In the NWSL’s efforts towards expansion, prospective ownership groups “have until Friday to submit their bids, with play likely to begin in 2025,” according to Marisa Ingemi of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Commissioner Jessica Berman late last week said that she “expects five to 10 ‘meaningful’ bids after as many as 82 groups had expressed interest.” The bids “won’t be announced right away,” but Berman “anticipates a ‘waning out process’ before determining which ones have a shot.” Fox Sports analyst Danielle Slaton, one of four leaders of the Bay Area expansion group (along with Leslie Osborne, Aly Wagner, and Brandi Chastain), is “optimistic about the chances of a team being awarded to the region." All four Bay Area group prospective owners are former USWNT players who have had playing careers that “involved 10 pro teams domestic and abroad.” Slaton is “hoping player-based ownership gives the Bay Area group the edge and also becomes a norm.” Other ownership groups that "have been vocal about adding a team" are in Austin, Cincinnati, Toronto and Nashville, as well as the upcoming St. Louis MLS club. The NWSL in July retained investment bank Inner Circle Sports to “lead its sale of two new teams, the first time it has worked with a bank during its expansion process.” One of the two expansion spots is “likely already accounted for,” as Real Salt Lake owner David Blitzer "owns the rights to the Utah Royals, which he has an option to bring back.” The previous Utah franchise moved to K.C. to become the Current “after ownership went to the league” in 2020. Blitzer has a roughly $2M option to "bring back the Royals, significantly lower" than the $20-50M "expansion fee the league is asking for” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/31).
