On Tuesday, the NWSL officially announced that the Bay Area will receive an expansion team in 2024. There is currently no word on where exactly the team will play, but the investor group is committed to building state-of-the-art facilities for the new team.
Legendary leadership in the Bay Area
Sixth Street, who has investments with other sports giants in the NBA and La Liga, is the majority owner of the new team. They are joined by four legendary former national team players: Aly Wagner, Brandi Chastain, Danielle Slaton, and Leslie Osborne. Wagner, Chastain, and Slaton grew up in San Jose, and Osborne attended college at Santa Clara University. The four players, also known as the NWSL Bay Area team’s “Founding Football Four,” have heavily campaigned for a Bay Area expansion team since 2022. They will join Sixth Street in strategizing the team’s future.
💥💥ANNOUNCEMENT💥💥
— NWSL to the Bay (@nwsltothebay) April 4, 2023
Women's pro soccer is coming to the Bay!
Join us in this new chapter for Bay Area and women's sports and show your support for #NWSLtotheBay #NWSL pic.twitter.com/Xz1RZlw3FR
The NWSL’s success in California
The new Bay Area team will be the third NWSL team in California. The other teams, Angel City FC and San Diego Wave debuted in 2022. Both teams instantly drew large fanbases. Angel City had the highest average attendance in 2022 at over 19,000 spectators per match. The San Diego Wave also set a league attendance record by bringing in 32,000 fans for their first match at Snapdragon Stadium. We could see plenty of fans at NWSL games in the Bay Area if these records indicate anything. Fans in Northern California will soon be able to catch an NWSL game without driving for hours to see a match in their own state.
Where should the NWSL expand next? Let me know in the comments below. Tune into Paramount+ to watch the 2023 NWSL season. Follow me on Twitter and check out Beyond Women’s Sports for more sporting news.
