The National Women's Soccer League will welcome two new teams in 2024, and the latest California expansion side is set to call the Bay Area home. The franchise unveiled its new name and colors for the upcoming season on Thursday, going by Bay FC.
The league announced NWSL to the Bay Area in April with a record-breaking $53 million dollar expansion fee. The expansion bid was led by former U.S. women's national team players Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Aly Wagner and Danielle Slaton with majority investor Sixth Street. The investment firm has agreed to invest $125 million towards the club overall with the expansion fee included.
"Bay FC will be a uniting force, building a culture of belonging and shared pride," said Wagner, co-founder and co-chair of Bay FC.
"We will be a beacon of hope and connection, welcoming and embracing people of all backgrounds. While community is our foundation, our love of football is our reason for being. Bay FC will have the fire to be the best, and we will show up every day with intensity, competitiveness, passion and a drive to win."
It’s official. The 14th expansion club in the @nwsl will be known as Bay Football Club! ⚽️🩶@WeAreBayFC #BayFC pic.twitter.com/HkOgLNsdvl
— Bay Football Club (@wearebayfc) June 1, 2023
The new club logo features a bold "B" in gothic typography that mirrors a familiar script from the local MLB team the San Fransisco Giants. Within the letter, the design combines the city's iconic Golden Gate Bridge all inside a round badge framed by the club's name. The team's colors will be dark navy blue, warm poppy red, and fog grey.
During the announcement, Sixth Street CEO and Bay FC co-chair Alan Waxman also told media that plans for a training facility, stadium and club CEO will all be announced in the following months. A new CEO could be announced as early as June 12.
"If anyone knows how to turn a big idea into a world-changing reality, it is the Bay Area," said Waxman. "With the right investment, care, and culture, Bay FC will become as strong and dynamic as the incredible community of people it serves. We're going to activate every muscle from across this region to drive this franchise toward setting new standards of excellence. This is the beginning of the Bay FC generation, and it is going to be powerful."
