Colorado has been supplying the NWSL with top-end talent for years.
Soon, the league could be paying it back with an expansion franchise in the Mile High City.
National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman named Denver as one of three finalists for an expansion team in a news conference on Friday.
Speaking to media members ahead of Saturday night’s championship match in Kansas City, Berman confirmed three ownership groups are vying for one slot: Denver, Cincinnati and Cleveland. The race for a 16th franchise is down from five cities to three, after two other ownership groups, one from Nashville and another from Philadelphia, were eliminated.
“We’re really enthusiastic about the final three markets we have in the process,” Berman said. “We’ll have news to share in the coming weeks as we look to close on one of those markets.”
The bid group, publicly known as “For Denver FC,” is led by Jordan Angeli, a former NWSL player from Lakewood who later became the Colorado Rapids’ Apple TV personality and a color commentator for the NWSL. Also in the group are Ben Hubbard, the CEO of insurer Parsyl; and Tom Dunmore, formerly of Major League Cricket and now VP of marketing for The Snow League, who has experience launching teams in the past with USL Championship side Indy Eleven.
A source connected to the bid told The Post on Friday that the group’s primary investor is Rob Cohen, who co-led the city’s attempt to get a WNBA franchise in the league’s most recent round of expansion — an effort that ultimately was unsuccessful.
“Denverites are the most passionate fan base in the country, and we are beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to bring an NWSL team to our city,” Mayor Mike Johnston said in a news release. “Despite producing some of the best athletes in the world, Denver is the largest American city without a professional women’s sports team. It is past time to rectify that tragedy by welcoming the NWSL to our community, and we are excited to continue these conversations with the league.”
The other two cities competing for the NWSL bid with Denver, both of which are also without women’s professional sports teams, are putting forth strong efforts as well. Cincinnati made waves Thursday as WNBA star Caitlin Clark was confirmed to be an investor in the bid’s ownership group, while Cleveland has eyes on a stadium site.
The NWSL has expanded its footprint considerably over the last few seasons, adding four teams since 2021. Cities added over the years include Louisville, Los Angeles, San Diego and returns of original hubs in Kansas City (2021) and Utah (2024), with Boston set to debut in 2026. The winning city for this upcoming expansion round will kick off in 2026.
Boston and Bay FC paid $53 million for its expansion fees. Considering two clubs were sold for well over $50 million (Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign), ESPN reported Friday the fee could approach $100 million.
At present, there are 16 Coloradans actively playing in the NWSL and three players are on rosters for Saturday’s final between the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit, which will take place at the country’s first women’s soccer-specific stadium, CPKC Park.
At the most recent Women’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, France in September, Coloradans and United States Women’s National Team stars Sophia Smith (Windsor), Lindsey Horan (Golden) and Mallory Swanson (Highlands Ranch) finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, in the vote to determine the best women’s soccer player in the world for this past year.
The For Denver FC group has put forth a strong community presence, putting on watch parties for the United States Women’s National Team and NWSL games at bars across the city since its launch in July 2023.
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