The NWSL is in the final stages of adding Denver as the league’s 16th team, a source briefed on the details of the negotiations confirmed Tuesday. Sportico was first to report the news.
The source said that the expansion fee is in the range of $105 to $120 million, which was also reported by Sportico. That’s double the $53 million expansion fee that Bay FC and BOS Nation FC paid as the 14th and 15th NWSL teams, respectively.
The NWSL has been in the final stages of announcing the 16th team, set to join the league in 2026 alongside Boston, for the final part of the year. Cleveland and Cincinnati were the two other markets on the league’s shortlist.
A spokesperson for the NWSL declined to comment on the status of expansion Tuesday afternoon.
Former women’s professional player Jordan Angeli has been involved with Denver’s bid since the beginning, forming the For Denver FC group in July of 2023, which announced its intent to bring a professional women’s team to Denver. At the time, the group was open to both the NWSL and the USL Super League.
The group now also includes Robert Cohen, chair and CEO of IMA Financial Group, who was also involved in a potential Denver WNBA expansion bid.
The ownership group has indicated it plans to build its own stadium and training facility but would expect to begin play in a temporary venue.
Denver has an extensive history of producing elite women’s soccer talent, including current U.S. women’s national team players Mallory Swanson, Lindsey Horan and Sophia Smith. The USWNT has also played several matches in Colorado over the years, with strong attendance numbers to show for it. Most recently, the team played its first match under Emma Hayes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City in front of 19,010 fans (following an exhibition game featuring the U.S. women’s deaf national team, the first doubleheader of its kind).
For the NWSL, selecting Denver as the next expansion market means they’ll be able to tap into this regional hotbed and add a Western team in proximity to Utah Royals FC without needing to oversaturate the West Coast after the addition of three California teams.
While the paperwork is not yet complete and there’s no official timeline for an announcement, Tuesday’s news eases concerns over the delay in the last major piece of news for the NWSL for 2024.
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