NWSL stadium in the pipeline for Denver

Article posted by Coliseum, February 14^th, 2025

Image: @Denver_nwsl on X

The new National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team in Denver could get its own dedicated stadium, if the majority owner is good to his word.

Forbes said the league recently formally announced that Denver was awarded the 16th NWSL team, set to start play in 2026. It will become the city’s first top-tier women’s professional team.

The majority owner of the team is IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen. He said, “I believe it’s time for women’s sports in Denver.

“Denver is an incredible sports town. I’ve been involved in the fabric of sports in Denver for a long time. But as you probably know, we’re the largest city in the United States without a women’s professional team. So, it’s time for us to correct that.”

Currently the NWSL has 14 teams. A club in Boston will join Denver in kicking off next year. Only one other team — the Kansas City Current — has a stadium dedicated to an NWSL club.

The 11,500-capacity CPKC Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium located in Kansas City and opened for the Current’s first home match on March 16th, 2024.

Cohen said, however, that the Denver club was not ready to share details about the planned stadium and training facilities, including the site.

He added, “We’d like to build a franchise where every player wants to play here, every coach wants to coach here, every executive wants to work here. And the way that we’re going to do that is by building first-class facilities, in terms of a dedicated stadium. We’re willing to make the investments to do that.”

Cohen has prior experience in sports. He started the Denver Sports Commission, which works to bring sporting events to the city.

He was a founding member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation and was on the bid committee for the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said, “As the NWSL continues its rapid growth, we knew it was critical to launch our 16th team in a city with a passionate sports culture and vibrant fan base – and Denver is the perfect match.

“The club’s plans for a purpose-built stadium and state-of-the-art training facility demonstrate a commitment to providing world-class environments for our players and fans alike.”

Denver’s ownership group reportedly paid a league-record $110m franchise fee. Other investors include Project Level, a group led by Mellody Hobson and former Washington Commanders president Jason Wright, and FirstTracks Sports Ventures LLC.

Cohen will serve as an NWSL governor and Hobson will be alternate governor.

Hobson said, “Our whole idea is that women’s sports are at a generational shift. We’re watching it in real-time and we have a front row seat for what is happening. We want to be a part of elevating women to their rightful place in the pantheon of sports.”

The NWSL added the Utah Royals and Bay FC in 2024. The Boston’s team ownership group paid a $53 million expansion fee, the same as Bay FC. The NWSL launched in 2013 with eight teams.

Forbes further stated that groups in Cleveland and Cincinnati were also vying for the latest expansion team slot. And Berman said at the league’s first media day that the NWSL is still expanding.

She said, “Part of the effort in the next three to six months is really developing our next expansion strategy to make sure that we both capitalize on the incredible demand for an expansion team, as well as balance some of the other up-levelling of our system that needs to happen in order for us to achieve our objectives.

“So we want to be aggressive with expansion, but we also want to be strategic and smart about how we do that, and make sure that we make those decisions through the lens and our vision to be the best league in the world.”

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