San Francisco and San Jose (July 21, 2023) – Bay FC, the Bay Area’s newest professional women’s sports team, announced today it will call PayPal Park its initial home stadium when the team plays its inaugural season in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in 2024.
“We are bringing the best players in the world to play in front of the Bay and that requires a home venue with an elite experience for our players and an exciting atmosphere for our fans,” said Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart. “As a premier soccer stadium, PayPal Park gives us an ideal environment to launch an organization centered around athlete development and next-level fan experiences.”
Bay FC will be investing more than $3M in a world-class, 3,600-square-foot standalone facility adjacent to the stadium that will house the team’s locker room, office areas, lounges, training rooms, hydrotherapy facilities and other accommodations. It will also serve as the team’s central home for game-day operations. Fans will experience an entirely customized Bay FC game day experience with the support of PayPal Park and highly engaged sponsors and partners.
“PayPal Park is a perfect place to start this journey for Bay FC – a team that has truly been a dream and many years in the making right here in the Bay Area,” said Aly Wagner, co-founder and co-chair of Bay FC. “This has been one of the top U.S. stadiums for our women’s national team to play in and will be a great atmosphere for our very first Bay FC footballers to step into and play before an energized, passionate and intelligent fan base ready to be entertained.”
PayPal Park has been home to the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer (MLS) since it opened in 2015 and has a capacity of 18,000, including suites and club seats. Guests can enjoy food trucks and a 2-acre fan zone, which includes the largest outdoor bar in North America, corporate partner activities and more.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bay FC to their new home at PayPal Park,” said Earthquakes President Jared Shawlee. “They have done an outstanding job launching their club with a dynamic brand and we look forward to seeing their world-class players on the pitch at PayPal Park in 2024. We are also excited to work closely with them to help build community through soccer all over Northern California and make PayPal Park the epicenter of soccer in the region.”
In addition to its stadium announcement, the Bay FC investor group has committed to significant infrastructure investments to support the club’s growth and operations, including building a state-of-the-art training venue in a to-be-announced location. Bay FC also plans to play exhibition matches and hold some full-team workouts around the Bay Area and Northern California to bring the Bay FC experience to more fans in multiple locations.
“San Jose is beyond thrilled to welcome Bay FC to PayPal Park,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “The Bay Area and Northern California have contributed immense talent to professional women’s soccer—and now, our young women and the entire community have a hometown team to root for.”
PayPal Park has hosted five sellout matches for the U.S. Women’s National Team (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2023), including a packed house on July 9 for the U.S. vs Wales 2023 World Cup send-off match. Additionally, PayPal Park has played host to clubs from all over the world since its opening in 2015, including Manchester United, CD Guadalajara, Club America, Arsenal F.C. and the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Ticket deposits are now open for Bay FC’s inaugural season at PayPal Park kicking off in March 2024 and can be purchased at BayFC.com. Fans can also follow @wearebayfc on social channels for more exciting announcements to come.
Fans can also plan to join Bay FC and the Earthquakes for viewing parties of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) games at PayPal Park. Dates for the group stage watch parties include Friday, July 21, 6 p.m. PT for USA vs Vietnam, Wednesday, July 26, 6 p.m. PT for USA vs Netherlands, and Tuesday, Aug. 1, 12 a.m. PT for USA vs Portugal. Fans can enjoy food, games, prizes and more, and all of the gatherings will be free to enter.
About Bay Football Club
Bay Football Club (Bay FC) is the new women’s professional soccer franchise representing the Bay Area and the 14th team to join the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Bay FC was established in April 2023 and co-founded by USWNT legends Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner in partnership with global investment firm Sixth Street and an investor group of leading tech, business and sports executives. Sixth Street’s investment is the largest institutional investment to date in a women’s professional sports franchise. Bay FC is changing the face of women’s soccer as we know it. Beginning play in the 2024 season, we are building a squad that will play the beautiful game with power, passion, energy, and creativity. Ticket deposits are now open for Bay FC at bayfc.com and fans can follow Bay FC’s social channels (@wearebayfc) for the latest news, merchandise, and events.
