Bay Area may get NSWL team in 2024

The Bay Area reportedly is nearing the finish line to be one of the three expansion teams in the National Women's Soccer League and would begin play in 2024, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Friday.

According to the report, the NWSL, the top-tier women's professional soccer league in the U.S., is in “advanced discussions” with groups from the Bay Area, Boston and Utah. The Bay Area and Boston groups would pay around $50 million in franchise fees. Utah would buy for between $2-5 million under an agreement reached several years ago when Utah's previous franchise moved to Kansas City.

If the bid is successful, the team would be the first major women's professional team in the Bay Area since the FC Gold Pride played for two seasons in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league from 2009-2010. Before that, there was the San Jose CyberRays of the Women's United Soccer Association that existed for three full seasons (2001-2003) and the San Jose Lazers played parts of three seasons in the American Basketball League before that league folded during the 1998 season.

Northern California's bid is fronted by several former Santa Clara and U.S. soccer stars: Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, Danielle Slaton and Leslie Osborne. Sportico reported that the bid also has financial backing from private equity firm Sixth Street, which owns part of the San Antonio Spurs as well as Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Adding a team in the Bay Area would seem natural — and long overdue —