San Jose is hosting the NWSL championship game for the first time Saturday — and if you ask Commissioner Jessica Berman, there may be no better stage for the league’s biggest night.
“When we went through the expansion process back in 2022–23, it was so clear that it was actually a travesty that professional women’s soccer wasn’t here in the Bay Area,” Berman said Thursday. “The history of the sport in this area, both from college as well as the icons of the Women’s National Team that grew up playing here. It was so clear that a team would be successful here.”
Despite the presence of two East Coast teams, the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC, Berman said she expected a sellout on Saturday at PayPal Park, the home of Bay FC.
Co-founded by Santa Clara University alumni Aly Wagner, Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, and Danielle Slaton and global investment firm Sixth Street, Bay FC debuted in 2024 and has been in the top five in attendance in the 14-team league in each of its first two seasons.
Despite finishing tied for last place this year, it was fourth in attendance with an average of 14,823 – a total that was boosted by the NWSL-record 40,091 fans who came to Oracle Park to watch Bay FC face the Spirit in August.
“When you look at the combination of the Founding Four… with Sixth Street’s financial backing and vision, this was going to be successful,” Berman said. “We’re really proud of what they’ve done the first two seasons, and we believe that they are not stopping in what they want to build here.”
The team opened a new training facility on Treasure Island and just hired a new Chief Revenue Officer. It is searching for a new coach after Albertin Montoyo stepped down.
“We’re really bullish on Bay FC and their ownership and their community support of their team,” Berman said.
That community support — from fans, youth clubs, and the broader Bay Area sports ecosystem — is one reason the NWSL felt confident choosing San Jose as host for the 2025 championship. The league hosted its first NWSL Awards show on Wednesday at the San Jose Civic Center and is holding a skills competition on Friday at San Jose State.
“It was really clear that it would be celebrated here and welcomed,” Berman said. “The support we’ve gotten from the local community has been unmatched.”
But the championship is also part of something larger: a historic run of major sporting events coming to the South Bay.
“We’ve been extremely excited about the idea that we can be first of the trifecta of major events that are coming to the Bay Area,” Berman said. “We know that the Super Bowl will be here in February and of course the men’s World Cup will be here in 2026 — and we get to go first.”
That momentum, she added, is fuel for both the NWSL and Bay FC as the club continues to grow its footprint.
“There’s an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm in this community for professional sports more broadly,” Berman said. “And we’re excited to show what this city is capable of in the next few days.”
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
