Denver Summit establishes NWSL attendance record during first home match
DENVER — The latest addition to the National Women’s Soccer League achieved a new single-game attendance record during its first home match on Saturday, attracting 63,004 spectators to Empower Field at Mile High on an unusually warm March day for the contest against the Washington Spirit.
This attendance figure surpassed the previous league record, established less than a year prior, by more than 20,000 tickets.
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“The ownership group had high hopes for this community, but the turnout and ticket sales for the game have exceeded all our expectations,” said Rob Cohen, the controlling owner of Denver Summit, prior to the match.
“This demonstrates that our city deserves this club, and it is something that the community has long desired.”
Denver joined the league this year alongside Boston Legacy FC, expanding the NWSL to 16 teams.
The Summit was officially introduced as the league’s 16th franchise in January 2025.
“As a local player, it’s amazing,” said Summit winger Janine Sonis, who was raised south of Denver, on Friday.
“I’m not surprised; Denver supports its sports teams. I am very thankful that the community will be here to back us.”
Saturday’s match took place at Mile High, the home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, as a special event branded by the Summit as “The Kickoff.”
Denver is currently awaiting the completion of its temporary stadium located south of the city, which will serve as the team’s home until a permanent facility is established in 2028.
Washington, featuring star American forward Trinity Rodman, was the opponent for the league’s record-breaking crowds in 2025 and on Saturday.
“I still reflect on my rookie year; obviously, COVID impacted things, going from a few thousand [fans] to selling out Audi Field,” Rodman shared with ESPN.
“Itβs truly gratifying and exciting to witness how much it has expanded over the last five years, let alone ten.
“For me, itβs thrilling to see this growth, and for those who have been in the league for a shorter time, itβs exciting to step into something that is already so significant and offers these opportunities. I find it very exhilarating. I donβt feel nervous anymore.”
The single-game NWSL attendance record has now been broken for four consecutive seasons.
In each of the last three years, the record has been set in venues outside of the teams’ usual homes.
The Chicago Stars set the record in 2024 with a match at the historic Wrigley Field, announcing a crowd of 35,038.
Last year, Bay FC surpassed that record in another baseball venue, with an announced attendance of 40,091 at Oracle Park, home of MLB’s San Francisco Giants.
Average attendance slightly declined last year across the NWSL to 10,669 fans per game.
There remains a significant variation in attendance across the 16-team league, with recent home-opening crowds of fewer than 6,000 fans in Chicago and Louisville as examples.
“I think the most support I’ve ever had from my own team is about 7,000-10,000, so this is a substantial increase,” Summit defender Kaleigh Kurtz remarked on Friday while considering the scale of her team’s inaugural home game.
Among the notable figures present on Saturday were 1999 World Cup champions Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain, along with Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman.
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and Olympic gold medal-winning skier Mikaela Shiffrin are also minority stakeholders in the Summit.
