth of merchandise a month, but I do know it's great promotion to thousands of people who are coming in just because they're shopping down here’,” Hitchcock said. “The reality is, it is selling close to $8,000 worth of Chupacabras merchandise a month.”

Diving in deeper

Hitchcock, a soccer management executive and former FC Dallas general manager, has ownership in 19 other soccer teams across the country. The Chupacabras were formed when Hitchcock decided to launch a “hometown team” in McKinney where he lives and works with his wife, Jamie Hitchcock.

The launch of the team involved members of the community, including a community vote to decide the team’s name and jersey design. The Chupacabras name won by more than 1,000 votes, Hitchcock said. A brand reveal event for the team held at Tupps Brewery in October 2024 drew out 400 fans.


“More than just the impressive numbers, it was the vibe, right? It was the feedback that people are like, ‘I'm so excited to have a hometown team.’ That's what we kept hearing,” Hitchcock said of the launch event.

The team played in the USL 2 League’s Mid-South Division. More than 250 players attended a series of open tryouts, and other players were recruited to the team. The team’s 30-person roster featured players from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including many from McKinney.

“These are all young men that are pursuing the dream ... They haven't made it. They're not doing it for the money. They're doing it for love of the game and pursuing the [professional] soccer dream,” Hitchcock said. “This is a stepping stone for them.”

When assembling the team, Hitchcock said he directed the staff to focus on drafting players that would support the team’s culture.


“When it comes to the on the field product, I hire staff. I give them the resources. I support them. ... All I ask that they do is just recruit for the culture,” Hitchcock said. “That culture is all about community, so we won't sign a player that's not willing to go to a player appearance, that's not willing to sign autographs.”

The team finished the season with three wins, eight losses and one draw.

“You're gonna be humbled that first year on the field, and that was our experience this year,” Hitchcock said. “But then you take from it, you learn from it, and you just commit to getting better.”

Also of note


The team saw 37 sponsors and partners sign on to support the Chupacabras, including local partners like Tupps Brewery, which produced a co-branded beer for the team called Fangtastic Lager. Tupps’ beer was sold during the team’s pregame block parties, an event sponsored by downtown McKinney-based Stuff.io and that featured live music from local bands.

“When the community comes together to hang out, listen to live music before the game and have a great beer ... it's what makes this community great,” Hitchcock said.

Hitchcock said Tupps Brewery was a priority to establish a partnership with, but said that he looked to local businesses for other sponsors.

“We had people all over the metroplex call and say, ‘Hey, we'd love to become a sponsor’. We said, ‘That's cool, thank you, but we're McKinney’,” Hitchcock said. “It's all about local businesses.”

Sponsors and partners offered other promotional Chupacabras items like:Hitchcock said the partnerships could expand, and highlight more local businesses, in the team’s second season.

“Some people see it. They have the vision, they love it, they jump in early,” Hitchcock said of the team’s sponsors. “Some people are like, “I need to see it, experience it,” but they came to a game with 4,000 other people, and they saw their customers and their neighbors and other shop owners.”

Through a partnership with McKinney ISD, the team played its home games at Ron Poe Stadium, another choice intended to focus the team in McKinney’s Historic District, Hitchcock said.

“This is about promoting this historic area and utilizing a stadium that has so much history, that's got so many cool things about it,” Hitchcock said. “What it's done for this community, not just for sports, but also just in hosting great events. We wanted to celebrate that.”

Zooming in

Aaron Werner, executive director of Visit McKinney, one of the team's sponsors and the city's tourism bureau, said the Chupacabras' first season brought new visitors to McKinney.

The new visitors drove an increase in overnight stays at local hotels, including traveling teams and family members that stayed at the Sheraton McKinney Hotel, Werner said.

"We also noticed more activity downtown on game days, with fans eating, shopping and enjoying our breweries before and after matches," Werner said in an emailed statement.

Visit McKinney became a sponsor of the team, Werner said, explaining that it fit with the organization's goal of making McKinney known as a growing sports destination.

"They brought great energy to the community, connected with local businesses and created memorable experiences for both residents and visitors," Werner said. "We are proud to support them and excited to see how they continue to grow and contribute to McKinney’s story as a destination for sports and tourism."

Looking ahead

The team’s 2026 season will begin in May and continue through July, with playoffs extending in early August. Season tickets are now available and include access to an opportunity to design and vote on the team’s official 2026 Puma game jersey.

Hitchcock said he is looking forward to forming additional partnerships for the team and capitalizing on World Cup games that will be played in North Texas.

“What we want to do ... through the Chupacabras is work with as many local companies to use the world's most popular game in the most popular year of soccer in the history of the sport in this country to help them grow their business,” he said.