This is huge news for soccer fans in the region. Tampa will be one of 10 to 12 clubs playing in the inaugural USL Super League season when play begins in August 2024. Once it is sanctioned by U.S. Soccer as a Division One league, it will rank on par with other top professional sports leagues and feature players who represent their countries in international competitions such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Olympic Games.
The markets comprising the nascent women’s league are: Charlotte, N.C., Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tex., Lexington, Ky., Phoenix, Ariz., Spokane, Wash., Tampa Bay, Fla., Tucson, Ariz., and Washington, D.C. More could be added in the weeks ahead.
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They still need to select a temporary site for games, and kits and official team names will be announced at a later date.
Professional women’s soccer coming in 2024 to the Tampa Bay Area
“You’ve got 12 professional women’s teams in this country and amazing cities and fans and players who want to be part of this movement of professional women’s sports,” USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort told ESPN. “I think that’s created the opportunity that there is now for the Super League. We’re ready and we’re excited to create that platform for all of those people.”
Gaining the Division I sanction is a key pillar of the Super League’s plans in that it will open the door to greater sponsorship, media coverage and investment.
We are all about adding another team to our Champa Bay lineup. This is all possible through the shared vision of three childhood friends. Darryl Shaw, David Laxer and Jeff Fox played soccer together in their youth for many years, long before they were recognized for their professional efforts in the Tampa Bay community. Their goal is simple; to bring the equal opportunity that women deserve, to the sport they love.
Three friends join together to bring a Super League club to the city
This will be the highest level of women’s professional sports to ever play in Tampa Bay. The Super League is equivalent to Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, the NHL, and the NFL. There have been other women’s teams in Tampa Bay at other levels over the years, but organizers hope Super League Tampa Bay will show the world that Tampa Bay is a place that celebrates female athletes and creates opportunities for their success.
Learn more by following the Tampa Club on its website.
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