Ladies’ Secret: Women’s Soccer League Has Six Investors

By Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large

The defunct WUSA is reborn. Officials at a non-profit called the Women’s Soccer Initiative Inc. (WSII) are set to announce this week that six investors have committed start-up funding to a new women’s pro soccer league that would begin in ‘08 and play a 20-game schedule, from April to October. WSII CEO Tonya Antonucci said the league will operate on a franchise model and hopes to launch with eight teams, but will start with six if necessary.

INVESTORS: Antonucci said it will cost each investor $1.5-2.5M annually to operate a team in the new league, and she identified the six initial investors as: John Hendricks, founder of The Discovery Channel and an original investor in WUSA, who has rights to a DC franchise; AEG, which has rights to greater L.A. and will play its games at The Home Depot Center that also houses the MLS Galaxy and Chivas USA; a St. Louis group, headed by attorney Jeff Cooper, who’s been leading an effort to get an MLS franchise to the city; Jack Hanks and Brent Coralli, who will head a Dallas group that will likely play in Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, home to the Hunt Sports Group-operated MLS FC Dallas; a Chicago group, whose team will play on the same Toyota Field pitch that is home to the AEG-operated MLS Fire, that includes Peter Wilt, the first President & GM of the MLS Fire who is also part of the effort to bring an expansion MLS franchise to Milwaukee; and Soccer Initiative LLC, a thus-far-nameless/faceless group that is looking at a number of Western cities.

BIG BROTHERS: Clearly the league is looking to the MLS for far more support than the original WUSA. “We believed during that league’s first iteration, and still believe today, that a strong and vibrant women’s league would be great for the game of soccer. So we are working to see how we might help,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Various industry sources said that Soccer United Marketing, MLS’ sales and marketing arm, is close to signing an agreement under which it will sell for the reborn women’s league. Garber said that and other issues, including possible doubleheaders with the two leagues, have not been finalized.

MOVING FORWARD: Antonucci said that enough of the funding has been raised to go forward with the league. There are also additional start-up costs, including posting of a bond to insure continuity of the teams and league, but she would not elaborate on those costs. The USSF unanimously approved an application sanctioning the creation of the league, which allows national team players to play.

HISTORY LESSONS: WUSA lasted three seasons and had $40M in funding, before folding in ‘03. What will make this league more viable? “We’ve crafted a business model that is realistic in terms of revenues and sustainable in terms of measured growth,” Antonucci said. Team names have not been determined. The league may or may not be called WUSA. “Some of us believe there is equity in ‘WUSA,’ others want something new,” said Antonucci. WUSA’s intellectual property rights are owned by the Women's National Team Players' Association. Antonucci said she’s had initial broadcast discussions with cable and broadcast outlets.