On Tuesday, the Town FC announced it had signed a letter of intent (LOI) to be a founding member of the WPSL Pro, a new third-division women’s professional soccer league tentatively set to launch in 2025.
“Women’s soccer is on the rise in the United States, and we believe that the WPSL PRO is a great platform for us to compete at a high level,” explained The Town FC CEO Benno Nagel during the team’s announcement. “We are committed to providing a professional environment for our players and staff, and we look forward to being a part of the future of professional women’s soccer in the Bay Area.”
WPSL is the world’s largest amateur women’s league and is a proving ground for young talent in the USA. The league’s new professional division will apply to the United States Soccer Federation to be sanctioned as a third-division professional soccer league.
The Town FC is one of five teams nationwide that have signed letters of intent to join WPSL Pro. The other initial LOI clubs are Oklahoma City FC, Sioux Falls City FC, SouthStar FC (North Texas), and Austin Rise FC.
“We are excited to take this next step in the growth of our project with WPSL PRO and remain committed to providing a new pathway for women’s soccer players to reach their full potential,” said WPSL President Sean Jones.
It is an exciting time for fans of women’s soccer in the San Francisco Bay Area. A few months ago, Bay FC was announced as the newest expansion team for the NWSL, the top pro women’s soccer league in the United States. Oakland Soul is also considering joining a potential USL women’s soccer league.
With the tremendous growth of women’s pro soccer on display with the recently completed FIFA Women’s World Cup, the WPSL leadership believes a third-division league is essential for supporting women’s soccer growth in the United States..
“We have spent months investing heavily in relationship building across every level of stakeholder in this country [and] have engaged the entire pyramid to make this announcement today in full recognition of the role that our league can play in ensuring that our country remains the top nation in women’s global soccer,” noted Nagel.
