Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Jessica Berman

Boston Lands Women’s Soccer Club

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced that Boston has been awarded expansion rights for the league’s 15th team to Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSC), an all-female core ownership group led by a diverse and dynamic leadership team with deep local ties. The new club is set to kick off in the 2026 season, bringing world-class women’s soccer back to the country’s No. 9 media market to play in a region with a championship legacy for a fan base that has earned a reputation as one of the most passionate in all of sports.

The announcement follows the addition of two other NWSL expansion teams earlier this year, Utah Royals FC and Bay Area FC, which are both slated to begin play in 2024. Now in its 11th season, the NWSL is the fastest-growing professional sports league in the U.S. and in 2023, shattered its previous attendance record.

“We are very proud to welcome Boston Unity Soccer Partners to our ownership group,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. 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 consists of a diverse and dynamic all-female core ownership group with a wide array of experience across the real estate, marketing, hospitality and philanthropy sectors, 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 will include Epstein, who will serve as the controlling partner, and Connaughton, Danoff and Palmer, who will all serve as managing partners.

The ownership group has deep local ties to the region and shares a passion for soccer, generating opportunities for women, and enhancing the community through the power of sport. The club is backed by an investor group that comes from all sectors of the Boston economy, with 95% of the invested capital invested by women and 40% invested by investors of color. The group has deep expertise in sports with several investors who are also part of the Celtics and the Red Sox organizations. 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,” said Epstein. “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.”

The team intends to host its home matches in a professionalized and modernized George R. White Stadium in historic Franklin Park in the heart of Boston. Boston Unity Soccer Partners plans to invest significant resources to transform the stadium into a top-tier facility and is working closely with the city of Boston and Mayor Wu’s administration on a robust renovation plan that will both enhance the venue in preparation for play in the NWSL and bring significant benefits to the students in Boston and the surrounding communities.

“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. “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.”

Boston Unity Soccer Partners plans to unveil the club’s brand as it moves closer to play in 2026. The new NWSL expansion team will strive to add to the region’s 41 total championships. The franchise will join the Celtics (NBA), Red Sox (MLB), Bruins (NHL), Patriots (NFL), Revolution (MLS), and Boston’s PWHL team as the seventh pillar of Boston’s professional sports community.

For more information about Boston Unity Soccer Partners, please visit www.nwslboston.com

Sakiewicz Steps Down from NLL Post

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PHILADELPHIA – The National Lacrosse League announced that Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz has decided to leave his position to pursue other interests but will continue to advise the league until June 30, 2022. The league has also announced that Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman will assume the Commissioner duties. The league will announce the selection process for a new Commissioner in the near future.

The NLL has enjoyed unprecedented growth, new media partnerships, and expansion during Sakiewicz’s term as league Commissioner. His tenure began began January 1, 2016.

“The National Lacrosse League has seen transformative change and is poised for both future growth and success, thanks to Nick’s leadership during the past six years,” said Matt Hutchings, COO and EVP at Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, franchise owner of the Colorado Mammoth, speaking as Chairman of the NLL Board of Governors. “On behalf of the NLL Board of Governors, we thank him and the league staff, for all they have done to put the NLL in this position and look forward to seeing what he does next.”

Hutchings continued, “We understood the importance of having a strong team to carry on when the organization’s success provides opportunities for its leaders. Therefore, several years ago, we very intentionally empowered Nick to strengthen our management team with the Deputy Commissioner position. Jessica Berman has done a wonderful job in her short time in this role, and the league is in great hands with her and our experienced management team supporting her efforts.”

“I have enjoyed my time leading the NLL, and want to thank the lacrosse community, NLL’s amazing fans, players, our board, owners, partners, and, league staff for the support that has led us to the point where we are now, poised for greatness in the years ahead,” Sakiewicz said. “Through thoughtful and strategic business planning the league expanded with the right investors, embracing the digitally native fan and expanding our media reach now with both ESPN and TSN for the first time in league history, the NLL and the sport of lacrosse on every level, is in a much better place with a brighter future than ever before.”

“My decision to leave now is a personal one,” he added. “The goals I had set out when I came to the NLL from soccer have been met, and it is time for me to pursue a new, exciting and different global opportunity as my next challenge.”

Under Sakiewicz’s watch, the NLL has experienced unprecedented growth, expanding from nine to 15 teams. Under his leadership, the League also secured the two largest media rights deals in the history of the league, first partnering with B/R Live, Turner’s live streaming service, for all games to be streamed on the platform starting with the 2018–2019 season. The NLL also signed a broadcasting rights deal with ESPN.