If you renewed into the 25-match Evergreen Membership, one of your 2026 Seattle Sounders Alliance member benefits is a RAINS Storm Breaker rain jacket. Eligible members whose accounts are in good standing are expected to receive an email in late September with instructions for selecting a jacket size and placing an order.
Because several Alliance Council members have had the opportunity to try on the jacket, the Alliance Council gathered their feedback to help Alliance members make a more informed sizing decision.
What Jacket Are Alliance Members Receiving?
The Alliance member jacket is the RAINS Storm Breaker W3, a lightweight, unisex rain jacket designed primarily for protection from rain and wind.
Model: RAINS Storm Breaker W3
Color: Black
Retail price: $140
Available sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
Weight: 18 oz.
Material: 100% polyester with RAINS signature PU coating
Water column: 5,000 mm
Water protection: W3, intended for light rain
Wind protection: Designed to help protect against windchill
Fit: Sporty/unisex
RAINS describes the Storm Breaker as a lightweight raincoat featuring smooth PU fabric, welded seams, and weather-resistant hardware.
The most consistent feedback from Alliance Council members who tried on the jacket is that the Storm Breaker runs large. RAINS also notes that its rainwear generally has a roomier fit to accommodate layering.
As a result, members may want to consider ordering one size smaller than their usual jacket size.
This is based on Alliance Council member experience and is not an official RAINS sizing recommendation or guarantee. Individual fit preferences and body types vary.
If you have the opportunity to try on the jacket before ordering, that remains the best way to determine your size.
What Should I Consider When Choosing a Size?
When trying on the jacket, consider both how it fits on its own and what you expect to wear underneath it.
Check that:
Your shoulders fit comfortably.
You can zip the jacket easily.
You can raise and move your arms without restriction.
The sleeves are not excessively long.
There is enough room for your typical layers without the jacket feeling unnecessarily oversized.
If you cannot try the jacket on, Alliance Council member feedback suggests considering one size smaller than your usual size.
However, if you plan to wear the jacket over a sweatshirt, hoodie, fleece, or other substantial layers during colder matches, your regular size may provide useful additional room.
Is the Storm Breaker a Warm Jacket?
No. The Storm Breaker is not an insulated winter coat. It is best considered a lightweight rain and wind shell.
Alliance Council members who tried it described the material as thin and lightweight. For colder conditions, an additional insulating layer may be appropriate.
Consider the following approach:
Warm and rainy: Wear the Storm Breaker over a shirt or other light layer.
Cool and rainy: Add a sweatshirt, hoodie, fleece, or similar layer underneath.
Cold weather: Use the Storm Breaker as your outer rain and wind shell with appropriate insulation underneath.
When Will Alliance Members Order Their Jackets?
Eligible Alliance members who renewed into the 25-match Evergreen Membership and whose accounts are in good standing are expected to receive an email in late September with instructions for selecting a jacket size and placing their order.
Your Alliance Council Is Here to Help
The Alliance Council’s role includes helping ensure that Alliance members have the information they need to get the most from their membership.
After members began asking about the jacket’s sizing and fit, the Council gathered firsthand feedback from members who had tried it on and shared that information with the broader Alliance.
If you have additional questions or feedback about your Sounders membership experience, we encourage you to share them with your Alliance Council. Member experiences help inform the Council’s representation of the Alliance and its advocacy for improvements to the overall membership experience.
The 2026 Annual Business Meeting will take place on Saturday, September 26, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. at Lumen Field. The meeting will be held prior to the Sounders match, which kicks off at 5:30 p.m.
Alliance Members will have the opportunity to hear directly from Sounders FC leadership about the current state of the Club, plans for the future, and other key developments. The meeting will also include a Q&A session.
The following Club leaders are tentatively scheduled to participate:
Adrian Hanauer, Majority Owner
Craig Waibel, General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer
Courtney Carter, Chief Revenue Officer
Sean Coury, Chief Financial Officer
Please RSVP using this link and submit any questions or topics you would like addressed during the meeting.
