Soccer

NWSL COO Sarah Jones Simmer discusses the league’s growth strategy ahead of 2026 season kick-off

In 2025, everyone wanted in on the NWSL. Average crowds exceeded 10K for the third straight year, including a record 40K at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, while season viewership rose 22% YoY (especially among young women).

March 14, 2026

Kynisca becomes FIFA Women's Champions Cup title partner

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This week, the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup — the sport’s first-ever intercontinental club competition for women — is fielding its final rounds in London, England. The months-long tournament hasn’t exactly received mainstream media coverage, but that may change thanks to Kynsica’s new title sponsorship.

January 27, 2026

New Deloitte report highlights lucrative WSL landscape as league attracts top talent

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January 22, 2026

West Coast wellness franchise Bay Club extends hand to WNBA athletes amid free agency woes

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As predicted earlier this week, the WNBA and WNBPA have agreed to a moratorium on free agency transactions as the two sides continue to iron out a new CBA. In the meantime, free agents are left in the lurch when it comes to training in offseason facilities — but universities and companies are closing the gap.

January 15, 2026

West Coast wellness franchise Bay Club extends hand to WNBA athletes amid free agency woes

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January 15, 2026

Crux Football expands women’s soccer portfolio as investors recognize opportunity

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Yesterday, Swedish football club FC Rosengård transferred ownership of its women’s club under a new holding, FC Rosengård Elitfotboll AB, which gives Crux Football 49% ownership. This is the second women’s football team under Crux, a multi-club ownership group investing across Europe.

January 15, 2026

Germany’s Frauen Bundesliga makes bold move to separate from DFB as league goes independent

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Last week, the Frauen Bundesliga — Germany’s 14-club professional women’s soccer league — made the surprising decision to split from the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB), the nation’s governing body for the sport.

December 09, 2025

Michele Kang establishes research institute within U.S. Soccer dedicated to researching women athletes

Sports Business

Michele Kang establishes research institute within U.S. Soccer dedicated to researching women athletes

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December 04, 2025

On Tuesday, U.S. Soccer announced the creation of the Kang Women’s Institute, a research platform within the organization funded by the aforementioned Kang’s generous $55M in total commitments to support women’s soccer. The platform aims to close the gaps in scientific research around women athletes in the lead-up to the Women’s World Cups in 2027 and 2031.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #540

Are you primed for the Madness?

March 19, 2026

Listen on Apple Music Listen on Spotify

Lace up those dancing shoes. It’s time to boogie.

Men’s March Madness officially begins today, with the 64-team first round tipping off at 12:15 p.m. ET. Before the guys and gals hit the hardwood, co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula are going all in with a Big Dance primer, spending this episode of The GIST of It talking about the top storylines in the men’s and women’s tourneys. Gimme gimme, shimmy shimmy.