NWSL announces expansion to Kentucky in 2021

The National Women’s Soccer League has announced that Louisville, Kentucky, will field a team starting in 2021.

The new women’s team will be affiliated with Louisville City FC, which plays in the USL Championship league. Soccer Holdings LLC, Louisville City’s ownership group, will operate the team.

The team will play at Louisville City’s Lynn Family Stadium, a 14,000-seat soccer-specific venue set to open next spring. The team’s logo, crest and colors will be unveiled later this year.

The addition of Louisville will bring the league to 10 teams. In its seventh year, the NWSL is the longest-running top tier women’s professional soccer league in the United States.

“As an owner, we jumped at the chance to join this exciting league,” Soccer Holdings Chairman John Neace said in a statement. “The athleticism in the NWSL is second to none while attendance is growing. This is a sound business decision as we complete the new soccer-only stadium and expand the entertainment district around it.”

This season’s NWSL championship game between the North Carolina Courage and the Chicago Red Stars is set for Sunday in Cary, North Carolina.

The NWSL has also announced a new partnership with Octagon’s Global Media Rights Consulting and Marketing to guide the league going forward.

Louisville City won back-to-back USL Championship titles in 2017 and 2018.