The 2026 GM Vote will take place starting in October, exact dates TBD.
Alliance Members will have the opportunity to vote online or in person at three home matches:
Saturday, October 17
Wednesday, October 28
Saturday, November 7
A quorum of at least 40% of all Alliance Members is required for the GM Vote to be valid. We encourage all Alliance Members to participate and help ensure quorum is met.
Please stay tuned for additional information regarding the voting process, including the voting link.
Sounders FC will launch the next membership renewal process on Thursday, July 16, and this year’s renewal decision will feel different than usual.
Update: Sounders FC has shared that renewal notices will now be sent to members on Thursday, July 16. We have updated the dates in this post to reflect the new timeline.
The reason is the upcoming MLS calendar change.
Beginning in summer 2027, MLS will move to a summer-to-spring season that more closely aligns with many of the top leagues around the world. Before that new calendar begins, MLS will play a 14-game transition season (Sprint Season) from February to May 2027. For Sounders fans, that means a 7-match home schedule for the 2027 Sprint Season.
For Alliance Members, this year’s renewal process is not just about renewing for “next season” in the usual way. Members will have two main choices:
Renew for the short 2027 Sprint Season only
or
Renew for both the 2027 Sprint Season and the full 2027-28 season through the Evergreen Membership
That choice is the biggest thing to understand before renewals open.
The short version
The Sprint Season is the short transition season before MLS moves to the new calendar. It includes 7 Sounders home matches as part of a 14-game MLS regular season.
The Evergreen Membership includes the Sprint Season plus the full 2027-28 season that follows, for a total of 25 home matches.
If you do not take action during the renewal window, you will automatically renew into the Evergreen Membership on an 11-month payment plan.
That may be the right choice for many members, but it is worth reviewing your account once renewals open so you know exactly what you are renewing into.
The club will be sharing official renewal information directly with members, including full package details, pricing, deadlines, and benefit information. This post is intended to help translate the key points into a simple, member-focused overview so you can make the best decision for your seats.
Key renewal dates
Here are the important dates members should watch for:
July 16: Renewal process launches
July 16-31: Renewal decision window
August 4: First payment processed
August 17-24: Seat relocation window
August 31: New memberships open, with priority for those who placed a deposit
We strongly recommend adding these dates to your calendar, especially the July 31 renewal deadline.
Alliance Member benefits
Choosing Sprint or Evergreen does not change your core member benefits. Both options include:
Apple TV subscription
Concessions and retail discounts
Ticket return credit
Alliance Member voting rights
Core Alliance Member benefits
The biggest differences are the length of your commitment and the lower average price per game for the 25-match package.
What are the renewal options?
Sprint Season Only
The Sprint Membership includes the 7 Sounders home matches during the short transition season. It does not include the full 2027-28 season that follows.
Members who choose Sprint will have another renewal decision to make before the 2027-28 season.
This may be a good fit for members who want to renew for the transition season but are not ready to commit to the full 2027-28 season yet.
Sprint Membership pricing will increase for the Sprint Season, then return to 2026 pricing for the 2027-28 membership cycle. Inaugural pricing will remain in place where applicable.
Evergreen Membership
The Evergreen Membership includes both the short Sprint Season and the full 2027-28 season.
This is likely the best fit for members who know they want to continue with their seats through the transition season and into the first full season under the new MLS calendar.
Members selecting Evergreen will receive:
Flat base membership pricing for the Sprint Season and the 2027-28 season with no price increase from 2026-27 season
A streamlined renewal process, with no need to renew again until the 2028-29 season
A premium renewal gift, a Rains + Sounders jacket, allocated one per seat
Access to the new “Life Happens Opt Out” program
Members may still see a slight increase because of local sales tax changes, but the base membership price will not change for Evergreen Members during this renewal cycle.
Most importantly, Evergreen is the default renewal option if members do not make a change during the renewal window.
