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Jeff Kassouf
Multiple Authors
DENVER — The most recent franchise to join the National Women’s Soccer League established a new single-match attendance benchmark during its debut home fixture on Saturday, as 63,004 spectators gathered at Empower Field at Mile High on an unusually mild March afternoon to witness the expansion club, Denver Summit FC, compete against the Washington Spirit.
This turnout significantly surpassed the prior league record, established less than twelve months beforehand, by more than 20,000 admissions. Furthermore, it marked a new high for attendance at an independent women’s football match within the United States.
The sole letdown for Denver that day was the massive audience’s inability to cheer a goal, since the two teams finished the game in a scoreless tie.
“My eyes were filled with tears,” remarked Summit winger Janine Sonis, a native of the area south of Denver, after the conclusion of the match.
“I honestly never thought such an event would occur during my professional journey. I am profoundly thankful to participate. … It presented a difficult challenge to control my feelings while still delivering a strong performance.”
“I will forever remember stepping out of that passageway today and hearing the multitude of voices cheering us on.”
Denver joined the league this season, accompanying Boston Legacy FC, thereby expanding the NWSL to a total of 16 franchises.
The Summit organization was formally declared as the sixteenth franchise in the league during January 2025.
“The group of owners anticipated significant engagement from this locale, yet this community has surpassed all our projections regarding attendance and game ticket purchases,” stated Rob Cohen, the controlling owner of Denver Summit, prior to the contest.
“And it simply demonstrates that our municipality merits this team, and this has been a long-standing desire within the community.”
The fixture on Saturday took place at Mile High, the venue for the NFL’s Denver Broncos, presented as a singular occasion that the Summit organization dubbed “The Kickoff.”
“It’s monumental,” forward Natasha Flint commented. “I believe I’ve participated in perhaps one other match quite comparable to this, and I consider it something one will treasure indefinitely and never erase from memory.”
Denver is awaiting the finalization of its interim stadium situated to the south of the metropolitan area, which will function as the team’s base until a permanent venue is completed in 2028.
Washington, featuring prominent American attacker Trinity Rodman, served as the opposing team for the league’s record-setting turnouts in both 2025 and this past Saturday.
“I frequently recall my inaugural year – admittedly hindered by the pandemic – transitioning from audiences of a few thousand [supporters] to filling Audi Field to capacity,” Rodman disclosed to ESPN.
“I find it immensely gratifying and quite remarkable to observe the extent of its expansion over the past half-decade, let alone a full decade.”
“Therefore, it’s particularly exciting for me to witness, and for those who have spent less time in the association, I believe it’s impressive to join at a point when it has already achieved such magnitude and presents these prospects. For me, it’s simply incredibly thrilling. I no longer experience significant apprehension.”
The NWSL’s single-match attendance record has now been surpassed for four consecutive seasons.
In each of the previous three years, the benchmark has been exceeded in locations distinct from the teams’ usual home grounds.
The Chicago Stars established a new record in 2024 during a game held at the celebrated baseball stadium, Wrigley Field, reporting an audience of 35,038 individuals.
In the preceding year, Bay FC surpassed that achievement within a different baseball arena, as a declared assembly of 40,091 spectators attended Oracle Park, home to MLB’s San Francisco Giants.
The average number of attendees decreased marginally last year throughout the NWSL, reaching 10,669 supporters per fixture.
A considerable disparity in attendance figures persists across the 16-club league, with recent opening home matches drawing fewer than 6,000 attendees in places like Chicago and Louisville, serving as illustrations.
“I believe the largest crowd I’ve ever had supporting me, my own squad, ranges from approximately 7,000 to 10,000, so that constitutes a significant leap,” stated Summit defender Kaleigh Kurtz on Friday, contemplating the sheer scale of her team’s initial home encounter.
Present among the notable figures on Saturday were 1999 World Cup champions Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain, along with Olympic gold medalist gymnast Aly Raisman.
Pro Football Hall of Famer quarterback Peyton Manning and Olympic gold-medalist skier Mikaela Shiffrin hold minority stakes as investors in the Summit organization.
