The game of soccer is extending its reach, and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has its sights set on Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Denver as the three finalist cities vying for the league's newest franchise. According to cleveland.com, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman spun the news wheel during her address in Kansas City, promising further updates in the coming weeks. The chosen city will birth its team in 2026, in tandem with Boston's BOS Nation FC.
Cleveland's bid, steered by the Cleveland Soccer Group (CSG), seems to be gunning full throttle towards the finish line with an ambitious pledge – boasting over 15,000 season ticket commitments and flaunting the city's infatuation with its sports, as evidenced by the frenzy during a recent Browns game, Michael Murphy, CSG co-founder told Crain's Cleveland in the wake of the announcement, We're thrilled to be named a finalist, he said, the former president of Gravitas Ventures reflected on the early days of on-demand video in the context of growing women's sports ventures, stating, I feel like women's sports are also in those early innings. It's so important for us to grab it now.
Getting down to brass tacks, CSG appears to have done its homework, securing a parcel near Progressive Field for a 12,500-seat stadium with expansion capabilities and a plan for a training site on the former grounds of Notre Dame College. The $150 million stadium plan touts a hybrid funding model, pairing owner capital with state and local funds, as Crain's Cleveland details. If the NWSL selection committee found Cleveland's pitch as compelling as their site visit implied, the city could soon celebrate a significant victory in soccer.
While Cleveland proposes a soccer-centric approach, Cincinnati swings in with star power as Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark joins the city’s investment ranks. As Crain reports, and not to be counted out, Denver tots its MLS heritage with the Colorado Rapids, the queen of the soccer castle; if it wins out, however, let's not forget the powerful backcourt Cleveland's bid is flexing. It's cozied with Dan Gilbert's Rock Entertainment Group and a deep-pocketed, eco-conscious Rockefeller Foundation. This combo might give this Midwestern city the edge needed to shoot and score in NWSL's expansion draft, a percolating decision expected shortly, perhaps before the ball drops this year.
Local anticipation is palpable across all three cities. Cleveland has laid groundwork since 2022, and a final NWSL nod is awaited in the coming weeks, marking the end of a marathon expansion bidding process. "As we think about the geographic footprint of our country, we know that a 14-team league is not where we will end up," Berman told ESPN in anticipation of the league's growth. This expansion doesn't just mean more soccer; it signals an overarching goal post-shift for women's sports and a foothold for promising media deals. News 5 Cleveland noted the significant investment anticipated, with expansion fees potentially rounding the $100 million mark.