No action means Evergreen
One of the most important things to know:
If you do not take action during the renewal window, you will automatically renew into the Evergreen Membership on an 11-month payment plan.
For many members, that may be exactly what they want. But because this is not a normal renewal year, every member should review their options when the renewal information arrives.
“Life Happens” Opt Out
For members selecting the Evergreen Membership, the Sounders are introducing a Life Happens Opt Out program.
This program is for Evergreen Members who experience a life change that impacts their ability to continue their membership into the 2027-28 season. Members who have completed their last payment and are fully paid will have a window in June to use the “Life Happens Opt Out” if needed. Members who opt out will receive a 90% refund (with 10% retained as a processing fee).
Alliance Council does not yet have the full details of this program, so members who think they may need this option should review the club’s official renewal information carefully and contact their ticket representative with questions.
Alliance Council will keep listening
Alliance Council’s goal is to help Sounders Alliance members understand the renewal process, ask informed questions, and share feedback with the club.
We’ve included a handful of questions and answers below. As more details are released, we will continue to review the information and help members navigate the process.
If you have questions, concerns, or feedback about renewals, please reach out to Alliance Council or talk with us at an upcoming match.
FAQ
Why is there a Sprint Season?
MLS is changing its calendar so future seasons will run more like many global soccer leagues, starting in the summer and ending in the spring.
To get from the current calendar to the new calendar, MLS will first play a shorter transition season in early 2027. That is the Sprint Season.
The Sprint Season will run from February to May 2027 and include a 14-game regular season, with each club playing 7 home matches and 7 away matches.
After that, the first full season under the new format will begin in summer 2027 and continue into spring 2028, with a winter break built into the schedule.
What is the ticket return credit?
Ticket return credit will continue as a member benefit.
Sprint and Evergreen Memberships can return two games for the Sprint Season.
For the full 2027-28 season, return ticket credit returns to normal with Alliance Members able to return 7 or 8 games, depending on their ticket type (club, etc.).
Members should review their official renewal materials for full details on how ticket return credit works, when it can be used, and if their membership qualifies for 7 or 8 games in 2027-28.
Is there a pay-in-full credit?
Members who choose a qualifying full package and pay in full will receive a $100 credit that can be used toward concessions or retail.
This is a helpful benefit for members who prefer to pay all at once and know they will be spending money at matches throughout the season.
What is the renewal gift?
The premium renewal gift is a RAINS + Sounders jacket, allocated one per seat for Evergreen memberships.
Rains is a well-known outerwear brand, and similar jackets often retail around $170. The club is also considering opportunities for members to try on jacket sizes at select matches before placing their order.
More details should be included in the official renewal materials.
Is Apple TV still included?
Yes. Apple TV subscription remains included with both membership options.
Can I change my payment method, split payments or payment schedule?
The club’s newer ticketing and account system will offer more flexibility for managing payments. Members should review their account once renewals open to confirm payment method, payment schedule, and available options like splitting payments with a friend.
Because the first payment will process on August 4, it is a good idea to review your payment information before that date.
Will pricing change?
For Evergreen Members, base membership pricing will remain flat for the Sprint Season and the 2027-28 season.
Members may still see a slight increase related to local sales tax changes. The increase is approximately 0.6%.
As always, members should review the final pricing shown in their account and reach out to their ticket representative with any questions.
What about gate timing and matchday access?
We know gate timing and early access are important topics for many members.
At this time, gate timing for next season is still to be determined. The club has not committed to specific gate opening times, so members should watch for additional updates as the season approaches.
Alliance Council will continue to ask questions and share member feedback on this topic.
