Denver's in, Cincinnati and Cleveland are out (for now)

I first told you last week that this announcement was probably coming - but now it's a done deal. Denver is the 16th franchise of the NWSL, set to begin play in 2026. (And, according to ESPN, the expansion fee was a whopping $110 million, a record for the NWSL and more than double what Boston paid.)

The team (there's no name announced yet...but you should hear Jody's suggestions about this - HA!) has quite the ownership group including former Washington Commanders president Jason Wright. IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen will serve as the club's controlling owner and Governor.

"Denver is one of the best sports cities in the United States, and we are thrilled to bring professional women's soccer to Colorado. We believe that bringing NWSL to Denver will be impactful and transformative. Our goal is to work closely with Denver's diverse communities to build a club that will operate with integrity and excellence from day one. We look forward to collaborating with our community to make Denver NWSL an inclusive and special club that all of Colorado can rally behind," Cohen added on the newly launched Denver NWSL website.

Cohen and the leadership group are finalizing plans for a purpose-built stadium for professional women's soccer and a dedicated, purpose-built performance facility for female athletes.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis added: “We are thrilled to welcome a new women’s soccer team to Colorado. Colorado is already a home to thriving professional sports teams, and with this new addition, we will continue to be a destination for people around the country. Just as we support all of our professional teams, I know that Colorado will show up for the league’s newest NWSL women’s soccer team. I can’t wait to catch my first match.”

Interested in season tickets? You can put down a deposit on the team's website.

What about Cincinnati and Cleveland?

Cincinnati and Cleveland were also in the running for the 16th franchise.

Cleveland Pro Soccer, the group behind the proposal to bring NWSL to Cleveland, claimed to have nearly 16,000 pledges for season tickets and was committed to building a new stadium specifically for women's soccer. It's not the first time Cleveland has been passed on either. The group applied in 2022 but was denied.

Then there's Cincinnati. WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark was part of the ownership group, it had backing from a MLS club and approved public funding for a training facility. But, the team didn't make the cut.

The NWSL commissioner didn't talk a lot about specific expansion plans in the future but did reveal that MLS, which is expanding to 30 teams this year, is a model for NWSL expansion.