From the Bruins to the Red Sox and Celtics to the Patriots, Boston has dominated the American athletics scene in the 21st century. Yet for women’s soccer, the journey has been much more difficult. In 2007, the Boston Breakers represented the only professional women’s sports team in Massachusetts, joining the then “Women’s Professional Soccer” league. But by 2018, the team was behind on league payments, missing key staff and facilities, facing below-average attendance, and ultimately forced to cease operations.
Following this drought of professional women’s soccer in the New England area since the Boston Breakers officially left, Boston Legacy FC is set to debut in the 2026 season of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Their presence represents the long-overdue need for female soccer representation in New England. Enduring the ever-high expectations of Boston sports, the new Boston Legacy FC will seek to add women’s soccer to Boston’s storied legacy.
However, the success of Boston’s new women’s soccer team may hinge on the shakiness and uncertainty of Boston politics.
In September 2023, the NWSL awarded Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSC) expansion rights for the league’s 15th team. BUSC is an all-female group, composed of partners Ami Kuan Danoff, Stephanie Connaughton, Jennifer Epstein, and Anna Palmer. Its investors include Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, actor Elizabeth Banks, WNBA basketball player Aliyah Boston, and Tracy Stevens, who is married to the Boston Celtics’ president of basketball operations. Together, the investors are poised to contribute more than $100 million before Boston Legacy FC’s first game is ever played, reflecting their commitment to the women’s sports scene.
Honoring the Community is Essential
The first marketing campaign for the new Boston NWSL team proved disastrous; fans ridiculed the original team name of “BOS Nation FC,” and the organization faced immense backlash for its first marketing campaign that many considered offensive, featuring the highly ridiculed slogan “Too Many Balls.” Alluding to the historical accomplishments of the Boston sports scene achieved by men, the controversial slogan was seen as centralizing men at the unveiling of a women’s soccer team.
Following the negative fan feedback, the team apologized for its campaign and committed itself to a process of rebranding. Through community input, the name “Boston Legacy FC” was chosen to honor the club’s Boston heritage. Despite the team’s negative first impression, its management’s attentiveness to the community demonstrates a willingness to admit shortcomings.
The team crest represents iconic landmarks in Boston, with the swan paying both homage to the swan boats in the Boston Public Garden and its angled feathers representing the Zakim Bridge. Also, a nod to the history of women’s soccer in America, the eight feathers represent the original eight teams in the NWSL — one of which was the former Boston Breakers. Together, the crest shows that this team aims to recognize the profound legacy of the city it represents, and more importantly, it adapts to the suggestions and critiques of Boston residents.
Controversy over the Renovation of White Stadium
Located in Roxbury and originally built in 1949, White Stadium once seated more than 10,000 people. After former Mayor Tom Menino left office in 2014, no other major efforts to revive the stadium were made until current Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a nearly $100 million renovation project last year.
Although the stadium is intended to be used as an accessible facility for Boston Public Schools students, local residents, and the Boston Legacy FC team, the city of Boston has faced opposition from both the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and a group of 20 residents, dubbed the “Franklin Park Defenders.” These groups oppose the professional soccer use of the facility, arguing that the team, a private organization, would restrict full public access.
Moreover, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy filed a lawsuit claiming that the project needed to be reviewed under Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution, which prohibits public land development before a two-thirds vote in the state legislature. Fortunately for stadium advocates, a Suffolk County Superior Court judge ruled that “the stadium parcel is not protected by Article 97” and therefore should be allowed to move forward.
Alongside these challenges, the stadium will not be ready for the team’s inaugural season in 2026, forcing them to share use of Gillette Stadium with the men’s club New England Revolution.
Michelle Wu
Money looms large in the area of both Boston sports and politics alike. It is no wonder that it is shaping the conversation around Boston Legacy FC’s investors, the funding of White Stadium, and the campaign contributions tied to Michelle Wu and her former opponent Josh Kraft, whose father Robert Kraft owns the New England Patriots and New England Revolutions. While the Superior Court ruling has reduced the legal opposition the city of Boston faces with the stadium, Kraft capitalized on the opportunity to use the rising costs of the stadium to attack Wu’s campaign. Citing rising costs of the stadium, Kraft claimed the city will spend $172 million, a sharp increase from the City of Boston’s $91 million estimate.
The stadium’s ultimate outcome will depend heavily on Wu’s leadership. She has continuously supported the cost of the stadium to the city, highlighting the positive impact it will have on Boston students. Shortcomings of the stadium, whether they be rising budget costs or community backlash, may prove a drag on her campaign and approval ratings. Thus far, however, her stance on the stadium has not appeared to damage her performance in the polls. She decisively defeated Josh Kraft with 72% of the vote, compared to his 23%.
With Kraft’s exit from the Boston mayoral race, it appears the stadium project has lost its most powerful critic. As White Stadium continues to be renovated and rebuilt, it is imperative to remember the importance of a women’s soccer team for Massachusetts, a state that has produced national stars such as Samantha Mewis and Ally Sentnor. The team will undoubtedly usher in new role models for young girls who dream of diversifying the male-dominated sports culture in New England. However, considering the pushback that the team has already received before its debut season, the future of women’s soccer in New England will undoubtedly continue to be challenged.