The NWSL is looking to announce its 16th team by the end of the year, commissioner Jessica Berman told ESPN.
Berman said that the league is “comfortably on track” to choose both the location and ownership group for the expansion team at “the beginning of Q4” of this year.
The NWSL has been rapidly expanding over the last five years, adding Angel City FC and San Diego Wave Fc in 2019. Both the Utah Royals and Bay FC began play this year. Last year, the league announced Boston as its 15th team, which will begin play in 2026.
But the difference this time, Berman says, is the league is “starting from a more curated place.”
"We know enough to advance the process," she said. "It's self-selecting people who understand what the expectations are for investment. We wouldn't want anyone to waste their time; we don't want to waste anyone else's time.
"For where we are, the discussions feel more sophisticated and advanced because I think we're more of a proven entity."
The most recent expansion teams paid a $54 million expansion fee – up from the $2 million paid by ACFC and San Diego – as well as millions more in infrastructure.
These investments have proven to be lucrative, even in the short-term: San Diego is being sold for upwards of $120 million in a two-part sale process, it was announced in March.
While some groups from previous bids have re-engaged with the league about expansion, Berman also confirmed that there are new groups at the table, including groups in Denver and Cleveland.
Minnesota Aurora, a community-owned semi-pro team, is also in the process of submitting a bid. Finalists in the 2022 bidding process were Bay FC, Boston and a bid from a group in Tampa, Florida.
The expansion fee is expected to increase, as franchise valuations and sale prices continue to increase.
"An open sale process that's driven by an owner is an additional important litmus test from a franchise valuation perspective," Berman said, pointing to the sale prices of Portland and San Diego.
"From that perspective, if you're an investor, you get a lot of comfort in those data points because, again the more consistency we can show in the way we're driving value with different buyers and different markets, all sort of with the thread of the consistency of the NWSL, I think the more we're seeing investors lean into the opportunities."
