OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 8, 2023) - The Women’s Premier Soccer League announced today it will launch WPSL PRO, a professional Division III women’s soccer league in the United States, that is tentatively planned to kick off in 2025. 

As the most tenured and largest women’s soccer league in the world, the WPSL has long considered the addition of professional soccer to its playing platform and is excited to take this next step in growing the women’s game in this country.  The creation of WPSL PRO will provide new avenues of development for both women and young girls to pursue careers and livelihoods as athletes, coaches, referees, and club and league staff. This new opportunity speaks to the WPSL’s commitment to advancing gender equity through sport.  

"We applaud the WPSL for its vision to provide more opportunities for women to pursue their dream of playing professional soccer,” said Interim CEO Davis Grizzard. "We’re excited about being part of the world’s largest league for women again in 2023 and we look forward to learning more about the plans for this new professional league."

"Just like with our Men’s team, we want to continue to build the CFC Women’s team in a way that is sustainable and supports our mission to use soccer to build strong relationships for the greater good of our city,” said Co-Founder and Board Chairman Paul Rustand. "We will certainly have a conversation about going pro with the women’s team and will carefully evaluate the opportunity."

The WPSL PRO plans to launch with 10 teams and looks to grow to more than 24 teams by 2030, with soccer activities potentially beginning in some form as early as 2024.  In addition to operating WPSL PRO, the WPSL will continue to elevate and expand its summer amateur league, as well as its WPSL U21 division which will continue to serve as a proving ground for young players looking to advance into the collegiate and pro ranks.  In initiating at the DIII level of professional play, the WPSL PRO sees a tremendous opportunity to fill in the gap between the large base of women’s amateur and pre-professional soccer clubs and the top tiers of pro play.

Additional details on the launch of the WPSL PRO will be made available in the coming weeks and months, with more information to be provided on initial WPSL PRO expansion markets, teams, league leadership and the overall league development timeline.

Since 1998, the WPSL has been home to thousands of female players who have paved the way for the progression of this sport for women, and who set the stage for the explosive growth that the game of soccer is experiencing today. The WPSL and WPSL PRO will be forever indebted to the commitment and sacrifice of its many alumnae who have helped to make this moment possible.  

About Chattanooga Football Club
Chattanooga Football Club was founded in 2009. The CFC Men's team competes in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), which is in the third division of professional soccer. The CFC Women's team is a summer amateur team that competes in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL). Chattanooga Football Club became the first soccer club to offer true ownership to the fans in 2019 with 3,200+ investors from Chattanooga, all 50 states, and 31 countries. CFC plays all home games in Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.