The Seattle Sounders FC Alliance Council held its meeting on December 3, 2024, at the Sounders Performance Center and Clubhouse, with 19 of 20 members present either in person or via Teams. The meeting began with introductions of three new council members: Patrick Holmes, Tyler Schnaidt, and Amanda Shellenberger. Council President Cameron Collins announced he would not seek re-election after five years in office, thanked the council for the opportunity to serve, and humorously pardoned Sammy the Sounder for a past incident. Elections for the Executive Committee followed, resulting in Duane Nakamura as President, Lucas Michaud as Vice-President, Cameron Collins as Secretary, and Nicholaus Biela and Jerry Neil as At-Large Members. The meeting adjourned unanimously.
In August I reminded owners and front office decision-makers that our General Manager was eligible for recall vote as soon as the last whistle blew on regular season play. I looked right at Garth Lagerwey and said, “This is not a time for people to tell you they have your back. They need to have your back.” In a year with some Front Office decisions that really made people angry, Alliance Members were ready to make him pay for it. Only four months later, late at night on December tenth, I got to congratulate him and shake his father’s hand (and wipe a few of my own joyful tears). In March 2016, my in-boxes were full of hate mail over the mobile-only ticketing decision the Alliance Council didn’t influence, and in November we watched our boys advance to the Final. We learned quickly that no matter what the conversation is about “rebuilding” or “loyalty,” our fan base has little patience for it. The loyalty is deep with only a few: we have work to do there. In late spring and early summer there was incoming communication with threatening tones, and in November we finally got to drop the word “interim” from Head Coach Brian Schmetzer: at the Annual Business Meeting he shared the love Schmetz-style with all of you.
Our meeting was March 7th, and included nearly an hour of conversation with the Sounders’ marketing team. The first half of the meeting was a presentation and Q&A with Vice President of Marketing, Kyle Sheldon. They reviewed the look and feel of the schedule posters and banners for the stadium. They have put an emphasis on the Rave Green – back to basics for marketing. One other thing they have prioritized is standardizing things across all elements from banners to graphics and between different channels from web to mobile to different social platforms to provide a better experience to the consumer. Their focus is on local growth but thinking globally as well. We reviewed some of the work around the season ticket box and delivery including the Golden ticket promotion.
There will be a few new things, too. They will be deploying signs on game day to help fans experience all the game day events and activities. There is now a printed match day program (also available digitally) with a focus on the storytelling: March has articles on both The Save and Brian Schmetzer. The last thing we covered was the surprise: getting the giant MLS Cup, the very one from the match in Toronto, for the season. At the time of the meeting they were still working out the details but as many of you saw it is currently sitting behind section 124. Darla Langdon and Alex Eagleton are the follow-up team for marketing.
After a quick break, we moved on to a review of Articles including the Honorary Chair secondary reading. The article was voted on and passed unanimously. Next up was Article 4 and dealing with when the Annual Business Meeting can be held. The requested change is to ensure we can review the regular season that has just concluded rather than have it scheduled in the beginning of the season or some other time. We discussed the verbiage around how we deal with any changes to the MLS schedule. The discussion went into the ability of the Council to put on the Business Meeting without the help of the Sounders front office. Final was the updates to Bylaw 7 (Supporter Group) which was discussed with 4 different representatives from Supporter Groups (changes stemmed from the proposed updates to the constitution in October).
We discussed steps to take should Stars for All not receive full support from the league. Luckily, we got a temporary solution shortly after the last meeting. We will continue to work for a resolution where all teams going forward will have #StarsForAll.
That’s all from March. There is also the video recap with Martin and Cameron posted. Sorry for the delay in getting this version out, life got in the way this month.
It’s 2017, and we’re Brian Schmetzer’s Rave Green Army. The team are the championest champions ever. We’ve had some sad moments saying goodbye to some heroes, and we’re still waiting to hear about a few more we love. When I get sad or worried about them, I go watch the celebration videos again and look at them in their proudest moments. It helps a little.
This past Tuesday, we met with Garth Lagerwey who shared with us a tiny bit about what it was like to have some of those meetings on Sunday morning after winning the Cup. You’ve read the article, he called the meetings “brutal.” Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t insinuating that it was worse for him than the others, but you’d have to be inhuman to not be impacted. He was certainly impacted. Dear MLS: There is nothing about this timing that is a good idea. Let the winners be champions for a few days before this happens. Fix it.
