NWSL growth to San Francisco/San Jose Bay Space opens door for Boston, Philadelphia and extra
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The NWSL officially announced Tuesday that the Bay Area of California will get the league’s next expansion team, which will join the returning Utah Royals in Salt Lake City next year as the 13th and 14th clubs in Salt Lake City.
But surprisingly, that wasn’t the only thing the NWSL announced on the expansion front.
“The NWSL remains engaged in the expansion process with a view to adding the #15 and #16 teams,” read the announcement, marking the first time the league has officially recognized a 16-team goal.
It is widely expected that Team 15 will be in Boston. The Wall Street Journal reported in the same article in late January, revealing that the Bay Area was the other big winner in the expansion race.
That report came a month and a half after Sportico announced that racing was limited to those two markets and Tampa.
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NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman at the league’s College Draft, held in Philadelphia in January.. … Continue reading
When the NWSL brought its college draft to Philadelphia in January, a source with knowledge of the matter told The Inquirer that there had been “at least 10 formal applications,” none of which were for a team.
Then came the journal report. Although no timeline was set for Boston’s bid (largely over questions about a stadium), it set the league on a 15-team course.
It is not ideal for a league to have an odd number of teams as it makes planning difficult. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed this at a press conference last month when asked about the timetable for expansion. But she also said the league wouldn’t go to 16 teams just to have an even number.
“There’s really nothing more important than having the right owners in place, not just from a financial perspective but also from an investment perspective,” she said. “While it will continue to be a consideration – in an ideal world we prefer an even number of teams – we will always make sure we get the right outcome, which is the right owners. And never let an artificial deadline or other consideration lure you into making the wrong decision.”
Now the league is comfortable enough to move the ball forward. Along with the official announcement, Berman told Equalizer Soccer that she didn’t think “we have a cap at the moment” on where the expansion would end.
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Many local soccer fans would love to see an NWSL team in the Philadelphia area.. … Continue reading
“We are in a long-term strategic planning process,” she said. “We have to figure out what we want to be and when, and we learn more from that in the short term. Even after this process, I don’t expect that we can say that we think we just want to be 16 teams. I think the growth potential of women’s football in this country is way beyond that.”
That seems like a fair mix of ambition and caution. What is certain is that the Bay Area team has set the bar high for future candidates in the short term.
There’s plenty of money from global investment firm Sixth Street Capital, a $53 million expansion fee and promises of $125 million in total spending; and star power in former US women’s team players Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner. The team will likely play at the San Jose Earthquakes’ PayPal Park.
(Slaton also serves on the board of directors of the US Soccer Association and plays a large role in its work against abuse in women’s soccer; Wagner broadcasts NWSL games for CBS and World Cup games for Fox.)
At least the door is open. Now waiting continues to see if anyone in the Philadelphia area moves on.
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