Denver is 16th team to join National Women's Soccer League

The majority owner of the new National Women's Soccer League team in Denver says there are plans to build a dedicated soccer stadium for the club.

The league on Thursday formally announced Denver was awarded the 16th NWSL team, set to start play in 2026. It will become the city's first top-tier women's professional team.

Sportico previously reported the team was acquired for a record $110 million US expansion fee. The majority owner of the team is IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen.

"I believe it's time for women's sports in Denver," Cohen told The Associated Press ahead of a news conference on Thursday. "Denver is an incredible sports town. I've been involved in the fabric of sports in Denver for a long time. But as you probably know, we're the largest city in the United States without a women's professional team. So, it's time for us to correct that."

Cohen would not confirm the expansion fee. He said the club was not ready to share details about the planned stadium and training facilities, including the site.

"We'd like to build a franchise where every player wants to play here, every coach wants to coach here, every executive wants to work here. And the way that we're going to do that is by building first-class facilities, in terms of a dedicated stadium," Cohen said. "We're willing to make the investments to do that."

Cohen has prior experience in sports. He started the Denver Sports Commission, which works to bring sporting events to the city. He was a founding member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation and was on the bid committee that for the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

The ownership group includes Project Level, a subsidiary of Ariel Investments led by the Chicago-firm's president and