Minnesota Aurora has backed off its bid to become a professional women’s soccer club for the second time in three years.
The amateur team sent a letter to its 3,080 community owners this week notifying them that Aurora will withdraw its attempt to become a National Women’s Soccer League expansion franchise in 2026.
“The process is extremely complex, and while we had a strong investment group, circumstances out of our control kept us from pursuing the bid at this time,” the letter said. “There remains strong interest by investors to support Minnesota Aurora going pro.”
Aurora, which also paused a bid in December 2022, was pursuing a deeper-pocketed ownership group to join the NWSL, the top U.S. flight. It is expected to be a competitive auction-style process to become the league’s 16th team.
“(Although) the NWSL isn’t happening right now, we are committed to building a healthy and sustainable organization that will grow so we can continue to explore all opportunities available to us in the future,” the letter said.
Aurora has had strong fan support for matches played at the Vikings’ TCO Stadium for the previous three years. The team has produced three consecutive undefeated regular seasons, but has fallen short of an overall league championship each postseason.
“We are constantly in awe of the support from you, our owners, our fans, sponsors and supporters,” the letter concluded. “Stay tuned for updates over the next few month. … The future is very bright for the Aurora community.”
Originally Published: August 15, 2024 at 11:14 a.m.
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Publish date : 2024-08-15 10:49:00
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