SANDY, Utah, March 11, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Professional women’s soccer is returning to Utah with a familiar name and a fresh look.
The National Women’s Soccer League on Saturday announced the return of Utah Royals FC as an expansion team headed by Real Salt Lake co-owners David Blitzer and Ryan Smith. The rebranded Royals will begin play in 2024, NWSL officials said.
“We are delighted to welcome Utah Royals FC and its dedicated fan base back into the league,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a news release. “The return of the women’s game to Utah, where soccer roots run deep, is a victory for players and fans alike.”
This is the second NWSL expansion to include Utah Royals FC, which played in the league from 2018 to 2020 before the team was sold and relocated to become the Kansas City Current. When selling the team, Royals ownership retained the option to bring back the club.
“When we acquired Real Salt Lake last year, we said it was a matter of when, not if, the NWSL would return to Utah,” Blitzer said. “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.”
The Wall Street Journal estimates the new owners paid an expansion fee of $2 million to $5 million to bring back the club.
“Having professional women’s soccer back in the state has always been a top priority for David Blitzer and myself, and is very meaningful to us, the fans, our partners, and the entire state,” Smith said.
🚨 EXPANSION NEWS 🚨
The @UtahRoyalsFC will return in 2024! pic.twitter.com/lJfz3EGJDy
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 12, 2023
We are back. pic.twitter.com/4Z9ZONritT
— Utah Royals (@UtahRoyalsFC) March 12, 2023
Utah Royals FC will be led by President Michelle Hyncik, who has served as Real Salt Lake’s general counsel for the past three years, the team announced in a news release.
Prior to arriving in Utah, Hyncik spent five years working with Major League Soccer as senior legal counsel. She also was a member of the women’s soccer team during her time at Harvard University.
“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,” Hyncik said.
The club also unveiled a new logo Saturday, designed by Tovah Kaiser and and her Philadelphia-based studio Tov Creative.
“It’s super bold,” Kaiser said in a news release. “We wanted to create a brand that felt really powerful and made women feel powerful. Something that we think young women would be excited to wear and feel inspired by.”
Utah Royals FC will play at America First Credit Union Field, sharing the field with Real Salt Lake, team officials said.
“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,” Berman said.
Utah Royals FC averaged the second-highest attendance during its first NWSL stint, topping 11,000 fans per game. The team’s first game on March 28, 2018, was played in front of a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd of 19,203 in Sandy.
Four FIFA Women’s World Cup champions played for Utah Royals FC during its first three seasons: Kelley O’Hara, Christen Press, Amy Rodriguez and Becky Sauerbrunn.
