SANDY, Utah — Utah will soon have a professional women's soccer team once again, according to a newly released report.
Utah Royals FC is planning to officially announce its return to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sometime in early March or mid-March, The Athletic reported Monday, citing "sources familiar with the team’s upcoming plans."
The NWSL team was sold in 2020 and transferred to Kansas City, Kansas, which then became the Kansas City Current.
The team will not be moving back to Utah from Kansas; instead, the Royals will join the league as an expansion team in 2024, according to The Athletic.
This option for the Royals to return was on the table when then-owner Dell Loy Hansen sold the team. Hansen later sold Real Salt Lake to David Blitzer and Ryan Smith.
It was not stated in the article whether Smith — who also co-owns the Utah Jazz — and Blitzer would be the owners of the new NWSL team. However, Major League Soccer's announcement of the RSL sale in 2022 indicated that it would likely be the case.
The Athletic reports that the re-formed Utah Royals will begin in the 2024 NWSL season.
The chatter around #NWSL expansion has cooled a bit, but expect the official announcement of the return of the Utah Royals next month.
— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) February 28, 2023
The news at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/kMWpvnSyq6
