History
Denver Summit FC is an American professional soccer team based in the Denver metropolitan area that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It was accepted as an expansion team by the League on January 30, 2025, and began play in the 2026 season.
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In July 2023, an investment group called For Denver FC, led by former soccer player Jordan Angeli, sports executive Tom Dunmore, and insurance executive Ben Hubbard, announced their plans to bid for a franchise in the NWSL or USL Super League. They were joined by IMA Financial Group CEO Robert L. Cohen and venture capitalist Nicole Glaros. Other members of the ownership group included Mellody Hobson and Jason Wright of Ariel Investments. For Denver FC had been founded in 2022 as a grassroots group and organized outreach events, including watch parties for the United States women's national team during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. In November 2024, the NWSL announced that Denver was one of three finalists, alongside Cincinnati and Cleveland, to become the league's 16th team which would begin play in 2026.
Denver was officially awarded the expansion bid by NWSL on January 30, 2025, and joined as the league's 16th team in the 2026 season. The ownership group, led by finance executive Rob Cohen, was reported by media outlets to have paid a league-record expansion fee of $110 million.
The team is the first professional women's sports team in Colorado since the Colorado Xplosion of the American Basketball League folded in 1998.
On February 19, 2025, the ownership announced that the fans of the then-unnamed team would vote on the team's name with the following six names under consideration: Denver Peak FC, Colorado 14ers FC, Colorado Summit FC, Denver Elevate FC, Denver FC, and Denver Gold FC. On July 22, the team's ownership announced Denver Summit FC as the team's name.
On May 6, 2025, alpine skier and Vail native Mikaela Shiffrin joined the team's ownership group. On June 3, 2025, Pro Football Hall of Fame and former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning also joined the ownership group.
Inaugural season (2026)
Denver Summit played its first game on March 14, 2026, away at Bay FC losing 2–1. The Summit's home opener was played at Empower Field at Mile High on March 28, 2026, against Washington Spirit, setting a league attendance record of 63,004.The Summit would fail to qualify for the playoffs getting eliminated on the final day of the regular season with a 1-0 loss to North Carolina Courage. Denver would finish the season ranked 10th with 41 points earned with a record of 11 wins, 8 draws, and 11 losses. Janine Sonis would be the top goal scorer on the team with 12 goals.
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