WPS Readies for Exciting Culmination of 2010 Season
Published on July 26, 2010 under Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) News Release
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (July 26, 2010) - On Monday, Women's Professional Soccer began the two-month countdown to its 2010 WPS Championship presented by Citi scheduled for September 26, with the final third of the WPS Season expected to include several exciting storylines on the field and many positive developments off the field that will help prepare the league for the 2011 WPS Season and beyond.
On the field, the league continues to shine with its world class product and the world's best players competing week-in-week-out in seven cities across the U.S. During the first half of the season, the league has calculated that on average 15.2 starters per game (almost 70% of the players on the field) have been members or are currently a member of their respective national teams. Goal scoring is up with teams averaging 2.45 goals per game, an improvement from 2.14 goals per game in 2009 and better than the 2.27 goals per game average at the 2010 FIFA World Cupâ¢. Games remain close and exciting to the finish with 71% of games ending on the final whistle as a tie or one-goal difference. The scoring chase for the PUMA Golden Boot award has heated up with Marta notching a WPS-record 13th goal on Saturday and Amy Rodriguez and Christine Sinclair close behind.
In the months of July and August, 19 total games will be played in each month - the two busiest months ever in the two-year history of the league - as teams play multiple midweek games and fight for four berths in the 2010 WPS Playoffs, which run September 19-26, 2010. The 2010 WPS Playoff format remains the same as the one used during the 2009 WPS Season, in which the top team in the 2010 WPS Regular Season standings will earn the right to host the WPS Championship on September 26, while the second-place finisher will host the winner of the WPS First Round in the WPS Super Semifinal on September 22/23. The WPS First Round will feature the No. 3 team in the regular season playing host to the No. 4 team in the standings on September 19.
As teams begin the stretch run on the field, the league and its franchises continue to demonstrate growth potential while making improvements and adjustments to the league model off the field:
1.) Partnerships at the team level are up - WPS franchises boast an average of 25 sponsors and corporate team partners in 2010, which is up 125% on average across the teams in the league from the league's inaugural season. The Boston Breakers recently announced their front-jersey sponsorship - typically the most valuable sponsorship in soccer - with Foxwoods Resort, bringing the total number of jersey partnerships across the league's teams to six, a three-fold increase from last year. Other front jersey sponsors include Amway Global (FC Gold Pride), Ronald McDonald House Charities (Chicago) and three health services providers: Wellstar (Atlanta), Premier Orthopaedics (Philadelphia Independence) and Somerset Medical Center (Sky Blue FC).
2.) WPS fan base continues to increase - Six of the seven team websites and the league's flagship site www.womensprosoccer.com have seen growth from last year in unique visitors through the first part of the season prior to the June World Cup month. League Twitter followers number nearly 250,000, while Facebook fans have grown 156% from last year. All returning teams have seen an increase in season ticket holders from the 2009 WPS season and, despite a slip in average attendance numbers, the conclusion to the WPS season should see attendance trend upward as it did in 2009 when average attendance went up week-over-week from Week 17 to the end of the season. The 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve featured in mid-season this year for the first time, had a 12% increase in attendance from last year.
3.) League showcases stadium upgrades - In the past two months, two teams have ushered in stadiums with new amenities - and a new era in women's soccer - with the construction of the 8,300-seat, $16.5 million KSU Soccer Stadium in Atlanta by the Atlanta Beat and the renovation and refurbishment of 5,000-seat Pioneer Stadium in Cal State, East Bay by FC Gold Pride. Both venues provide a model for analyzing and developing future venues in regards to operating cost, fan experience and revenue opportunities.
4.) Operational adjustments made by League Board of Governors - The folding of Saint Louis Athletica in May was an opportunity to re-examine the WPS business model and institutionalize changes to make the businesses strong and sustainable. Team owners now play a more active role in the League office, including League organizational structure, strategies, and finances for current year and in the road ahead. A new framework to provide a backstop of funding in-season has been developed, requiring each team to set aside a reserve fund to maintain the cash flow it needs to complete the season, guaranteeing that all teams play the year to conclusion. League staff has been restructured with certain responsibilities in functional areas such as television and operations moving to teams, while league marketing resources have been shifted to the team level in order to focus locally on attendance and ticket sales. Lastly, a refinement of league and team operating guidance will provide teams with more flexibility to build and operate their businesses, with the end result being a more decentralized league structure.
5.) Expansion talks continue - The WPS Expansion Committee continues to have promising conversations in two markets (Dallas, Los Angeles), as well as on-going discussions with potential investors in at least three other North American cities. The Expansion Committee is excited about the opportunities for expansion with the longer-term goal that two teams will join the league in time for the 2012 season based on on-going discussions. The committee continues to put particular focus on teams west of the Mississippi and on the West Coast.
6.) Owners re-affirm commitment - Re-affirming their commitment to WPS for the 2011 Season and beyond, the league Board of Governors has begun weekly board calls with working groups on particular topics related to league growth, structure, expansion, financials, sponsorship and television.
Women's Professional Soccer Stories from July 26, 2010
- WPS Readies for Exciting Culmination of 2010 Season - WPS
- Beat Host Freedom Wednesday - Atlanta Beat
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
