Mulling Over NWSL Expansion

It feels like every major women’s sports league in the United States (U.S) is constantly considering the topic of expansion, as they balance growth with prudent financial decisions.

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This week, it was the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL’s) turn to mull over where the league would like to expand, though the front office has been clear that it is not anticipating further expansion until 2024.

In her introductory conference call with reporters, commissioner Jessica Berman acknowledged that the success of the new California clubs has increased expansion interest more than ever before.

“We’re seeing numbers being thrown around from $35 million to over $100 million. It will be interesting to see what the market will bear,” she said.

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This week, further reporting from Grant Wahl gave us an idea of who exactly is eager to add a women’s soccer team in their city.

MLS groups from Atlanta, Austin, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, and Toronto, along with independent groups from Columbus and the Bay Area, are all in the conversation, per Wahl.

Fans will remember that new ownership in Salt Lake City has the easiest path back into the league, as part of the clause that would allow for the resurrection of the Utah Royals at a lower price than expansion into a brand-new market.

Meanwhile…

Meg Linehan of The Athletic followed Wahl’s report with a list of a few other cities that are in the conversation for expansion.

READ ALSO: From Champions To Fighting For Top Four: What’s Wrong With Atlético Madrid?

Atlanta, Nashville, and Phoenix are all in the mix, with varying levels of interest in adding an NWSL side.

Berman is right. We aren’t going to know just how serious some of these bids are until a formal process is in place, and no city is going to be awarded a team for at least another year. Regardless, the level of conversation at this stage is encouraging.

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About Author

Oluwaseun Oyediji

I am a huge advocate of Women’s football after covering the Nigeria Women Football Leagues (NWFL) since 2019. An unbiased football writer with penchant for women’s in sports and historical analysis.

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