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On Saturday in Denver, the NWSL set a new single-game attendance record for the second time in less than a year. This time, it was the league’s 16th franchise, Denver Summit, who did the honors in their first home game, hosting 63,004 fans at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium (home to the Denver Broncos). The league’s new milestone eclipses the previous record by about 23,000 fans.
Denver’s entry into the NWSL has been a fast-paced and ambitious whirlwind. They were officially announced as the league’s 16th team in January 2025. Three days later, they became the fastest expansion franchise to sell 5,000 season tickets, with 5,280 sold in three days. They went on to sell out their 8,500 season-ticket allotment in short order, adding thousands to a waitlist.
While riding a wave of pre-existing momentum – enthusiastic local supporters lobbied for a club in Denver in advance of Summit’s arrival – Denver’s ambitious front office, including the controlling owner, Rob Cohen, and the president, Jen Millet, gambled big on hosting their first home game in a 76,125 capacity stadium. By November, they had sold 25,000 tickets, still months in advance of the event they branded “The Kickoff”.
In February, the team announced 45,000 tickets sold, enough to break the previous NWSL single-game attendance record of 40,091 set by Bay FC last August. With that, they opened the upper bowl and began selling tickets for $20.
While the league promoted Denver’s looming record and the club aimed higher, Denver’s official supporters group, dubbed the “14ers” as an ode to Colorado’s 14,000ft mountaintops, helped out. Emily Walsh, community liaison for the 14ers, told me: “Many of our members were actively recruiting people to attend the game right up until the day before. For instance, our officer of funds was flying back to Colorado on Friday night and convinced at least seven people on her flight to attend the game. We confirmed that they bought tickets and everything.”
According to Walsh and the 14ers president, Megan Hart, for Denver’s first three games (all road games), they “were out at various venues across the state … trying to drum up interest and a place for folks to connect and get energized about the home opener”.
The 14ers held a tailgate on gameday with over 1,000 attenders, which they called a highlight of their day, noting tailgaters ranged from young girls to older couples, including one pair that regularly drives down from Vail (which is almost 100 miles away) and shared their fond memories of when Title IX passed. “The cross-generational joy was evident.”
Saturday’s match against the Washington Spirit finished 0-0, but that did little to diminish the day for fans or players – many of whom noted the unique experience of playing in front of a crowd that size. Walsh called the atmosphere “electric”, praising a match that featured “three really close calls for us – an awesome cross, a near miss, and a beautiful set piece”.
NWSL has set and broken a number of attendance records in the past few years, with the top 10 highest single-game attendance records all set since 2022. Notably, the three most recent attendance records were all set inside non-NWSL stadiums. The two previous to Denver’s were Bay FC’s 40,091 at Oracle Park (home of MLB’s San Francisco Giants), preceded by Chicago Stars’ 30,058 at Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs).
The NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said: “Breaking our own record again, and doing it in such a short window, shows that this is not a moment, it’s sustained momentum.”
With NWSL eager not only to break records, but raise attendances across the league, Berman noted: “You really see a rising tide effect in moments like this. When one club sets a new standard, it creates energy and belief across the entire league. It gets people in other markets thinking bigger, it drives more interest and attention, and it reinforces that there is real demand for this product nationwide.”
She added: “What Denver showed is what is possible when you combine strong local ownership, intentional community engagement, and a clear understanding of how to turn a match into a must-attend event. They met the moment with ambition, from how they marketed the game, to how they showed up across the city, to creating an experience that felt bigger than just 90 minutes on the pitch.”
Denver were linked this week with a potential move for Sam Kerr, although the Chelsea striker played down speculation on social media. The team continue their inaugural season at Dick Sporting Goods Park (capacity approx 18,000) before moving to 12,000 seat Centennial Stadium. Later this year, they hope to begin construction for their eventual home stadium in Santa Fe Yards, which they plan to unveil by 2028.
With season tickets sold out and fan interest evident far beyond, there’s reason to believe they’ll maintain a healthy attendance. Of course, on-field results will matter. Denver are in eighth-place of the standings after four games with one win, two draws and a loss. Three of those games were against 2025 playoff contenders. And with the reigning champions (who they beat 2-0), last year’s runner-up, and last year’s Shield winners all sitting below them, they’re off to a decent start.
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