Ally expands its investment in The Soccer Tournament through new partnership

The GIST: Women’s sports heavy-hitter Ally announced its latest major partnership yesterday, becoming the official retail banking partner of The Soccer Tournament (TST). Expanding on its previous investment in TST’s inaugural tournament last year, the new sponsorship brings Ally another step closer to reaching its 50/50 Pledge by the end of 2027. Literally goals.

The Soccer Tournament: The 7-on-7 soccer tournament was first hosted in Cary, North Carolina, in June 2023 and featured 31 men’s teams (and one women’s team) battling for a $1M grand prize. In December, TST announced it was expanding its men’s tournament to 48 teams and creating an 8-team women’s tournament for a separate $1M prize.

The details: Like last year, Ally will sponsor former USWNTer Heather O’Reilly and her TST team US Women, which was previously comprised of past USWNT members. Ally's logo will grace the front of the team’s kits and the bank will host a meet-and-greet with the team in Cary, further expanding the bank’s North Carolina footprint.

• US Women won’t be the only Ally-supported women’s team in this year’s tournament: TST will be the first tour stop for the 2024 Wrex Coast Tour, the American soccer event for Wrexham AFC Women that is also sponsored by Ally.

Zooming out: Ally was an early adopter of TST and is now doubling down on its investment as the tournament grows. A bigger sponsorship role for the bank will help build the tournament’s infrastructure, which should accommodate future expansion — hopefully a bigger women’s bracket in 2025.