Meg’s Corner: A must-have for player recruitment
Infrastructure, like dedicated training facilities, is an easy thing to point to in the NWSL. It’s big. Visible. Expensive! Plus, it’s deeply tied to a team’s valuation and ability to recruit and retain players. It’s not a precise indicator of a team’s ambitions, but it has been a fairly accurate barometer for the teams that have changed ownership or joined the league since 2021 (see: Angel City, Bay FC and the Current).
NWSL clubs swear infrastructure isn’t just a key to success on the field, but a reflection of their identity as an organization. That doesn’t come easily.
Stadiums are hard to build in a timely fashion (just ask the Summit and especially the Legacy), but looking at the ongoing situations of Louisville, Chicago and Gotham is the more instructive view of the overall state of the NWSL infrastructure:
Racing shares a stadium and a training facility (built in 2021) with the men’s USL side, which could complicate any potential relocation.
