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A new professional sumo wrestling league will debut in the Austin area next month.

Why it matters: As violent combat sports grow in popularity — think UFC — the Sumo Championship League is betting it can sell a family-friendly version.

What they're saying: "Some of the other (combat sports) are a little rougher," league chairman and CEO Stuart Snyder tells Axios. "There's nothing here a family would be offended by. The sport is entirely based on tradition, sportsmanship and honor — things a parent can embrace."

Snyder, who has worked as an executive at WWE, Ringling Brothers and the Cartoon Network, said he selected Austin for the launch in part because of its sports environment, diversifying population, and concentration of young families.

What's happening: The league, with 45 athletes from nine countries, will hold its inaugural competition Oct. 10 at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Tickets start at about $45.

Total prize money for the event is $15,000.

Other scheduled competitions are in Chicago in November and Ontario, California, in December.

Follow the money: Snyder says he has raised $5 million to jumpstart the league. He declined to disclose the investors.

Snyder tells Axios the league is looking for a media partner to broadcast the matches. He says the goal is ultimately one "show" a month.

Zoom in: Among the athletes is Jonithan "Jiva" Pilgrim, 35, who lives in Bastrop County — he wrestled at Austin High and Texas State — and trains at Dark Circle, a sumo club in South Austin. 

"My nature is to be a warrior and a fighter, but I aspire to something that isn't just a bunch of barbarians beating their chest and blood strewn all over the floor and people covering their eyes because someone has broken an arm," Pilgrim, a quality assurance engineer at a drug store company, tells Axios.

The bottom line: The sport requires "self-control and temperance," Katie Hardeman, an adviser to Snyder and a Georgia-based sumo trainer, tells Axios.

Win or lose, "you don't bleat, you don't throw a fit, you accept what has happened and step out. It's something we're lacking as a society."

New Sumo league to hold inaugural event in Austin

The Sumo Championship League launches as more violent combat sports are ascendant.

Two sumo wrestlers grapple in the ring, one lifting the other as they clash. A ceremonial official in a patterned robe watches nearby, with a dark arena and audience in the background.

Competitors wrestle in a London sumo bout last year. Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

A new professional sumo wrestling league will <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="debut" data-vars-click-url="https://sumochampionshipleague.com/" data-vars-content-id="2a49da34-572e-469d-9720-309ab10ca343" data-vars-headline="New Sumo league to hold inaugural event in Austin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sumochampionshipleague.com/" target="_blank">debut</a> in the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Austin" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/signup/austin" data-vars-content-id="2a49da34-572e-469d-9720-309ab10ca343" data-vars-headline="New Sumo league to hold inaugural event in Austin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/signup/austin" target="_self">Austin</a> area next month.Why it matters: As violent combat sports grow in popularity — think <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="UFC" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/12/ufc-white-house-preview-trump-dana-white" data-vars-content-id="2a49da34-572e-469d-9720-309ab10ca343" data-vars-headline="New Sumo league to hold inaugural event in Austin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/12/ufc-white-house-preview-trump-dana-white" target="_self">UFC</a> — the Sumo Championship League is betting it can sell a family-friendly version.

News

Sports

Austin's largest suburban counties, once reliably Republican, have seen an eye-popping increase in the number of Democratic voters, according to county voting data.

Why it matters: The battleground for Texas' U.S. Senate race and other key November contests will play out in suburban areas, where energized Democratic voters are determined to push back on President Trump.

Stunning stat: In Williamson County, where Trump won by 2.5 percentage points in 2024, Democratic voters outnumbered Republican voters by roughly 65,000 to 52,000 in the March 2026 U.S. Senate primary.

In March 2018, by comparison, the last Trump midterm election year, 25,681 voters participated in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary and 35,675 voters cast ballots in the Republican primary.

Over that eight-year period, the overall number of registered voters in Williamson County grew from 316,004 to 455,139, a reflection of booming population growth in Texas' suburbs.

By the numbers: In Hays County, where Trump lost two years ago by 5.6 percentage points, nearly twice as many voters cast ballots in this year's Democratic U.S. Senate primary (roughly 34,000) as in the GOP primary (about 18,500).

By contrast, in the 2022 Biden midterm year, more than 15,500 votes were cast in the Republican primary and 13,000 in the Democratic one.

In 2018, Republicans cast about 12,000 votes in the Hays County U.S. Senate primary; Democrats, about 11,500.

The big picture: The number of registered voters in Hays County has increased from 162,922 in 2022 to 196,129 this year, as middle-class Austinites seek cheaper housing in the suburbs.

What they're saying: "Part of it is people being priced out of Austin and heading to surrounding localities — going to Williamson County, to Hays, to Bastrop," Kim Gilby, chair of the Williamson County Democratic Party, tells Axios about the growth in Democratic voters. "Part of it is young folks paying attention — we see more and more young people trying to become precinct chairs."

"People here are … telling us the Republican party has left them," she  says. (More voters nationally are identifying themselves as Democratic, per a new analysis by Gallup.)

The other side: "Primary turnout may reflect energy behind a specific race or candidate, but does not necessarily translate to general election turnout or down ballot performance," Michelle Evans, GOP county chair in Williamson County, tells Axios.

