April 22 – In a first for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Bay FC will take on the Washington Spirit at Oracle Park – home of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants – on August 23.
This will mark the first time a women’s professional sporting event has been played at the iconic stadium, which has a seating capacity of 40,260 – more than double that of Bay FC’s current home, PayPal Park, which seats 18,000.
“That was a big consideration for us,” Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart said ahead of the announcement. “We’re a team for the whole Bay Area – all nine counties. Our fans are incredible. They come down to San Jose to watch us play, and we wanted to bring the game to them – fans in San Francisco, the North Bay, and the East Bay. Oracle Park is a central location for them.”
Bay FC is no stranger to baseball stadiums. During its inaugural season, the club played at Chicago’s Wrigley Field in front of a record crowd of 35,038 fans.
Men’s soccer has frequently been played at Oracle Park, with top European teams such as Manchester City, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Everton making appearances over the years.
“We always knew we wanted to play games around the Bay Area,” Stewart added. “You’ll see more of this from us.”
The Bay Area is also home to the Oakland Soul of the United Soccer League (USL), which currently holds a short-term lease at the aging Oakland Coliseum, the former home of MLB’s Oakland A’s.
“There’s no other market like this in the country,” Stewart said of the region’s growing women’s sports presence. “The support for women’s sports here comes from such an authentic, deep, and passionate place. We’re so lucky to be part of this ecosystem.”
Long-term, Bay FC aims to have its own dedicated stadium and benefit from the revenue and identity that come with a permanent home.
“It’s hard to be an iconic sports franchise without your own home,” Stewart said. “As we evaluate locations for our future stadium, we’ll be methodical and data-driven – just as we were when choosing our training facility. We’re looking at the entire Bay Area to find the best long-term home for this franchise. We want to be playing 150 years from now.”
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1745432864labto1745432864ofdlr1745432864owedi1745432864sni@o1745432864fni1745432864