Atlanta Awarded NWSL Expansion Team Owned by Arthur Blank

Atlanta Awarded NWSL Expansion Team Owned by Arthur Blank

Atlanta has been awarded an expansion team by the NWSL, making it the league's 17th franchise. The team will be owned by AMB Sports and Entertainment, owned by Arthur Blank, who also owns the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. The new team is expected to start playing in 2028 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Discussions are ongoing between the NWSL and AMB Sports and Entertainment regarding the expansion franchise.

The expansion fee for the new Atlanta team is reported to be $165 million, higher than the previous fee paid by Denver Summit FC. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed the league's shift to rolling expansion rather than formal bidding processes. The NWSL will expand to 16 teams next year with the addition of Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC.

Atlanta has been a part of the NWSL expansion talks for nearly a decade, with the market seen as a strong candidate for expansion once Arthur Blank was ready to join the league. The city has a history of women's professional soccer with the Atlanta Beat playing in WUSA and WPS in the early 2000s. The WPS version of the Atlanta Beat even had a stadium built in Kennesaw, Georgia, in collaboration with Kennesaw State University.

In conclusion, Atlanta has been granted an NWSL expansion team, adding to the league's growing roster of franchises. The team will be owned by AMB Sports and Entertainment, with plans to start playing in 2028 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Discussions are ongoing between the league and the ownership group regarding the new franchise.