The United Soccer League (USL) announced today that six expansion clubs will join the previously announced Oakland Soul and Stockton Cargo to make up the USL W League’s NorCal Division that will launch in 2023.
The USL W League is a pre-professional women’s soccer league that enables its players to maintain their amateur eligibility. The league enters its second season with more than than 60 teams competing for the league championship next season.
“The establishment of a NorCal Division is a watershed moment for the W League,” said Amanda Vandervort, USL Super League and W League President. “Paired with our Northwest Division, the W League’s footprint is now truly national, which is what we’ve always envisioned. Creating this division with clubs of this caliber and notable sporting history is thrilling and we look forward to seeing these clubs excel on and off the pitch.”
Well Established Clubs Headline the NorCal Division
The eight Northern California clubs share a strong commitment to player development, including four who currently have men’s sides in either the USL Championship or USL League Two.
Oakland Soul is a purpose-driven women’s soccer team affiliated with Oakland Roots Sports Club, which has qualified for the playoffs in its first two seasons in the USL Championship. The W League aligns with the Roots’ mission to use women’s soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development.
The San Francisco Glens were founded in 1961 as an adult soccer team in the local amateur league with players primarily from the Irish-American community. Today, the Glens has grown into the largest soccer club in The City, with over 1,100 players at various levels. Their men’s side in USL League 2 made it to the Western Conference semifinals last season. Both their women’s and men’s sides will play in the new stadium that the club is currently building on Treasure Island.
The Sacramento-based California Storm was founded in 1995 and has been a founding member of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) since 1998. They won their fourth WPSL national championship in 2022.
San Francisco’s Olympic Club, founded in 1860, is one of America’s oldest athletic clubs and has been a training ground for more than 90 athletes who have won medals at the Olympic Games. The Winged “O” has fielded women’s soccer teams in local competitions since 2002.
Founded in 2004, Marin FC was created to support the development of elite competitive soccer teams and players in Marin County. Marin FC’s W League team is called the Siren, while its men’s club, the Legends, competes in USL League Two.
Established in 1983, Pleasanton RAGE is committed to holistic player development with a particular focus on leadership and community service.
Academica SC was founded by a group of Portuguese immigrants from the Azores Islands in 1972. The Turlock-based club also announced that they will be fielding a men’s side in USL League Two next season. Their men’s side played in the fourth division National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) since 2018, winning the Golden Gate Conference championship in 2021.
Founded in 2021, Stockton Cargo SC’s mission is to provide first-class sports entertainment for the City of Stockton, as well as the San Joaquin Valley. The club is eager to provide opportunities that were not previously available for Stockton’s untapped talent.
More NorCal Women’s Soccer Clubs May Be Coming Soon
The USL’s announcement is the latest development in the rapid expansion of women’s soccer in the Bay Area. The USL is also planning to create a professional league called the USL Super League for its elite clubs that will start play in August 2022. USL Super League is aiming to become the first sanctioned second division women’s league in the United States.
First division women’s soccer may also be coming to the Bay Area soon. An investment group led by four former US women’s national team players recently submitted a bid to bring a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team to the Bay Area.
Another group is also hoping to bring an NWSL club to the Oakland/East Bay region. It is made up of a strategic partnership between the African American Sports & Entertainment Group (“AASEG”) and The Town FC.
