National Women's Soccer League Announces 2021 Expansion To Louisville

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) announced Louisville as its fourth expansion franchise. The yet-to-be-named club will take the pitch in the 2021 season at the Lynn Family Stadium, which is set to open in the Spring of 2020. The under-construction 14,000-seat facility served as the backdrop for today's announcement.

"Without the investment of our ownership group, the unwavering support of our metro government, the dedication of our supporters, and the absolute dominance of Louisville City FC we would not be standing here today," said Brad Este, president of Louisville City Football Club. "Without the Lynn Family Stadium, we are not entering the NWSL."

Owned by the Soccer Holdings, LLC, the ownership group of Louisville City FC, which plays in the second-tier USL Championship, the NWSL team will be Louisville's first top-tier professional sports franchise since 1976.

While the financial terms of the NWSL expansion were not disclosed, Este noted that the ownership group knew that bringing professional soccer to Louisville in 2015 meant "investing many millions of dollars." Louisville City won back-to-back USL Championship titles in 2017 and 2018 and currently plays at Louisville Slugger Field.

"For the NWSL, when we evaluate expansion opportunities, we take into consideration the ownership and the investment that the ownership group makes into the community, said Amanda Duffy, NWSL president and former Louisville City FC president from 2014-2016. "For this state-of-the-art stadium to be already under construction and be ready to play in the 2021 season was an important piece into the decision-making process that our board of governors has made recently."

The addition of Louisville marks the tenth NWSL franchise and sixth team to affiliate with a professional men's team. The Portland Thorns, Houston Dash, Orlando Pride and Utah Royal jointly operate with MLS teams. The North Carolina Courage operates with USL's North Carolina FC.

On Sunday, the NWSL concludes its seventh season with the 2019 NWSL Championship being played in Cary, North Carolina at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Chicago Red Stars will play in their first championship game against the Courage who won the title in 2018.