Denver NWSL franchise breaks ground in Centennial for temporary stadium, performance center

The debut of women’s professional soccer and the Denver NWSL franchise is getting closer in the Mile High City with the team set to begin play in 2026, and the franchise broke ground on its first home on Monday in Centennial.

The Centennial site, located right next to the headquarters for the Denver Broncos, will be home to the franchise’s temporary stadium and permanent performance center. The stadium is planned to host the team for the 2026 and 2027 seasons as they construct their permanent home up in Santa Fe Yards off of I-25 and Broadway.

New home coming soon. ⏳

We’ve finalized plans to build a permanent world-class performance center and purpose-built temporary stadium in the City of Centennial. 🏔️ pic.twitter.com/KT5Fx2m6x4

— Denver NWSL (@denver_nwsl) March 27, 2025

The temporary stadium will have 12,000 seats in it to accommodate fans for the first two seasons of play for the team. Including things like a recovery facility, a dining area, a film room and more, the complex will also have eight more soccer fields at the complex (it was not specified whether the fields will have a turf or grass surface). The 20,000-square-foot performance center will be built to cater towards women’s sports and female athletes as well.

“We believe that women’s sports deserves this level of care, this level of commitment and this level of excellence,” Denver NWSL controlling owner Rob Cohen said Monday. “This facility really reflects that belief and it sends a message that when we say we want equal investment for men and women, we mean it.”

While the performance center will be around after the team relocates to its permanent home, the temporary stadium will be cut down to around 4,000 seats to be used as a new stadium for the Cherry Creek School District to host events such as football games and track meets. A partnership is already in place with CCSD to give students a plethora of opportunities including internships, mentorships and more.

The franchise recently announced that Peyton Manning and Mikaela Shiffrin were joining the ownership group, which was finalized late last week. The NWSL also announced that the franchise had received a handful of roster-building assets on Friday as they prepare to build the squad that will be a monumental step forward for women’s sports in Denver.

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