The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is adding a Boston expansion team for the 2026 season, playing out of a professionalized and modernized George R. White Stadium in the core of Boston.
This will be the league’s 15th team, following the addition of two other NWSL expansion teams earlier this year, Utah Royals FC and Bay FC. The Boston expansion team will be owned by Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSC), an all-female core ownership group with deep local ties.
“I’m excited to expand the NWSL’s footprint and continue its transformative growth in our return to Boston, one of the world’s most iconic sports cities,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman via press statement. “We are very proud to welcome Boston Unity Soccer Partners to our ownership group. They bring an impressive roster of business leaders committed to continuing Boston’s legacy of sports excellence and delivering a successful team to a very passionate fanbase. We are thrilled for their entry to the league in the 2026 season and add a new chapter to the storied history of Boston sports.”
Boston Unity Soccer Partners is led by Juno Equity Founder/Boston Celtics Minority Owner Jennifer Epstein, strategic marketer and brand builder Stephanie Connaughton, Women’s Foundation of Boston Co-Founder/CFO Ami Danoff and Flybridge Capital General Partner Anna Palmer. The managing board of the Boston expansion team will include Epstein, who will serve as the controlling partner, and Connaughton, Danoff and Palmer, who will all serve as managing partners. The club is backed by an investor group that comes from all sectors of the Boston economy, with 95 percent of the invested capital invested by women and 40 percent invested by investors of color. Boston Unity Soccer Partners is the first investment for Monarch Collective, the first fund focused exclusively on investment in women’s sports, founded by Kara Nortman and Jasmine Robinson.
“Boston is the greatest sports city in the world, and we are thrilled to bring the NWSL back to this passionate fan base,” Epstein said via press release. “Our goal is to build a championship-caliber franchise that the city can be proud of, both on the pitch and in the community. We will be relentless and daring in our quest to add another chapter to the city’s unrivaled sports legacy. We thank Commissioner Berman and the NWSL board for believing in us and in Boston and are grateful for the unwavering support of Mayor Michelle Wu and her team, who have been instrumental in bringing professional women’s soccer back to Boston.”
Boston Unity Soccer Partners plans to invest in a renovation and updating of George R. White Stadium, which opened in 1949 and served the city as high-school venue.
“As the City of Champions, Boston sets the standard for athletic excellence and fans’ devotion to our teams. It’s fitting and absolutely thrilling for Boston to be a home for women’s soccer, hosting a franchise that will partner so closely with our community and especially our schools,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu via press release. “I look forward to the revitalization of White Stadium and the partnership of this team and league to create new opportunities in Franklin Park and for our student-athletes citywide.”
RELATED STORIES: New for 2024: Bay FC; Bay Area NWSL expansion team in place for 2024; Utah Royals to return as NWSL expansion team; Will Arctos investment bring back Utah Royals?; Kansas City NWSL team replaces Utah Royals FC in league lineup