• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 18, 2025

Expansion Teams at Forefront of NWSL’s ‘Turning Point’

  • San Diego Wave FC set an NWSL record with 20,709 spectators per game this season.
  • “They came into the league shortly after we started Angel City and it really felt like a turning point for the NWSL,” says Angel City FC leading investor Alexis Ohanian.
San Diego Wave FC forward Alex Morgan (13) celebrates with teammates after the win against the Racing Louisville FC at Snapdragon Stadium.
Abe Arredondo-USA TODAY Sports

It took just two seasons for San Diego Wave FC to make an immense impact on the National Women’s Soccer League. 

On Sunday, the Wave secured a playoff first-round bye, its second postseason berth in as many seasons, and the NWSL Shield for the league’s best regular season with a 2-0 home win against Racing Louisville. The NWSL Playoffs begin Friday, with the semifinals and San Diego’s first game on Nov. 5.

But that wasn’t all: With 30,312 fans in the stands, San Diego set an NWSL record with 20,709 spectators per game — comfortably breaking the previous record set by the Portland Thorns in 2019 (20,098). It builds on a league-wide attendance record set in early September, with over 1 million fans attending games this season. 

The Wave’s move to the brand new Snapdragon Stadium on San Diego State’s campus ahead of this season was just one of the calculated business decisions that has propelled the expansion club to so much instant success.

“A year ago, when we launched, people said, ‘What do you want the Wave to be?’ And I said, ‘Loved by the city, but a really good night out for friends and family,’” Wave president Jill Ellis told Front Office Sports. “I’ve grown up in environments where it’s as much about what’s on the field as it is about the people in the stands with you, and I think people are getting that experience when they come to our games.”

Ellis says that the club spends extensively on marketing to get people to come out to games — and that included signing American soccer legend Alex Morgan ahead of its inaugural season. 

Morgan led the NWSL in goals in 2022 and finished top five this season, but her intangible qualities also made her a huge draw.

“It was bringing a player that’s known, that’s from this area, that we can build on and we can build narratives around and start storytelling on,” says Ellis. “But that doesn’t happen without a financial commitment from ownership to really believe in the growth and the build of the club.”

San Diego’s owner Ron Burkle is part of a new wave of owners who truly believe that the women’s game will be a multibillion-dollar enterprise in the United States and are investing like it — rather than doing so for the novelty of owning a sports team on the cheap.

Another like-minded ownership group controls fellow expansion team Angel City FC, which also began play in 2022 and is in the playoffs for the first time this season.

“In March 2019, far more people were telling me I was going to lose all my money either buying or starting an NWSL club,” Angel City leading investor Alexis Ohanian tells FOS. “I just love the fact that only four years later, the atmosphere, the attitude, the mindset has shifted.”

Ohanian praises the owners that have joined the league since Angel City formed, which includes businesswoman Michele Kang, who paid a reported $35 million for a majority stake of the Washington Spirit in 2022, and Chicago Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts, who just finalized a $35.5 million purchase of the Chicago Red Stars. 

But it’s the budding rivalry in Southern California that could prove to be one of the NWSL’s most marketable aspects in the coming years.

“When we petitioned the league to come to San Diego, I remember calling Julie Uhrman at Angel City and I said, ‘We will be the best thing to happen to you because there is nothing in sports like rivalries,’” says Ellis.

“They came into the league shortly after we started Angel City and it really felt like a turning point for the NWSL,” Ohanian says. “San Diego has been, in tech we say, a fast follower.”

It’s those types of organic storylines — supported by great play on the field and good marketing off of it — that will help push the league forward financially as it continues to gain popularity in person and on television.

“There’s a belief that if you want people to invest, you have to believe in your own value,” Ellis says. “I think you’re seeing the newer ownership groups wanting that and demanding more.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Fever Ratings Fall Without Clark, but Rest of WNBA Game 1s Surge

The Indiana Fever game drew 47% fewer viewers this year.
Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back AK Dear (0) tries to outrun Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) during the second half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Despite Vote Delay, SCORE Act Negotiations Continue on Capitol Hill

Political ad campaigns during college football Saturdays continue as well.
Eric Shanks

World Cup Will Be Fox’s ‘Biggest Undertaking’ Ever

The tournament is expanding from 32 to 48 teams.

Featured Today

Premier Lacrosse League

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.

Adam Silver Walks Back Claim He’d Never Heard of Aspiration

Adam Silver spoke at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit.
Sep 14, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) gestures to a teammate after scoring against the Seattle Storm in the first quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena.
September 15, 2025

Aces Surge From Collapse to Contention With Dynasty at Stake

The turnaround started after a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
Sep 14, 2025; Bridgeview, Illinois, USA; Portland Thorns FC midfielder Olivia Moultrie (13) kicks the ball past Chicago Stars FC defender Sam Staab (3) during the second half of a match at SeatGeek Stadium.
September 16, 2025

NWSL Beefs Up Media Deal With More CBS, ESPN, Adds Victory+

The NWSL has been locked into its existing deal since last year.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 15, 2025

Tush Push Debate Heats Up in Eagles Win, Ex-NFL Rules Chief Sounds..

The Eagles are continuing to run the quarterback-sneak play.
September 14, 2025

Most NFL Home Teams Opt to Honor Charlie Kirk Before Games

Several NFL teams playing at home on Sunday recognized the late activist. Some did not.
September 14, 2025

Crawford-Alvarez Bout Draws Biggest Crowd in Vegas Boxing History

Record attendance, a big gate, and growing ambitions mark the high-profile bout.
September 14, 2025

Low-Payroll Brewers Buck the Math, Clinch First MLB Playoff Berth

Milwaukee continues to defy its market size and economic constraints.