NWSL’s 16th Expansion Team Choice Imminent: Dozen Prospective Owners in the Running, Claims Jessica Berman

From record ticket sales to teams reaching all-time high valuations, the NWSL is skyrocketing under commissioner Jessica Berman’s reign. Weeks back, the league’s 14th expansion team- Bay FC debuted in the NWSL by beating Angel City FC at home. Besides Bay FC, a Boston-based franchise also bid for an expansion team in 2022 and is now scheduled to start playing in the 2026 season. As per Berman’s recent admission, a 16th expansion team will join the Boston side in 2026 and ownership groups have already started bidding for the same.

Jessica Berman said that the NWSL is “comfortably on track” to choose the location and ownership group for a 16th expansion team. “We know enough to advance the process. It’s self-selecting people who understand what the expectations are for investment,” Jessica Berman told ESPN. She added that around 12 ownership groups have signed non-disclosure agreements for sanctioning a new expansion team in the 2026 season. Meanwhile, a whopping 60 teams have bid for an expansion team in 2022. Bay FC and the Boston-based club that will come in 2026 are the winners of the 2022 bid.

These two clubs paid a $53 million expansion fee which is 10 times more than what teams paid earlier. Sports investment bank Inner Circle Sports is running the NWSL’s bidding process this time as well. Now, certain ownership groups have already revealed they are bidding for an expansion team. Let’s see which cities are eyeing to have an NWSL team in the next two years.

Cities that could potentially have an NWSL team in 2026

An ownership group based in Denver has revealed they will bring a women’s soccer team either to the NWSL or the USL Super League. The group has also started to lure in investors. Besides, a Cleveland-based ownership group also aims to feature an NWSL expansion team. Additionally, as per ESPN, a community-owned semi-pro club named Minnesota Aurora is eyeing to submit a bid for the 2026 NWSL expansion team. The Minnesota Aurora is owned by 3,080 members. Furthermore, Jessica Berman has also confirmed that certain groups that bid earlier are re-engaging with the NWSL for an expansion team.

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In the 2022 bid, a Tampa Bay-based team made it to the final round with Bay FC and the Boston-based outfit. The Florida-based side is backed by Tampa Bay Rays majority owner Stuart Sternberg. Catching potential investors’ attention, Berman pointed out the Portland Thorns and the San Diego Wave FC that have seen their valuations soar. The previous owners sold the Thorns for $65 million- an erstwhile record. Last month, the San Diego Wave rewrote this record with a $113 million sale. Hence, an investment in an NWSL team seems to be a wise move after all.

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