Austin FC star turns to Oregon State’s online Executive Master of Public Policy program to help carry out his advocacy and mission beyond soccer
On live national television, Brad Stuver was in the spotlight.
Five minutes into a Major League Soccer match on March 15, 2025, Stuver stood in a defensive crouch near the goal, hands poised and ready by his side. The Austin FC goalkeeper fixed his eyes on Denis Bouanga, a striker for opponent Los Angeles FC who controlled the ball 20 yards away.
Suddenly, the two Austin defenders standing between Bouanga and Stuver moved out of the way. The goal was in clear view.
Bouanga pounced.
He took one quick dribble to his right, then unleashed a blistering shot directly at the goal. The L.A. crowd of 22,111 let out an audible gasp.
But Stuver? He didn’t panic. He shuffled his feet to the left, anticipating the ball’s exact trajectory, and deflected it out of bounds with his gloved hands.
Shot saved. Threat neutralized.
“Brad Stuver always had that angle covered,” Fox TV commentator Maurice Edu said.
Covering all the angles is in the job description for goalkeepers. And if you spend a little time talking with Stuver, you’ll quickly realize that his attention to detail extends far beyond the game. It’s a necessity considering the many roles he fulfills on a weekly basis.
Not only is he in his prime as a professional soccer player — playing before sellout crowds and on TV each weekend — but he is also heavily involved as a community advocate, nonprofit board member and philanthropist in Austin, Texas.
On top of it all, he holds another title: college student. Stuver is pursuing his Executive Master of Public Policy degree online with Oregon State University. It’s the perfect program for someone with Stuver’s passion for making a positive community impact in as many ways as possible.
Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver celebrates a season-opening 1-0 win over Sporting KC on Feb. 22, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Austin FC)
His Oregon State public policy coursework is also enabling him to chart a different kind of career path, one that will involve him helping others achieve goals — rather than preventing people like Bouanga from scoring them.
“Soccer has given me a platform that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, so my wife Ashley and I have always wanted to utilize that platform to give back to the communities we live in,” said Stuver, a two-time nominee for ESPN’s Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. “But soccer is a finite thing. There will come a day where I will not play soccer anymore. I want to utilize this graduate degree to help me transition out of the sports world and more into what we’ve been doing off the field.”
A laundry list of community engagement projects
Stuver recognizes that the best way to prepare for a smooth transition out of professional sports is to stay true to his roots. At each stop in his MLS career — first with the Columbus Crew in his native Ohio (2013-2017), then with New York City FC (2018-2020) — he has devoted himself to local communities and a variety of causes.
One of the programs he and his wife have been involved with the longest is The Laundry Project, which provides free laundry services and materials to low-income families. The Stuvers are regional project directors for the program, organizing and operating numerous events to wash clothes and linens for those in need each year throughout Austin.
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Stuver also serves on the board of directors for Equality Texas, a nonprofit that works to secure equal rights for LGBTQIA+ people through political action, education, community organizing and collaboration.
Their latest venture is the Brad and Ashley Stuver Foundation, which the pair launched to support — via fundraising and volunteer efforts — other local nonprofits that advance social justice initiatives and uplift underrepresented groups.
“Our goal is to amplify the voices that may not have the reach that ours do, and we want to be a driving factor to help with these social equity issues that we see today,” Stuver said. “Some of the work that we’ve been doing is so needed here, and that has driven me even further into advocacy work.”
Finding a fit online with Oregon State
In the process, Stuver felt a desire to gain in-depth knowledge and skills that could enhance his nonprofit work. Because his time away from the soccer pitch is so connected to community engagement, he wanted to find a master’s program that aligned with his interests.
“I was looking at other graduate degrees, but at the end of the day, public policy was the one that stood out as the one that was going to help me with whatever comes next in my career,” he said.
He discovered Oregon State’s Executive Master of Public Policy degree program, and it checked the important boxes. First, all coursework is delivered online, offering maximum flexibility for an MLS player whose training, match and travel schedules are highly structured.
And second, Oregon State’s EMPP courses are known for their quality, the breadth of subject matter and the range of perspectives shared by classmates — all things that Stuver says have benefited his online learning experience.
“The thing that stuck out to me the most was the variety of courses that are offered and the topics that are discussed in the program,” he said. “There are a lot of classes at OSU that are not offered at other universities, and I’m very proud that Oregon State remains true to their ethos as a school and is still offering those courses.
“Also, it’s very cool that I’m able to talk to and learn from people in different countries and see how this type of policy relates to policies in other countries.”
‘The best feeling in the world’
After the nationally televised match in Los Angeles, Stuver boarded a plane back to Texas with his Austin FC teammates and coaches. It was a celebratory flight: Austin won 1-0 as Stuver recorded three saves.
Earning the shutout victory — or “clean sheet” in soccer lingo — meant a Texas mattress company would donate 10 mattresses to children in foster care. It was a happy example of how Stuver, even when he has the single-minded focus of helping his team win, can still play a role in positively impacting his community.
His ability to focus and allocate mental energy to the task at hand is perhaps the trait that best defines his success in a multifaceted life. He expertly manages his schedule despite competing responsibilities. It’s all part of making sure he has every angle covered.
Brad Stuver, center, uses his leg to make a save in an MLS match against Sporting KC on Feb. 22, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Austin FC)
That makes him a lot like many other Oregon State students who learn online, people who juggle work, family or other life obligations while pursuing a degree so they can build a rewarding career. Stuver is on that same path, and the EMPP program is preparing him to make an even bigger impact moving forward.
For the time being, he’ll continue to thrive on the big stage of the MLS — fulfilling one of his earliest life goals.
“This is a dream that I’ve had since I was a little kid. And to be honest with you, I probably don’t appreciate the moment as much as I should,” Stuver said. “I get yelled at all the time by my family for not appreciating the big moments and celebrating the wins and all that, because I’m so tunnel-visioned on the job. And the job is playing and winning games.
“But truly, it’s the best feeling in the world, being able to compete in these stadiums. And I’m so grateful to be able to do it.”
Learn more about Oregon State University’s online Executive Master of Public Policy program — or the Master of Public Policy program — and get started on your journey today.
