The San Antonio Spurs’ schedule for the upcoming season includes games in France and England, with a league-high 34 appearances on national TV. It also includes three “home” games in Austin.

While the Spurs continue to grow their fanbase along the I-35 corridor, they’re also trying to fund a massive arena complex set in San Antonio’s aging downtown. It’s been a delicate dance as the Spurs reaffirm their commitment to San Antonio while also growing their reach throughout Texas and abroad.

Spurs CEO RC Buford issued a carefully worded statement after the schedule release.

“San Antonio is home, and we’re looking forward to bringing our community together while reaching audiences in Austin, Paris and Manchester,” the statement read. “We’re excited for what this season will bring to our fans and proud to represent San Antonio and share the spirit, culture and community that make our city special everywhere the Spurs take the court.”

San Antonio has been the Spurs’ home since 1973, but they are only playing 36 regular-season games in the city this season due to their participation in the Global Games with international superstar Victor Wembanyama. They also added a third game in Austin early in the season, which coincides with a massive sports weekend in the Texas capital.

Back in November, Bexar County voters, where San Antonio is located, approved a measure to provide $311 million in taxpayer funding for the arena complex, which will be the crown jewel of the larger Project Marvel downtown development plan. The Spurs committed to contribute at least $500 million to construction of the new arena, which is estimated to cost $1.3 billion, while San Antonio’s city council approved $489 million in municipal bond funding. The Spurs also agreed to cover any cost overruns for the arena development.

However, the city is facing a projected budget deficit over the next two years, which affects the infrastructure development components of Project Marvel. San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wants residents to reauthorize the city’s portion of arena funding this fall, and the deadline to add the issue to November’s ballot is Monday. The San Antonio City Council will hold a meeting that morning to vote on whether to place the funding on the ballot, or fall back on the council’s previous approval of municipal bond funding.

Even if the council votes against adding the issue to the ballot, which various local reports say is expected, the project’s term sheet stipulates that San Antonio residents must vote again on whether or not to issue city bonds for the first phase of construction. City spokesperson Brian Chasnoff told the San Antonio Current that the ballot structure for the bond program has not been determined and the city council will be briefed on the matter in September.

In response to Ortiz Jones’ call for a new vote, Buford issued a statement last week that read in part, “The vote has taken place. The commitments have been made. The work is underway.”

There was widespread concern in San Antonio last fall that a failure to approve a new arena could open the door for the Spurs to relocate to Austin. As teams expand corporate partnerships and develop arenas with more luxury seating, Austin is an attractive market for the Spurs.

But the team has maintained its commitment to San Antonio and framed its expansion into Austin as a plan to make the two cities one massive market.

Adding a third “home” game in Austin on Oct. 23 is part of the Spurs’ efforts to establish a foothold in one of the country’s emerging economic and cultural hubs. It’s also a chance for the Spurs to capture attention from the massive global audience attending the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin that weekend.

Now that the team is approaching the luxury tax in future seasons for the first time in a while, the need to pull revenue from outside of San Antonio is becoming a bigger priority. The franchise has paid just $17.5 million in luxury tax over six seasons in its history, but this roster is ripe for a long foray into the tax, barring significant austerity measures. The Spurs want to win over the Austin region and boost their popularity in Europe with Wembanyama as an emerging global superstar. Maintaining this deep and talented team is a big part of that.

The Spurs have been growing their presence in Paris over the past year, with the team joining Wembanyama in France earlier this month for a series of public appearances and team-bonding events. Their presence in Austin has been persistent and deliberate. Geographic boundaries to fandom have been fading in the NBA, and Wembanyama presents a chance for them to grab a true foothold well beyond San Antonio.