Move forward with our love, Champions. Once a Sounder, ALWAYS A SOUNDER.
We’ve been hearing from you – a lot of you. You want to know what will have stars, where to find stars, if we can get a tattoo artist for stars. It’s a little bit overwhelming to try to manage the expectations at this point, but I’m in love with the enthusiasm. Of course, it wouldn’t be MLS if they didn’t take something that was functioning perfectly well and change it up, so here are the updated rules for all things stars and jerseys: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/02/04/here-s-what-s-changing-about-championship-stars-mls-jerseys-year .
Shortly after our win, I was in touch with Taylor and Mikaela about the whole star situation, what to expect, etcetra. Bart Wiley had met with adidas prior to the MLS Cup match to discuss stars and the 2017 jersey. I’m sure Toronto FC had a similar meeting with their representative. Taylor updated me that Sounders FC were in a persistent conversation with adidas regarding women’s jerseys. Current rules are that only authentic jerseys receive the stars. When I went forward with this question, Sounders’ FO was already all over it and lobbying for us hard. By definition, women’s jerseys (and kids) are replica jerseys as there are no women or kids on the team, and none on the team wear women’s or kids’ jerseys. So it’s a sticking point – but I am so proud and honored that our front office wasn’t going to just let this slide. I can’t predict the outcome, and they are so busy that I’m trying not to pester them with things beyond their control. But I’m really proud that they took this on for us and you should be too.
Some products are ordered and finalized during the regular season – don’t expect to see stars on the clear plastic bags – we can take gold pens to those. Scarves, well I really doubt it since the design contest deadline makes me familiar with the production calendar (I’m sure they were manufactured before our season ended). There is simply a ton of work which has to be done early in order to have merchandise for all of us at the start of the season. But with the responses I’ve gotten to my inquiry, I’m confident in the efforts our Club has made to get as much merchandise updated as humanly possible.
Happy New Year, Rave Green Army!
Alliance Council has our first official meeting next Tuesday (January 10th) where we’ll elect our Executive Committee for the year. At the end of January, all candidates’ votes will go to zero and voting will start over for 2017. If you’re considering running, you might want to wait until after that reset date and then nominate yourself at this link. If you’d like more information about it, shoot us an email and we’ll get back to you quickly.
In only two and a half months, we’ll be welcoming our men back to Century Link as Champions. Dang it, someone is chopping onions in my house again.
The first hour of the October Alliance meeting was a discussion around the Rave Foundation provided by Maya Mendoza-Exstrom – General Counsel for Sounders and Executive Director of Rave Foundation. The Rave Foundation is the charitable arm of the Sounders FC that was started in 2013 internally but official launched to the public in July 2016. They are a 501 c3 and a close partner to the for-profit Sounders. They have been working on community outreach and hosting events for kids and communities to get people playing soccer and getting soccer balls into the hands of young people.
For 2017 they will be focused on the following areas: building urban accessible fields (small soccer fields) in the communities that need access to soccer facilities, and creating a culture where pickup soccer can happen – not just the organized, pay to play soccer opportunities for youth. One such field that has been already built it at Beverly Park Elementary where they built a mini-pitch.
They have big goals over the next 10 years, 5 community small fields, 2 Seattle community-centric small fields (targeting iconic areas), distribute soccer balls (10,000) to area kids, and continue supporting pop-up games to encourage free play anywhere. The Foundation wants to remove barriers to participate in soccer, strengthen the communities, and all the ways soccer helps address challenges in our communities.
Yesler Terrace is the first location for the Rave fields (park around the Yesler Community Center). The field will support full field as well as split field games with goals on both ends and sides of the field. It’s going to be a unique location in Seattle and model for parks going forward. Not many places in the immediate area have access to soccer fields plus the right leadership and advocates in the community, therefore making this a great location for the first field.
