Less than three years after shuttering the Utah Royals, NWSL is bringing them back.
The league said in a press release Saturday night that Utah would be the home of a new team that will begin play in 2024, confirming numerous reports to emerge in 2023.
“When we acquired Real Salt Lake last year, we said it was a matter of when, not if, the NWSL would return to Utah,” said club co-owner David Blitzer. “This has always been an integral part of our mission. With today’s announcement, we are thrilled to fulfill the promise we made to our incredible fan base.”
NWSL confirmed that the Utah Royals FC name would be used once again, and that the team would play at America First Credit Union Stadium, as they did during their first run from 2018-20.
The new club’s president will be Michelle Hyncik, who has served as Real Salt Lake’s general counsel for the past three years. Before that, she worked as senior legal counsel for MLS.
“As someone who credits my entire livelihood to my home on the pitch, I will prioritize empowering our Utah Royals players, and the young girls and boys who look up to them, through providing state of the art facilities, resources, staff, engagement, and opportunities to achieve their full potential,” said Hyncik, referencing her past as a soccer player at Harvard. “I could not be prouder to be part of this community and the Utah Soccer family as we bring world-class women’s soccer to Utah in 2024.”
“We are delighted to welcome Utah Royals FC and its dedicated fan base back into the league,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman in the league’s announcement. “The return of the women’s game to Utah, where soccer roots run deep, is a victory for players and fans alike. As the Royals begin this new chapter under the new ownership and leadership, I am confident the club will build a player-first organization equipped with the tools to thrive on and off the pitch.”
Royals redux
Utah’s first foray into NWSL began promisingly, with stars like Christen Press and Becky Sauerbrunn anchoring a team that had big ambitions. However, persistent rumors of dubious conduct in the front office, including from owner Dell Loy Hansen, exploded into public view in late August 2020.
It was a one-two punch: Hansen first gave public statements criticizing MLS players for refusing to play as a protest after the shooting of Jacob Blake, going as far as to say he might refuse to fund the team further. Later that same day, The Athletic detailed extensive allegations of racist statements and actions from Hansen.
Within days, Hansen would announce that he intended to sell the Royals, Real Salt Lake, and the MLS’s side’s USL satellite, the Real Monarchs. That move ended with NWSL selling the Royals to the Long family in Kansas City, who started the Kansas City Current in 2021. Ironically, it was the organization’s second go-around in that city, as Utah had initially been FC Kansas City from 2013-2017 only for ownership troubles to force their move to the Wasatch front.
The new version of the Royals will be NWSL’s 13th side. Further expansion is, per reports in the Wall Street Journal, slated for the San Francisco Bay area and Boston, though those teams’ start dates are not settled. Boston is believed to be on course to enter the league in 2026, but NWSL has not publicly confirmed their bid or the Bay area group.
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