Women’s professional soccer is coming to Tucson.
The FC Tucson ownership group, headed by Jon Pearlman and Jeff Arnold, has secured a USL Super League franchise, the new league announced Tuesday.
The league, which revealed eight founding members Tuesday, intends to launch in August 2024. It will be a first-division league, essentially making it a budding rival to the NWSL.
The yet-to-be-named Tucson franchise is believed to be the first professional women’s sports team in Tucson since the Arizona Heat softball team of the mid-2000s.
“This signifies a new era for women’s sports and soccer in Tucson, and Arizona as a whole.” Pearlman said in a news release. “Tucson is proud to be part of a state with numerous talented women among our elected leaders at the national, state and local level, many of whom have supported women’s sports and soccer in the past with great passion. Jeff (Arnold) and I firmly believe that Tucson should have a women’s professional team that at its foundation reflects our great city and leads by example.”
The FC Tucson women’s team plays in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), a developmental league for amateur players.
The USL Super League will use the fall-to-summer calendar, aligning with top clubs from around the world. The other franchises announced Tuesday are in Phoenix; Charlotte; Dallas/Fort Worth; Lexington, Kentucky; Spokane, Washington; Tampa, Florida; and Washington, D.C. The league plans to have 10-12 teams by the time it officially launches.
“Announcing Super League Tucson as one of our initial markets is a dream come true,” said Amanda Vandervort, USL Super League president and a graduate of Sabino High School. “With an ownership group that is deeply committed to the highest standards both on and off the field, this club will become a rallying point for every woman, girl and their families to aspire for greatness and celebrate all the wonderful things that make Tucson unique and special together.”
Vandervort became president of the USL Super League in October 2021. It initially was promoted as a second-division league with a launch date of this year.
Vandervort was a keeper at Sabino. She played at Wyoming and was the head coach at NYU.
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