Next up is bringing the Rave field to Pier 62 at the waterfront. There will be a semi-permanent soccer field that will be similar to the Yesler size. This is the doorstep to Seattle and contributes to the culture of the city.
The Rave Foundation has given out 292 soccer balls and held 83 popup games to date. They will be working on fundraising and the next locations for Rave fields by reaching out to communities and their leaders.
The remaining hour was spent finalizing some items around the Constitution and By-Law changes (which likely everyone reading this has seen by now), discussion around the scarf vote (over 4,ooo people placed their vote) and the Annual Business meeting, which is scheduled for 11/2. Executive Committee Member, Martin Buckley created this nifty survey if you don’t want to use SSFC’s or your question is longer than 150 characters.
This month was not your typical Alliance Council meeting. For the first time in my service we had a current player visit the meeting (we get former players like Taylor Graham and Roger Levesque to speak with us occasionally). Stephanie worked a surprise for us into the agenda – more on that later.
First the business part: The first was beginning the planning for the end of year business meeting that the Alliance Council helps to run. Kristina Vaughn has managed this project for the last couple of years. We want to improve attendance and make it more valuable to the fans. If you have ideas feel free to let us know (ssfcalliance@gmail.com). For now we are working on timing, location, and overall format.
Next up was the Scarf Designs that will lead to the Scarf Vote. This project has also been Kristina’s for the last couple of years. Design submissions are now open (started on 9/8) and will continue through 9/22. Be sure to get your ideas in, as you could be part of the Sounders legacy. The voting from the Alliance will be 9/28 – 10/5 and the official announcement is scheduled from the 10/12 game. The vote for the scarf will also include the Alliance vote on the changes to the Constitution that the Council has finalized.
Finally, you have a chance to meet your Alliance Council reps and those that are looking to get your votes. Be sure to come to The NINETY before the game on October 12th.
Now back to the beginning: Stephanie (in August) updated us on some really inappropriate communications that have come to the Council email this season – people insistent about meeting players, harassment, even a threat. We thought the “presentation” in the agenda was a follow up to that bit on when communication got “unexpected,” but the unexpected part was Cristian Roldan coming down the stairs behind her. She worked with Mikaela Purvis and Taylor on that for a while and kept it a surprise for us for all the work we’ve done on the Constitution.
It was great to talk with Cristian about things soccer related, his teammates, about coming to the Sounders, and playing himself in FIFA. He took an hour answering questions and asking them as well. Some of the highlights:
He joked that his brother would call himself better, so he needed to say he’s better than his brother (who is currently at the UW) but would love to play along side him for the Sounders.
He said hands down Chad Marshall is the funniest player on the team, especially on Thursdays when he puts on Stefan Frei’s clothes. He’s such a big guy he stretches them out and then Stef has to wear baggy clothes afterward.
He said Ozzie has been the player he’s learned the most from this season, also mentioned that Friberg was another source of knowledge.
When asked about the draft and dropping to the Sounders, he said he was the happiest guy and even noted the fist bump gif online by Lagerwey and Schmid.
He said he likes to play himself in FIFA and at forward so he can score goals.
About his first goal: he kind of blacked out about it. He thinks that Brad Evans might have celebrated more. Even though they practice that play, it was the best flick from Brad he’d ever gotten – it was perfect.
And for me maybe the most important answer he gave was around advice he’d give to young players: When asked what he’d say to the seven to ten-year-olds out there, he said school was really important, they need to be sure to keep their grades up and focus on school. He said he was barely recruited in high school and was lucky some highlight tapes got in the right hands – but that he wanted kids to know it was his grades that got him into the University of Washington.
It was really a fun night, we got some work items addressed, got to have some great conversation with Roldan, and we are ready for the push to the playoffs. If you are an Alliance Member (Season Ticket Holder), be sure to vote for Alliance Council members so we can continue to work for you. ‘Til next time.
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Photo from Cedarpoint.com
