Denver’s new National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) franchise has announced plans to build a temporary stadium in nearby Centennial, along with a permanent performance centre that will serve as the club’s training base.
Denver NWSL has partnered with the City of Centennial and the Cherry Creek School District to build the 12,000-seat temporary stadium, which will serve as the club’s home during the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
For the 2028 season, Denver NWSL will move into a 14,500-seat permanent stadium in the heart of Denver. Plans for this new permanent stadium, which will be designed by Populous, were announced last week, with the venue to form part of a wider sports and entertainment district dedicated to women’s sports.
When the team moves to the permanent stadium in 2028, the capacity of the temporary stadium will be reduced to 4,000 seats and it will be utilised by the Cherry Creek School District.
CAA Icon has been providing stadium and performance centre advisory services for the new and temporary stadium and is now extending its engagement to provide full project management services at both venues. Populous has also been chosen to lead the design of the performance centre and temporary stadium.
Plans for the new performance centre and temporary stadium were announced earlier today (Thursday). The club hopes the performance centre will be among the best training facilities in the NWSL.
Both the performance centre and the temporary stadium will sit on 43 acres of land in Centennial. The training facility will span around 20,000 square feet and will feature eight pitches, including the temporary stadium.
Other features will include a dedicated team room featuring player lounges and private changing rooms, state-of-the-art recovery facilities, a dining area and lounge, a quiet family room, a video analysis theatre, and elite strength and conditioning, sports science and sports medicine facilities.
The partnership between Denver NWSL and the Cherry Creek School District will help advance women’s youth, amateur and professional sports in Colorado. It will include shared use of training fields and the temporary stadium, along with internship opportunities for students.
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said: “Denver NWSL is setting a new benchmark for what it means to support professional athletes with the infrastructure they deserve. From a world-class training environment to a thoughtfully designed temporary stadium, this initiative is an example of how our clubs are leading the way in reimagining what’s possible in women’s sports.
“We’re especially proud of the collaboration with the City of Centennial and the Cherry Creek School District, which ensures this investment will benefit generations of athletes and students for decades to come.”
Centennial Mayor Stephanie Piko added: “We are thrilled to welcome this new professional women’s soccer performance centre to our city. This investment in women’s sports will inspire athletes of all ages and strengthen our community’s commitment to excellence, teamwork, and opportunity.
“Centennial is proud to host the start of Colorado’s first professional women’s sports team. The temporary venue will be the first of its kind serving an NWSL club, and it will bring the added benefit of providing a long-term home for Cherry Creek School District team sporting events.”
The NWSL awarded its 16th franchise to Denver back in January for a reported record fee of $110m (£85m/€102m).
Last year, NWSL team Kansas City Current opened the first stadium purpose-built for a professional women’s sports team, later detailing plans for a wide-ranging mixed-use district around the venue.
