Since its inception, Bay FC has stated that its NWSL team represents the whole San Francisco Bay Area. That became even more apparent when the club announced on Tuesday that it would build its training facility on Treasure Island in San Francisco, almost 50 miles away from its current stadium, PayPal Park, in San Jose.
“Treasure Island provides us an iconic location to continue to build an iconic club – it centers the Bay’s team literally in the middle of the Bay,” said Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart during the team’s announcement. “Having a permanent dedicated space that is built specifically for our players and football operations staff will allow us to continue to attract the best national and international talent and continue our club’s mission of being a catalyst for innovation and change for our athletes and the community.”
The NWSL side has been looking for a permanent training facility location after training at San Jose State University during their inaugural season.
Bay FC’s Treasure Island facility will include three training fields and state-of-the-art sporting facilities on eight and a half acres of property and will be home to its player, coaches and technical staff. Construction is slated to start in 2025, and an opening date in 2027. It will be a central part of over 40 acres of public sports facilities on the island, that also includes the San Francisco Glens home.
“We are proud to welcome Bay FC to be a part of Treasure Island and San Francisco,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
With the choice of Bay FC’s training facility near San Francisco and Oakland, it has led to speculation that both cities might be possible locations for the club’s own stadium when it decides to build its own facility.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay FC has four more years left on its contract with the San Jose Earthquakes to play at PayPal Park.
“We love playing at PayPal Park, it’s a beautiful stadium, there is not a bad seat in the house,” Stewart told the Chronicle. “Over time we want to build our own stadium, and we are just at the very beginning of understanding that journey.”
