Seattle Reign FC announced today that the ownership group of Sounders FC, in collaboration with private equity firm Carlyle, have invested in the NWSL team. This new ownership group will usher in a new era for Reign FC, pairing a sound investment in the team and the planting of firm roots in Seattle.
“The fact that [ownership] is staying in Seattle is fantastic,” said Seattle Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey. “I think we've made so many good building blocks to get to this point, that I'm hoping that this new ownership group can take us on to another level, which I think we're really ready for.”
United in grittiness, the two powerhouse clubs will come together like never before under one enterprise. Though the sides have collaborated on marquee events, like doubleheaders and community clinics, formally coming together offers a unique opportunity for growth, both together and individually.
“I think the shared collective vision toward excellence and being excellent on the field and off the field, to winning on the field and off the field – that's a hallmark of both of these clubs. These clubs have been incredibly successful as two separate organizations. They will remain two distinct clubs, two distinct brands, and there will be times where the businesses and the clubs and the brand staff need to stand apart, want to stand apart, are better standing apart,” said newly appointed Reign FC Chief Business Officer Maya Mendoza-Exstrom.
She continued, “The really fun part is going to be in figuring out all of the ways where one plus one equals 10 and where the synergies between what we do or the commonality between what we do actually accelerates the growth of both clubs at the same time."
This milestone deal emphasizes the greatness of the Pacific Northwest soccer community and the shared vision between the two clubs to continue growing the game, nurturing the community and promoting a winning mentality.
At the forefront of this new venture is the strength, resilience, boldness and pride that have guided the Reign through every change and challenge since the club was founded in 2012. With a track record of success historically, including three NWSL Shields, a Women’s Cup win and seven playoff appearances, the club will now turn the page and continue to write success during this new chapter that is guided by a women-led leadership team in Mendoza-Exstrom, Harvey and Reign FC General Manager Lesle Gallimore.
“There's never been a better time to invest in women's sports and there's never been a better time to invest in an NWSL club like ours, an original club,” said Gallimore. “And to have internal insight into running a world-class club makes us all on the Reign side feel, not just hopeful, but giddy about what's to come.”
As this partnership kicks off, there’s a deepened sense of unity amongst the clubs and a desire to move the needle, make an impact and embrace the rich history of the sport, now cemented in Seattle.
“Soccer has been played here since the first signs of folks who wanted to get together, and it is a core part of the DNA and the culture and the fabric of Seattle. Soccer is a piece of how we export our culture from this little corner of the world. There isn't a better group of owners than the folks that are a part of the ownership group for both the Sounders and the Reign, who believe that soccer has the capacity, and these clubs have the capacity to be an incredible and indelible community asset. That is what they're invested in. I can't wait to see what we do together,” said Mendoza-Exstrom.
As the two clubs enter this new era together, there’s a shared sense of excitement and eagerness to raise the bar, on and off the field.
“I think now that we're finally, truly together, it means that we can just elevate the platform of what soccer means to this city," said Harvey. "I think we've always sold the narrative that this city is a soccer city and now, I think it's really time that we prove that."
