• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

NWSL Expansion Team Reportedly Headed for Sacramento

  • Less than a month after the Los Angeles NWSL expansion team was announced, another is reportedly close.
  • USL team Sacramento Republic FC, which will move to MLS in 2023, already has a soccer-specific stadium in the works.
NWSL Expansion Team Reportedly Headed for Sacramento
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Just weeks after Los Angeles was announced as the home of the National Women’s Soccer League’s 11th team, the league is reportedly going to add a 12th in Sacramento. 

According to The Athletic, the team will be backed by the ownership group of Sacramento Republic FC. The deal was finalized last week, and the team is slated to debut in 2021 or 2022.

Reports first surfaced in October 2019 that Sacramento Republic FC was in talks with the NWSL to launch a new team as early as 2020.

Racing Louisville FC had also announced a 2021 start date to become the league’s 10th team; Angel City, the tentative name for the Los Angeles team, is set to join in 2022. 

If a Sacramento team were to join in 2021, that would leave the NWSL with an odd number of teams as it waits for Angel City, which could complicate its schedule. 

Republic FC is scheduled to move from the USL to MLS in 2023, a year delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team also has a new soccer-specific stadium in the pipeline that would likely be used for the women’s team as well, but construction is yet to begin.

Film producer Matt Alvarez is the Sacramento owner leading the proposed NWSL expansion, according to The Athletic. In early August, he told the Sacramento Bee that the ownership group is still “in talks” with the NWSL. The lead investor in the MLS club is Ron Burkle, who also owns the Pittsburgh Penguins.

NWSL-Challenge-Cup

After Successful Challenge Cup, NWSL Teams Work to Maintain Momentum

The NWSL didn’t just successfully execute a bubble tournament that avoided a…
August 6, 2020

“With a world-class venue and inaugural MLS season on the horizon, Sacramento is rising to its rightful place in the national soccer community,” Alvarez said. “We are huge fans of women’s soccer and applaud the efforts of Commissioner (Lisa) Baird, the entire NWSL — teams, players, and investors — for their leadership in elevating the beautiful game once again. We’re excited to continue our conversations with league leadership as we explore the possibilities of adding to the rich history of women’s soccer in this region.”

Angel City made a splash with its July 21 announcement, gaining 25,000 Twitter followers within a week. The team is backed by an ownership group that includes Natalie Portman, Julie Uhrman and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, among others. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Aliyah Boston

Aliyah Boston Is Latest WNBA Player to Invest in NWSL Team

Boston joins a select group that includes Sabrina Ionescu.

Chelsea Wins $110M in FIFA’s Revamped $1B Club World Cup

Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final match.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) before game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.

Rockets Get $20 Million in Wiggle Room From New VanVleet Deal

VanVleet first signed with the Rockets in 2023.
April 20, 2025

Max Verstappen Linked to $300M Aston Martin Deal Ahead of Miami GP

Aston Martin is currently seventh in the constructors championship.
June 24, 2025

Timberwolves’ 4-Year Ownership Saga Ends As A-Rod, Lore Take Over

The unanimous approval brought a clean end to a long-disputed transaction.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
March 27, 2025

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions Gets PE Boost

The Hall of Famer’s company gains another prominent backer.
March 20, 2025

High School Sports Power Signs Eight-Figure Rights Deal in First

The deal pays roughly $1 million annually, FOS has learned.
March 20, 2025

Maxx Crosby’s Agent: Edge Rushers Set to Dominate NFL’s Non-QB Market

Maxx Crosby just signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension.
March 4, 2025

Eagles Make Saquon Barkley NFL’s Highest-Paid Running Back Ever

Barkley is coming off a historic 2024 season with the Eagles.