Copyright The Austin Chronicle
Forget the Year of the Snake. In Austin, 2025 has been the Year of the Stuuv. Beloved goalkeeper Brad Stuver has put together a career season stopping shots for Austin FC, landing his first All-Star selection, finishing second in MLS in saves, and setting a new league record for total saves in a five-year span. This year, you could say, Stuver achieved true mastery of the goalkeeping position. As Austin FC embarks on what it hopes could be a Cinderella run through the MLS Cup Playoffs, Stuver is also on course for mastery of a different sort. The 34-year-old is set to graduate in December from Oregon State University’s Ecampus with an executive master’s in public policy, capping off a two-year effort of tackling online coursework in his spare time between matches and training sessions. “I’m definitely closer to the end of my career than I am to the beginning. So I wanted to utilize the time that I have now to position myself in a way where, when I do finally retire, I can transition into something that I’ve been building throughout my time playing,” Stuver told the Chronicle. Anyone who’s followed Stuver’s career is likely familiar with his fierce commitment – along with that of his wife, Ashley – to community impact and advocacy for causes they care deeply about. Their foundation, the Brad and Ashley Stuver Foundation, supports a litany of causes ranging from voting rights, to reproductive rights, to social equity and inclusivity, to animal welfare. “Anybody that knows Ashley and me, we’re very progressive,” Stuver said. “We want to have empathy toward everybody.” The goalkeeper also serves as vice chair of the Equality Texas Action Board, fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights in Texas. He’s moderated panels on gun violence. And perhaps most visibly, the Stuvers have worked since 2016 as organizers for the Laundry Project, which assists low-income families with laundry services. The efforts have earned Stuver a laundry list of accolades. He is currently nominated for the MLS Impact Award for the third time. He’s twice been an ESPY Humanitarian of the Year nominee. In 2023, he accepted a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, signed by Joe Biden, honoring the highest level of volunteer service. “I’ve always had this idea about, like, being part of your community and like doing things in your community,” Stuver said. “So as I’ve gotten more involved with organizations, I’ve started to see more of the behind-the-scenes and just, like, the nitty-gritty and the process of it all.” While the desire to drive community impact came naturally to Stuver, there hasn’t always been a lane for athletes to speak up on issues outside of their sport. “Early on in my career, I was always told that, like, my opinions didn’t matter, and that I should just stick to soccer. And that wasn’t just from outside people looking in. That was from people inside organizations. I was told plenty of times that in order for me to have a successful career, I just needed to focus on soccer,” Stuver said. “I think we’re in a very different world than we were eight years ago, five years ago, and so now I almost view it as like a responsibility. We’ve been given this platform. And if you don’t speak out … it’s almost like you are taking advantage of your position, and you’re not using it in a way that could be beneficial for society in general.” Through his grassroots work, Stuver said he confronted the reality that certain levels of change can only be achieved through the legislative process. In order to maximize his impact, he knew he’d have to go back to school. “This was a way to learn more about the public policy space and learn more about, like, how to create change from a legislative policy perspective. So for me, it was just kind of taking the next step on the path,” Stuver said of his decision to apply to graduate school. Like any other prospective student, Stuver had to interview for a spot in the master’s program, which, as a pro soccer player with a biology degree from Cleveland State, wasn’t particularly straightforward. However, Stuver quickly made a strong impression on the faculty, and not for his athletic achievements. “I didn’t even know he played for Austin FC initially, until I saw him in a game on television,” recalled Brent Steel, a professor in OSU’s School of Public Policy. “Brad is a phenomenal student with a strong public service ethic including a strong desire to care for those less fortunate,” Steel said. “Balancing rigorous graduate coursework with his keeper position, with all of the travel and a long season, is truly remarkable.” Steel took the opportunity to see Stuver play in person when Austin FC visited San Diego FC in May. Other professors have attended games in Portland to see their graduate student at his day job. Stuver’s coursework has covered topics from housing policy to substance abuse. This semester consists primarily of a final capstone project. He’s part of a cohort examining incivility in state legislatures. “We’re divided into two groups, quantitative and qualitative, and we’re looking at how different state legislatures operate, and just kind of, like, the decorum,” Stuver said. “Luckily, I live in Texas, and I got assigned Texas. So it’s a little easy.” Stuver is no stranger to the Texas Capitol. He and Ashley regularly attend rallies, meet with state lawmakers, and drop cards for bills. The obvious question: Does Stuver see himself running for public office one day? “No. I will say no to that question all the time, even though everyone around me says they don’t believe me,” Stuver said with a wry smile. “They see how passionate I am about these issues. But when I look at the dynamics of politicians, they’re kind of like the face of these issues… I’m more interested in being the guy behind the scenes that’s actually trying to get the job done.” Austin FC fans need not fret about losing their goalkeeper prematurely to a career change, though. Stuver signed a contract extension with Austin FC in September for two more guaranteed seasons in the Verde and Black. If he has things his way, there will be another contract extension after that. “As long as I am healthy and competing at the level that I want to be competing at, I will be playing soccer,” Stuver said. “This is the greatest privilege that anybody could ever have, and so I will be doing it until I can’t.” Austin FC began its first-round playoff series against LAFC Wednesday night, after this column went to press. For complete coverage, visit austinchronicle.com/austin-fc. This article appears in October 31 • 2025.