Neither the GOP county chair for Hays county nor the Republican Party of Texas immediately responded to an interview request.

Zoom out: Statewide, more Democratic ballots were cast (2.32 million) in the U.S. Senate race in the March primary than Republican ones (2.17 million). Both ballots featured hotly contested races for U.S. Senate.

The bottom line: Republicans are riding a three-decade winning streak in statewide elections in Texas, but Democrats point to rising Democratic turnout as a reason for optimism come November.

Texas Democrats find hope in rising suburban turnout

Austin's largest suburban counties saw a surge of Democratic turnout in the March primary.

Illustration of a blue donkey peeking through a Texas-shaped hole in a red wall.

Austin&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="largest suburban counties" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2025/01/03/fastest-growing-texas-counties-population-census" data-vars-content-id="30ba9fe7-92fa-460b-9afc-9cf1584f4a74" data-vars-headline="Texas Democrats find hope in rising suburban turnout" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2025/01/03/fastest-growing-texas-counties-population-census" target="_self">largest suburban counties</a>, once reliably Republican, have seen an eye-popping increase in the number of Democratic voters, according to county voting data.Why it matters: The battleground for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Texas&#x27; U.S. Senate race" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2026/08/20/texas-iowa-senate-election-races-midterms-close" data-vars-content-id="30ba9fe7-92fa-460b-9afc-9cf1584f4a74" data-vars-headline="Texas Democrats find hope in rising suburban turnout" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2026/08/20/texas-iowa-senate-election-races-midterms-close" target="_self">Texas&#x27; U.S. Senate race</a> and other key November contests will <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="play out" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/05/28/talarico-paxton-senate-race-texas" data-vars-content-id="30ba9fe7-92fa-460b-9afc-9cf1584f4a74" data-vars-headline="Texas Democrats find hope in rising suburban turnout" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/05/28/talarico-paxton-senate-race-texas" target="_self">play out</a> in suburban areas, where energized Democratic voters are determined to push back on President Trump.

Politics

Nonprofit boards should do more to help leaders of color participate in their organizations' strategic mission, per a new report from an Austin-based group that examines race and nonprofits.

Why it matters: In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, many nonprofits added diverse board members — but that's only half a step to producing better outcomes for the communities those boards serve, according to the report from The New Philanthropists.

What they found: Only half of board members of color interviewed by the report's authors felt confident meeting their board's fundraising expectations. (The report observes that board members of color often do not enjoy established wealth networks.)

Some participants reported being "treated as unpaid staff rather than strategic partners," the report's authors note, leading to "burnout and disengagement."

What they're saying: Board inclusion should "not just be a version of tokenism, but what lenses have you walked the world through that would help us serve the community we're serving," Denisha Jenkins, executive director of The New Philanthropists, tells Axios.

What's next: The report suggests nonprofit organizations establish clear expectations of board members, build pathways to leadership and invest in coaching, especially on fundraising, legal responsibilities and financial oversight.

The bottom line: "Bringing talented leaders of color into the boardroom is only the first step," Alex Cantu, a mentor for board members of color at the New Philanthropists, said in a statement. "If we want them to contribute fully and ultimately step into positions of greater leadership, boards have to be intentional about onboarding, mentorship, skill-building, and creating genuine opportunities to lead.

"That investment doesn't just benefit individual board members; it makes our organizations stronger and our governance better," Cantu said.

Report: Nonprofits should step up support for diverse board members

"Bringing talented leaders of color into the boardroom is only the first step," says a mentor for board members of color.

Illustration of a conference table surrounded by white chairs and one black chair

Nonprofit boards should do more to help leaders of color participate in their organizations&#x27; strategic mission, per a new report from an Austin-based group that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="examines race and nonprofits" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2022/03/29/diversity-austin-nonprofit-boards" data-vars-content-id="591e247c-f9bd-4026-bc26-2a14d40f9958" data-vars-headline="Report: Nonprofits should step up support for diverse board members" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2022/03/29/diversity-austin-nonprofit-boards" target="_self">examines race and nonprofits</a>.Why it matters: In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, many nonprofits added diverse board members — but that&#x27;s only half a step to producing better outcomes for the communities those boards serve, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the report" data-vars-click-url="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.tnpaustin.org/building-equitable-boards-report-1-in-3-board-members-of-color-report-bias-or-exclusion/__;!!Al82Z4c!1v-j_3FvRycM5Venj_Ysotf5oD4T3dGRkVpMcrE2cb6HY_DMNdvfkJSeZ5lq--VEyrfqtVnAbcuYE3pwKW3a$" data-vars-content-id="591e247c-f9bd-4026-bc26-2a14d40f9958" data-vars-headline="Report: Nonprofits should step up support for diverse board members" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.tnpaustin.org/building-equitable-boards-report-1-in-3-board-members-of-color-report-bias-or-exclusion/__;!!Al82Z4c!1v-j_3FvRycM5Venj_Ysotf5oD4T3dGRkVpMcrE2cb6HY_DMNdvfkJSeZ5lq--VEyrfqtVnAbcuYE3pwKW3a$" target="_blank">the report</a> from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The New Philanthropists" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tnpaustin.org/" data-vars-content-id="591e247c-f9bd-4026-bc26-2a14d40f9958" data-vars-headline="Report: Nonprofits should step up support for diverse board members" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tnpaustin.org/" target="_blank">The New Philanthropists</a>.

