CLEVELAND — It's now a three-horse race to be the home of the National Women's Soccer League's 16th team, and Cleveland remains one of two Ohio cities in the mix.
At a press conference Friday ahead of the NWSL Championship game, Commissioner Jessica Berman announced the league has narrowed it down to three finalists: Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver. Berman has said the league plans to announce the 16th team by the end of the year.
"Not a lot of details to share here," Berman said Friday when asked about expansion. "We're just excited about being at the stage of the process where we are, particularly given all the interest leading up to this point. And we'll have news in the coming weeks."
Cleveland's chances are seen favorably by some in NWSL circles, especially since Cleveland Soccer Group's bid includes a feature thought to be of high importance for the league: the team would be the primary tenant of a women's soccer-specific stadium. In September, Cleveland Metroparks acquired nearly 13.6 acres of land from the Ohio Department of Transportation in support of CSG's efforts to build a 12,500-seat stadium across the street from Progressive Field.
CSG also has a potential plan in place for a training facility should it win the expansion race; the group has put an offer to purchase the entire site of the shuttered Notre Dame College in South Euclid to use as the headquarters and training facilities of both a prospective NWSL team as well as a third-tier men's team expected to join MLS Next Pro at some point in the next two years.
In addition to the Denver group, CSG must contend with a late push from an in-state rival bid; basketball star Caitlin Clark publicly joined the Cincinnati group this week.
“Her accomplishments and contributions to women’s sports is incredible, historic. It’s changed the game for everyone and she’s amazing," Berman said. “Having her interest in the NWSL is an honor. We couldn’t be more excited about her, having shared her own personal story about having been a young soccer player and loving the game, and her messaging around being a multisport athlete, is so important for young kids who aspire to be just like her.”
The Cincy bid is led by Major League Soccer's FC Cincinnati, which opened a soccer-specific stadium in the city in 2021. Unlike in Cleveland, however, an NWSL team would have to share that stadium with a top-flight men's team.
Earlier this year, Cleveland Soccer Group said they were seeking around $60 million in taxpayer funds to help finance the project. The group has engaged city, county and state officials to finalize the funding plan for the public-private partnership. Michael Murphy, CSG co-founder and CEO, previously told 3News' Dave Chudowsky that the total price tag for the project is $283 million.
ESPN reported a Cleveland team would plan to play in temporary venues upon launching in 2026 if their bid is accepted.
While Murphy and co-founder Nolan Gallagher, both former executives at Hollywood distribution firm Gravitas Ventures, are the public faces of the bid, the group has yet to publicly reveal a majority investor. Sports Business Journal has reported that Elizabeth Yee, an executive vice president at The Rockefeller Foundation, would be the primary investor.
The Denver ownership group, For Denver FC, has been publicly led by former Obama administration official Ben Hubbard. In comparison to the other two cities, relatively little is known publicly about Denver's bid, and its most recent effort to secure a location for a stadium was unsuccessful.
CSG is not the only group working to bring professional women's sports to Cleveland; Cavaliers owners Rock Entertainment Group announced Wednesday it plans to submit a bid for a WNBA expansion franchise.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.