Bay FC expected to shatter NWSL attendance record at Oracle Park

The GIST: From Lizbeth Ovalle’s record-setting $1.5M transfer to the Orlando Pride to The Show at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, women’s soccer history is being made from sea to shining sea in the NWSL this week.

• Here’s what you need to know about the fan-footy-tastic fun, plus how it fits into the latest trend in the women’s sports space.

🤯 Bay FC vs. Washington Spirit set to shatter NWSL attendance record: More than 35K tickets have already been sold (and there are still some available) for tomorrow’s 4 p.m. ET match at Oracle Park, home of MLB’s San Francisco Giants, which can seat over 40K fans.

• The game is already on pace to smash the attendance record set last year at another MLB venue, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, where 35,038 people watched Bay FC defeat the then–Chicago Red Stars 2–1.

• But forward Racheal Kundananji’s Bay Area squad are winless in their last five games and may have a tougher time with the Spirit. Washington boasts Ballon d’Or Féminin nominee and league newcomer Sofia Cantore, who’s already making waves.

👀 Zooming out: We’ve seen the NWSL, WNBA, and PWHL succeed in flexing games to larger venues in recent years, selling out arenas in Boston, Vancouver, and D.C., just to name a few. It’s even more impressive that Bay FC, a 2024 expansion squad currently just outside the playoff picture, is attracting a crowd of this size, underscoring the Bay Area’s devotion to women’s sports.

• Case in point? The WNBA expansion squad Golden State Valkyries sold out 17 home games so far at the Chase Center Ballahalla in their debut season, all while averaging the best attendance in the league. If you build it…