SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane is getting professional women’s soccer! On Tuesday, The USL Super League announced Spokane and several other cities will make up the new professional women’s soccer league.
Aequus Sports, LLC, is the investor group purchasing the expansion club rights for USL Spokane. The group is led by Spokane natives Ryan Harnetiaux, a longtime business strategist, and Katie Harnetiaux, a global business leader as Head of Consumer Marketing and Creative for North America Amazon.
The USL Super League which will begin in August 2024, intends to launch as a first division league, which will put it in direct competition with the NWSL. The USL Super League will follow U.S. Soccer’s sanctioning process.
"When we looked to invest in USL Spokane, it was always our intention to add a Women’s professional team to the club,” said Katie Harnetiaux. “We are thrilled the league and other USL ownership groups are committed to U.S. Soccer’s Division One standards. This is a historic moment; we are literally doubling the landscape of opportunity for women in pro soccer. With the launch of these new clubs, we will add approximately 1,000 new career opportunities for women; including, front office positions, coaching positions and more. On the field and off, the impact of women in sports is incredible, but even more powerful is how this will positively influence a new generation of leaders.”
The club will play in the new 5,500-seat stadium currently under construction and located in the North Bank Arts and Entertainment District.
Current teams in the USL Super League include: Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Lexington, KY, Phoenix, Spokane, WA, Tampa, Tuscon, AZ and Washington DC. Teams that will be coming soon include: Chattanooga, TN, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Madison, WI and Oakland.
“We are excited to have Spokane as an initial Super League market, establishing Eastern Washington’s first professional women’s sport team,” said USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort. “Katie and Ryan have big ambitions for this club and their community. And with such a beautiful stadium in a prime downtown location, there is no doubt that this team will be electric.” Vandevort added, “The USL Super League aspires to be a global leader in women’s football, and we look forward to working together with all stakeholders to help shape the future of the game for women and girls in our country, across the region, and around the world.”
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