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Things to Do

I hopped into the future on Tuesday, taking one of Tesla's new Cybercabs from my home near the University of Texas campus to Sandy's, an old-fashioned hamburger spot across town. 

Why it matters: With two companies — Waymo and Tesla — now operating driverless cabs in Austin, the city feels very much like a competitive playing field for self-driving vehicles.

Other autonomous vehicle companies in testing or deployment phases in Austin include Avride, Volkswagen AMDT, Zoox and Motional.

How it works: With a user-friendly Robotaxi app you order a Tesla — either the two-door, two-seat gold Cybercab model or a four-door self-driving Model Y Tesla.

For my trip, the cost was about the same for either vehicle — $12 each way for the roughly 4-mile trip.

The passenger experience: The Cybercab felt sleek and spartan. 

Unlike a Waymo, it has no side-view mirrors and no chunky spinning lidar sensors. 

Inside, it was barren, except for a screen that allowed you to hook up your phone to use Netflix, Hulu, Apple Music or a dozen or so other apps — or play one of a handful of video games. There was also a function for adjusting the seat.

I'm nearly 6-f00t-3 and the car was plenty big for me. The trunk had enough space to hold at least a couple of hefty suitcases and backpacks. 

What happened: The pickups for my round trip were quick — I had to wait five minutes or less each way — and the ride itself easy. 

On the ride back, the driverless self-driving Model Y I selected was even what I'd call courteous — leaving space ahead of it at a stoplight, so cars headed the opposite way could turn across traffic and into a parking lot. 

Yes, but: The Cybercab dropped me off at an adjacent business (a Whataburger) with its own parking lot. 

I called customer support to ask whether it could take me to the next parking lot over. (It was no problem for me to walk the 100 or so feet, but it might be a challenge for someone with a disability.) 

"That area is blocked off," the customer service person told me. When I asked about that, he said, "I'm not at liberty to discuss that." (Sandy's is well within the Tesla Cybercab's service area, according to the app's map, and nothing was blocking the parking lot.)

When I ordered a pickup, the same thing happened — the car waited for me at the Whataburger.

Zoom out: A Cybercab rider posted recently that a trip from 99 Ranch Market to the Domain, roughly 6 miles away, took 70 minutes after the driverless taxi took a "massive south detour through East Austin."

Tesla did not immediately reply to an Axios email asking about the drop-off at Whataburger and the detour through East Austin.

Waymo has faced its own challenges in Austin and elsewhere, including vehicles blocking emergency first responders. 

🍔 The bottom line: Maybe Elon likes Whataburger more than Sandy's?

What it's like to ride a Cybercab in Austin

A Tesla Cybertaxi took us very close to our destination in Austin.

A Tesla robotaxi, stopped in a Whatburger parking lot. 

A Tesla Cybercab, stopped in a Whatburger parking lot. Sandy's, the intended destination, is on the other side of a fence. Photo: Asher Price/Axios

I hopped into the future on Tuesday, taking one of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tesla&#x27;s new Cybercabs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/04/tesla-cybercab-launch-austin" data-vars-content-id="a82331cb-7083-4f89-9259-a30a4b50f1b8" data-vars-headline="What it&#x27;s like to ride a Cybercab in Austin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/04/tesla-cybercab-launch-austin" target="_self">Tesla&#x27;s new Cybercabs</a> from my home near the University of Texas campus to Sandy&#x27;s, an old-fashioned hamburger spot across town. Why it matters: With two companies — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Waymo" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/04/28/waymo-austin-future-freeway" data-vars-content-id="a82331cb-7083-4f89-9259-a30a4b50f1b8" data-vars-headline="What it&#x27;s like to ride a Cybercab in Austin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/04/28/waymo-austin-future-freeway" target="_self">Waymo</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tesla" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/09/04/texas-tesla-cybercabs-austin" data-vars-content-id="a82331cb-7083-4f89-9259-a30a4b50f1b8" data-vars-headline="What it&#x27;s like to ride a Cybercab in Austin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/09/04/texas-tesla-cybercabs-austin" target="_self">Tesla</a> — now operating driverless cabs in Austin, the city feels very much like a competitive <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="playing field for self-driving vehicles" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/04/28/texas-testbed-safety-lags-as-avs-rapidly-expand" data-vars-content-id="a82331cb-7083-4f89-9259-a30a4b50f1b8" data-vars-headline="What it&#x27;s like to ride a Cybercab in Austin" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/04/28/texas-testbed-safety-lags-as-avs-rapidly-expand" target="_self">playing field for self-driving vehicles</a>.

Asher Price

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New Sumo league to hold inaugural event in Austin

What it's like to ride a Cybercab in Austin

Report: Nonprofits should step up support for diverse board members

Texas Democrats find hope in rising suburban turnout