Arthur Blank’s Atlanta sports empire is expanding once again. On Tuesday, it was announced that Atlanta has been awarded a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion franchise. Blank, already the owner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, both of which play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will add professional women’s soccer to his portfolio.

The new NWSL team is set to debut in 2028 and will also call Mercedes-Benz Stadium home. For NWSL matches, attendance will be capped at approximately 28,000, and the stadium will undergo modifications to best accommodate the club and its fans.

Atlanta will become the NWSL’s 17th team, following recent expansions in Boston and Denver. With the league’s growing footprint, the addition of Atlanta underscores the city’s position as a top-tier sports destination.

“Atlanta is a city that embodies the energy, diversity, and ambition that define the next chapter of the NWSL,” said Commissioner Jessica Berman. “From its passionate fan base to its deep sports culture, Atlanta has all the ingredients to become one of the league’s most dynamic markets.”

Mayor Andre Dickens welcomed the team, expressing pride in the city’s commitment to progress and inclusion. “The arrival of women’s professional soccer is about creating opportunity for players, staffers, and fans. And on a personal note, it makes me so happy to know that a generation of our daughters will now get to watch female athletes chase their dreams on the pitch. Progress has always been a part of Atlanta’s DNA,” Dickens said.

The new NWSL club will be operated by Blank’s AMB Sports and Entertainment group. In addition to his football and soccer interests, Blank also owns the Atlanta Drive Golf Club of TGL, the innovative indoor golf league led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. His investment in women’s soccer also includes plans to develop a dedicated training facility within the city.

AMB Sports and Entertainment has already begun searching for team leadership and is working on selecting a team name. Blank shared his excitement about this new chapter, stating, “We are thrilled to bring a National Women’s Soccer League franchise to Atlanta and Georgia and the passionate soccer fans here. We look forward to working with the NWSL and other club owners to continue building the best women’s soccer league in the world and are committed to creating a world-class organization on and off the pitch.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also celebrated the news: “Soccer fans in Georgia can’t wait to cheer on the new NWSL club in 2028. This is another major step in establishing our state as a premier destination for soccer, building on the success of Atlanta United, the construction of the Arthur M. Blank US Soccer National Training Center which will house all 27 of America’s national teams, and the FIFA World Cup this upcoming summer. We want to congratulate and thank Arthur Blank and his team for this incredible new venture that will benefit Georgians for many generations!”

Stay tuned for more updates as Atlanta’s new NWSL franchise takes shape ahead of its highly anticipated 2028 debut.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/atlanta-lands-nwsl-expansion-team-011228746.html