Denver Politicians Unsure About Allocating Dollars For The Local NWSL Franchise

The Denver soccer team is supposed to start play in 2026.

It appears not every member of the Denver city council is on board with spending $70 million to help the owners of the National Women’s Soccer League’s expansion Denver franchise build a stadium. Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnson wants to use taxpayers’ dollars to buy the land needed for the soccer stadium-village. The team’s majority owner wants to build a 14,500-seat stadium and surrounding entertainment district in an area called the Santa Fe Yards. The Denver team owner Rob Cohen said his ownership group will commit $300 million to the project which includes the stadium, which he estimates will cost between $150 to $200 million alone. The 14-acre site is about five miles south of downtown Denver and will include a 3.5-acre park along with mixed-used development. Where is the public money coming from? The answer? To be determined.  Some of the council members say the money should go elsewhere.

In January, the National Women’s Soccer League awarded its 16^th franchise to the Denver market. The NWSL has 14 active teams and has a Boston team which will begin play in 2026. It has been a long road for professional women’s soccer leagues in the United States. The thought in 1999, after the United States Women’s National Team won the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, that it was time to launch a league. It appeared women’s soccer found the right combination of financial support with the establishment of the Women’s United Soccer Association in 2001. The WUSA had the 1999 players and solid backing from the cable TV industry, including ESPN, Turner Sports, and PAX Net. The WUSA could not attract an audience to fill the stands or watch games on TV. It folded in 2003. The Women’s Professional Soccer started in 2009 and folded in 2012. The NWSL started play in 2013 and has struggled during its existence. Denver’s team is supposed to start in 2026.

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