-
Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent
The NWSL’s 14th expansion team, one that will call the San Francisco Bay Area home and begin play in 2024, has been christened Bay FC, the organization announced on Thursday.
The team, co-founded by global investment firm Sixth Street in partnership with U.S. Women’s National Team legends Brandi Chastain, Danielle Slaton, Leslie Osborne and Aly Wagner, also unveiled its brand, crest and visual identity.
– Women’s World Cup bracket and fixtures schedule
“Bay FC will be a uniting force, building a culture of belonging and shared pride,” said Wagner.” 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 Football Club is official ☑️ pic.twitter.com/5lfA9BPcaA
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 1, 2023
“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.”
The Bay Area club’s location was first announced in April as team No. 14 in the NWSL.
The logo for Bay FC shows a gothic “B” that draws inspiration from the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay’s street art scene. The bottom and top serifs also nod to the fog that blankets much of the region.
“Bridges define the Bay Area and are symbols of strength that connect us all,” said Slaton. “Bay FC will unite the region’s tapestry of different cultures, languages and ideas with shared pride and a sense of belonging. Our team will be bold and authentic, while humbly serving something greater than ourselves.”
The NWSL is playing the 2023 season with 12 teams, the most recent additions being Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave last year. The Utah Royals, who played in the NWSL from 2018 to 2020, are returning in 2024, and last month the league granted this expansion franchise to the San Francisco Bay Area. The NWSL is angling to add two more clubs by 2026.
Sixth Street’s investment in the team is the largest ever in a global women’s professional sports franchise.
Former Meta executive Sheryl Sandberg and her husband Tom Bernthal, are on the team’s board, as is former Golden State Warriors president and COO Rick Welts.
Former San Francisco Giants VP of communications Staci Slaughter is also on the board.
“If anyone knows how to turn a big idea into a world-changing reality, it is the Bay Area,” said Alan Waxman, co-chair of Bay FC and co-founder and CEO of Sixth Street.
“Street art and street style are central to the soul of the Bay Area and were a big inspiration for this brand,” said Benny Gold, legendary local streetwear designer behind the club’s “B” logo.