NWSL to return to Boston with 2026 expansion team
The National Women’s Soccer League is headed back to Boston, with an all-women led ownership group committing more than $100m to the new expansion club.
The city once hosted the Boston Breakers, a founding NWSL that ceased operations in 2018. But Jennifer Epstein, a controlling partner of the Boston Unity Soccer Partners, insisted the group will bring back the magic as a “beginning of the modern era for women’s sports.”
“The landscape has really changed dramatically in the last five years,” Jennifer Epstein, controlling partner of the Boston Unity Soccer Partners, told the Boston Globe.
“There’s a lot of attention on women’s sports right now, a global rise in fandom in not just women’s sports but in particular around women’s soccer. It’s a great moment in time. There’s a lot of momentum in the league. I like to think it’s the beginning of the modern era for women’s sports.”
Epstein will be joined by managing partners Anna Palmer, Stephanie Connaughton and Ami Kuan Danoff. The group also confirmed 95 percent of the group’s investments are from women and 40 percent comes from investors of color.
“When you think of the sports landscape here in Boston, we have five storied legacies, but you could say that there are certain things that are missing - and now there are certain things that are coming,” Epstein added.
“I think presenting female role models - and that’s not just athletes on the field but in management and ownership-level positions - is impactful, and it would be meaningful for our city, for our young people of both genders, just to understand the pathways of opportunity that are available for you. And that’s what I think we’re presenting here.”
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman officially welcomed the partnership group to the league, highlighting the importance of growth.
“I’m excited to expand the NWSL’s footprint and continue its transformative growth in our return to Boston, one of the world’s most iconic sports cities,” league commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement.
“We are very proud to welcome Boston Unity Soccer Partners to our ownership group. They bring an impressive roster of business leaders committed to continuing Boston’s legacy of sports excellence and delivering a successful team to a very passionate fanbase.”
The ownership group will refurbish White Stadium in Franklin Park in a bid to make it the team’s home, committing at least $30m to renovations.
The Boston team is set to become the 15th team in the NWSL, with a 16th team set to be announced for 2026 expansion.