Mile High Match: Denver Gets 16th NWSL Franchise, Hits The Pitch In ’26
Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 03:32PM By Barry Janoff
UPDATED February 20, 2025: NWSL expansion club Denver is asking the public-at-large to assist in naming the team, which is scheduled to join the league as its 16th franchise in 2026.
Choices include Denver Gold, Denver Elevate, Denver FC, Denver Peak, Colorado Summit and Colorado 14ers. People can also submit a possible name not on this list. Vote here.
January 30, 2025: Calling the decision “critical to launch our 16th team in a city with a passionate sports culture and vibrant fan base,” the NWSL confirmed today that Denver has been awarded a league franchise, scheduled to start play with the 2026 season.
NWSL said its Denver club becomes the first women’s pro sports team in a major national league to call the city home.
The franchise sold at a record $110 million expansion fee, according to industry analysts. Cleveland and Cincinnati had also been under consideration.
The league expanded from 12 to 14 teams last season with Bay FC and the Utah Royals, as well as one extra home game per team.
BOS Nation FC in Boston is joining the league as its 15th franchise, also in 2026.
The new Denver NWSL franchise said it is “finalizing plans for a purpose-built stadium for professional women’s soccer and a dedicated, purpose-built performance facility for female athletes.”
Team name, crest, colors and brand identity are still TK. The team has launched a Web site for team, ticket and other information.
“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,” commissioner Jessica Berman said via the NWSL.
“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.”
Expansion plans will not slow down with the Denver addition.
“We also have as a guidepost the other professional leagues, in particular the men’s leagues that are in and around 30 teams, and we see no reason we can’t be that size,” Berman said during a media conference call after the Denver reveal.
“How, when, and where we go will be a work in progress, and something that we’re discussing with our board, who, as you can imagine, are very ambitious and aggressive in their growth plans.” (See full article here.)
NWSL said it chose Denver as its next expansion franchise “in part due to For Denver FC, a grassroots movement to bring professional women’s soccer to the Centennial State.”
The Denver NWSL team ownership group is led by Rob Cohen, chairman and CEO of Denver-headquartered IMA Financial Group.
Ownership also includes Project Level, a subsidiary of Ariel Investments led by chairwoman Mellody Hobson and former Washington Commanders president Jason Wright; and FirstTracks Sports Ventures, led by siblings Jon-Erik Borgen and Kaia Borgen Moritz, Neelima Joshi and Dhiren Jhaveri and Molly Coors.
“Denver is one of the best sports cities in the United States and we are thrilled to bring professional women’s soccer to Colorado,” said Cohen via the NWSL.
“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.”
Cohen has been a leader in the Denver sports scene for the past 30 years. In 2001, he founded the Denver Sports Commission, which has helped bring such jewel events to the greater Denver area as the All-Star Games of MLB, NBA, NHL; the Women’s Final Four and Hockey Frozen Four.
Cohen is also a founding member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation and is the chair of the Games Hospitality Committee. He was on the Salt Lake City Bid committee that was paramount in bringing the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to Salt Lake City.
“We look forward to collaborating with our community to make Denver NWSL an inclusive and special club that all of Colorado can rally behind,” said Cohen.
According to Denver mayor Mike Johnston via the NWSL, “Despite producing some of the world’s greatest players and being home to the best sports fans in the country, Denver has been deprived of its own professional women’s team. That changes today.
“Having worked side-by-side with investors to make this happen, I know the group behind this bid is as committed to putting together a world-class experience as they are to winning, and I look forward to seeing you on opening weekend 2026. Game on.”
“With this ownership group’s vision and dedication, we are confident that Denver NWSL will set new standards for excellence on and off the pitch, inspiring the next generation of players and supporters across the Rocky Mountain region,” said Berman.
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