CLEVELAND — From watching the excitement as Cleveland hosted the women’s NCAA Final Four last spring to the girl power on display this summer at the Paris Olympics, one thing is clear: women’s sports have never been hotter.
The people behind Cleveland Soccer Group are hoping to capitalize on that momentum by bringing women’s professional soccer and a new stadium to downtown Cleveland.
"The more I looked at this, the more I realized this is really an opportunity that we had to embrace this time," explained group Co-Founder and CEO Michael Murphy, in a recent interview with 3News anchor Dave Chudowsky.
That’s the dream, anyway. To turn a vacant 27-acre lot that many Clevelanders didn’t know existed into a brand new world-class soccer stadium.
Their argument is convincing, and last October, the Cleveland Soccer Group launched a campaign to bring the league's 16th franchise to the Cleveland market. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has previously said the league plans to name the winning bid in the fourth quarter of the year, while Cleveland has already earned the rights to field a team in MLS Next Pro, a men's professional league in US Soccer's third tier, which is expected to kick off in 2025.
In May, CSG released renderings for a proposed 12,500-seat stadium in Cleveland's Gateway District that would house both the men's and women's teams.
"We're the last top 20 market in the country without professional soccer. We would be the only women's professional sports team in the state of Ohio," Murphy explained. "So the prospects are all really good, but really what the cornerstone of our bid is the stadium that will be right here where we're sitting."
Just two years ago, they failed in their first attempt to land a franchise in the national women’s soccer league because they didn’t have a solid plan for the facility - one Murphy says, they feel they have right now.
"We've spoken a lot with our elected officials. I'm confident that they also want to get there and will help us get along. There's a framework for the way we can finance it."
Their proposal centers around that stadium concept, the first of its kind in Cleveland dedicated to featuring a women's professional sport.
"We're looking at a public-private partnership of 68% private [funds], 32% public. So considering what's happened in this city and in this state, in terms of financing for men's professional stadiums, it's a very reasonable ask," Murphy said.
In terms of support for the project from local leadership, a spokesperson for the City of Cleveland shared the following statement with 3News;
“The demand for women’s sports has rapidly grown in recent years as we’re seeing viewership increase and more and more sponsorship deals being made – an investment that is long-overdue. We saw this firsthand earlier this year when we hosted sellout crowds for the Women’s Final Four. The City has previously met with the group leading this work. We have expressed support for their efforts to bring professional women’s soccer to Cleveland. We were informed that the group submitted a compelling bid earlier this summer. It’s our understanding the league will make a decision later this year and we remain hopeful they will land on The Land for their next expansion team.”
And Cleveland Sports Commission CEO David Gilbert also expressed support for the bid, saying:
“Cleveland has a storied history of representing major sporting events on a national stage. As we have recently seen, from hosting the NFL Draft, MLB All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game, NCAA Women’s Final Four, and Pan-American Masters Games, when the spotlight is on Cleveland, we rise to the occasion" says David Gilbert, President & CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, "The National Women’s Soccer League would find in Cleveland a committed city and fan base that would support its players and make an ideal partner to continue the long-term growth of the sport. By bringing women’s soccer to Cleveland, we’re not just investing in a game. We’re investing in the future. Our track record of leveraging sports infrastructure for economic growth speaks volumes, and this can build on that momentum."
The total price tag for the project is $283 million, but Murphy argues the potential economic impact on the area could reach $4.1 billion. The 12,500-person capacity stadium would not just be used for soccer; college and high school teams will also benefit.
"Those are the type of things, music concerts can come here... [it would be just] right for certain shows in the summer outdoors."
The question remains – if they build it, will fans come? Content Director Gina Kelly says, absolutely.
"We've already exceeded the number of seats that will be in the stadium we plan to build," she said. "We have secured more than 14,000 season ticket pledges. The thing about that is that, that barely scratches the surface. What we can expect is, you know, should we get this team, is that will see another wave of support."
"We’re a global city, so that’s really why we need it," Murphy told 3News. "It could be transformative for our region really to prioritize and be a leader in women's sports."
Kelly, who has played soccer her whole life and is a current soccer parent, describes the experience of seeing professional soccer as "life-changing."
"Especially for a young athlete or someone who can be energized and lit up by sports, she said. "And there are so many girls who instantly [get the feeling of] if you can see it, you can be it."