REPORT: Pro Women's Soccer Coming To Denver After Record $110M Bid
The Mile High City will be home to the National Women's Soccer League’s 16th team, according to multiple news reports and Gov. Jared Polis.
Sportico and The Athletic, both relying on anonymous sources, each reported on Jan. 2 that Denver and the NWSL agreed on a record $110M expansion fee and the first payment has already been made.
The NWSL, which has 14 teams, was said to be considering Nashville, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Philadelphia in addition to Denver for its 16th franchise. The league narrowed its list of contenders to Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver in late November. A team in Boston has been approved but isn't yet playing.
Denver was first reported to be “entering exclusive negotiations” with the NWSL in mid-December, according to Sportico.
Sportico’s Dec. 17 reporting indicated that a final, signed agreement could take months or weeks to produce. Thursday’s news shows that the negotiations closed out on the low end of that prediction, with just 16 days between the initial report and the confirmation.
Polis posted Thursday on Facebook that a “formal announcement” was on the way, but he expressed excitement at “welcoming the newest National Women’s Soccer League Team to Colorado.”
The post is anchored by a large image stating “Colorado is home to the newest team in the NWSL,” with the governor’s official logo at the bottom.
“Colorado is a championship sports state and the best state in the nation for athletes to train and perform,” Polis said. “I hope to see this team join this strong legacy of winning teams grown right here in Colorado. Sports bring us together and are a critical part of who we are as Coloradans, and I couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of having a new Colorado team to cheer for.”
While Cleveland Pro Soccer, the group working to lure the NWSL to their city, admitted defeat in social media posts shortly after the December news broke, Cincinnati hasn’t been so quick to publicly concede. NWSL in Cincinnati, the official bidding group for that city, did, however, repost the Sportico article announcing Denver’s win on social media Thursday without comment.
Both Sportico and The Athletic report that the $110M expansion fee is a league record. The last record-setting expansion fee was $53M when the Bay Area and Boston teams joined the league in 2023.
Rob Cohen, CEO of IMA Financial Group, was mentioned specifically by both outlets when it came to making the payment. Cohen, who leads For Denver FC, would be the controlling owner of the new team, Sportico reported. The bid team includes retired NWSL star Jordan Angeli, sports-focused business leader Tom Dunmore, Phos CEO Nicole Glaros and Ben Hubbard, CEO of Parsyl.
Despite the news, the real estate implications of the move have not become any more clear.
The Athletic reports that the Denver soccer team has shown interest in developing a stadium of its own but will initially play at a temporary location.
For Denver FC was performing “market development and feasibility activities” surrounding sites for a stadium and training facilities, it said in a 2023 press release.
An email sent to For Denver FC’s media address was returned as not deliverable and the group did not respond to an email sent to its general inquiries inbox as of press time. Several of the group’s organizers did not respond to requests for comment. The NWSL has not made any public statements.
