National Women's Soccer League expansion
Gulati revealed that the league would initially feature teams in the following areas: Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, Western New York, New Jersey, Portland, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.[6] Four of the original NWSL teams—Western New York Flash, Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, and Sky Blue FC (New Jersey)—transitioned from the now-defunct Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league.
Shortly after the league’s launch, plans to expand to ten teams for the 2014 season emerged, with potential candidates including groups that were not part of the original eight.
By December 2013, the Dynamo announced the creation of the Houston Dash,[25] which was subsequently approved by the NWSL for the 2014 season, despite the league’s earlier statement about postponing expansion.
The club's pursuit of an NWSL franchise was officially confirmed in November, with plans to share a new stadium with the new USL Pro team, Real Monarchs .
[44][45] Meanwhile, FC Kansas City, two-time NWSL champions, faced operational challenges during the 2016–2017 offseason, including a scandal, search for new management and absentee ownership.
"[50] In December 2019, the league confirmed that it would remain at nine teams for the 2020 season and announced ongoing discussions with several ownership groups, with the potential for expansion as early as 2021.
[53][54][55][56] With no clear resolution before MLS's January 8 deadline, NWSL closed Hansen's franchise rights for Utah and opted to add a new expansion team in Kansas City.
[3][57][58] The Boston Breakers, struggling with an unstable home stadium situation and average attendance of under 3,000 fans in most seasons, were initially considered for takeover by Real Salt Lake.
On July 21, 2020, the NWSL confirmed that it had awarded expansion rights to a new group of investors to bring a team to Los Angeles for the 2022 season..[72] The team, later named Angel City FC, was backed by an investment group that included Hamm and Garciaparra, along with several celebrities like Natalie Portman, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria, Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams, Glennon Doyle, and Casey Neistat.
[72] The San Diego expansion bid initially began as a joint venture between USL side Sacramento Republic FC, investor Ronald Burkle, and WPSL team California Storm.
[73] In 2019, reports indicated that Sacramento was in advanced talks to join the NWSL in 2020, with involvement from the California Storm WPSL team, which had recently added USWNT legends Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, and Brazilian international Sissi to their board.
[3][57][58] On January 5, 2022, Real Salt Lake was sold to a group led by David Blitzer, co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and Crystal Palace F.C., and Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz.
On June 30, 2022, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed that new teams would be joining the league in 2024 at the earliest, and discussions were ongoing to renegotiate the reactivation fee for the Utah franchise.
"[83] In January 2021, reports emerged of a new ownership group (unnamed former United States women's national soccer team players, separate from the Earthquakes) being interested in bringing NWSL to San Jose, with plans to play at the PayPal Park.
Investment group Sixth Street Partners led the bid as the team's majority and controlling owners, with Sixth Street CEO Alan Waxman, former Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts, former San Francisco Giants executive Staci Slaughter, and former Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg among the club's announced board members.
[90] Among the 2022 expansion bids was a group proposing a new NWSL team in Boston, led by Juno Equity founder Jennifer Epstein as controlling manager.
[85] At the beginning of 2022 Jeff Blitzer, the new lead owner of Real Salt Lake, had mentioned the club's intention of reestablishing Utah Royals FC in NWSL.
During the Town Hall meeting, front office officials acknowledged their intention on submitting another bid and confirmed that while more potential investment has been secured, the search for a principal owner remains ongoing.
[121] Minnesota Aurora FC submitted a 2024 NWSL expansion bid in 2022 while searching for a principal owner that met the USSF Division 1 ownership guidelines.
[123] In an interview in September 2023, Carolyn Kindle, chief executive officer of MLS side St. Louis City SC, stated that she and the other owners of the club were interested in bringing a NWSL franchise to St.
[124][125] Kindle indicated that because of the robust youth soccer system in the area, and because demand for MLS tickets has outpaced supply, she believes a women's club in St. Louis would be well supported.
[131] An investment group out of Atlanta went public in early January 2015 with its intent to bring an NWSL team to the city that has already seen two incarnations of professional women's soccer in WUSA and WPS - with a website already live and a stadium already decided.
[137] The group revealed itself in February 2017 as First Team SC and announced their proposal to play in the just-announced Atlanta Sports City complex in DeKalb County.
[140] In July 2016, FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu stated in an interview on Barça TV that he wanted to "create a team that can take part in the National Women's Soccer League".
[141] The Spanish club was reportedly interested in establishing a NWSL side in New York, Los Angeles, or the San Francisco Bay area.
[143] The expansion effort was ultimately pushed back to a 2019 launch date, with Barça zeroing in on Santa Monica, California as a potential location.
While the team's coach Ben Waldrum suggested that an NWSL franchise should be a goal, he noted in June 2016 that there had been no directive from Hunt Sports Group to pursue one.
[131] Under new ownership in 2014 after having recently gone through bankruptcy,[163] USL Pro side Pittsburgh Riverhounds also expressed interest in NWSL as an expansion on top of the youth structure already in place.
On May 13, 2022, Atlanta United FC's ownership was among the seven groups Grant Wahl reported had strong interest in starting NWSL expansion teams.
[85] A bid based out of Oakland, California, was announced on November 2, 2022, as part of a strategic alliance between The Town FC and the African American Sports & Entertainment Group.
