NWSL announces Denver as its 16th franchise, to begin play in the 2026 season

January 30, 2025

The NWSL announced on Thursday that Denver will be its 16th franchise, beginning play in the 2026 season. It will be Denver’s first women’s professional sports team in a major national league.

A group led by IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen is reportedly paying a record expansion fee of $110 million. That total is more than double the $53 million paid by Bay FC and Boston when they were awarded entry, and is reportedly the largest expansion fee ever paid for a U.S. women’s sports team. yahoo!