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KANSAN.COM
SPORTS
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Brew: National Women's Soccer League signs contract with Nike to extend to fourth season
MATT HOFFMANN
@MattHoffmannUDK
A championship will be on the line Oct. 1 for a Kansas City area team, and it's not the Chiefs or Sporting KC.
FC Kansas City, one of the premier teams in the National Women's Soccer League will face the Seattle Reign at 8:30 p.m. CDT at Providence Park in Seattle.
For the NWSL, Thursday's match isn't just to dish out a piece of hardware; it's a milestone previous leagues couldn't achieve. A fourth season will be played next year. With the help of Nike, the league isn't just surviving;
it will add another team — to be determined — next season
SL.com reported on Wednesday the league extended its contract with Nike through 2019, and the apparel company will provide sportswear and the official ball of the league.
NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush told SL.com the league had "always known [they]'d be around" for a fourth season. He added he's excited about the future of the league: "This is the real exciting telltale sign that not only are we around, but other people are investing in us and believe in us and believe in the women who make up our league."
The exact amount of money
Previous women's national soccer leagues, such as the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) and the Women's Professional Soccer league (WPS), both folded after just three seasons, mainly because of debt and lack of fan support.
Nike is putting towards the NWSL was not disclosed.
It is unlikely that an attendance of just over 3,000 for a playoff game means the league is turning a profit. Perhaps the best thing going for the league is that the championship match will be televised live on Fox Sports 1. SI.com also reported the league is looking at extending and expanding its TV deal with Fox, presumably to show more games on national TV
The Nike deal alone doesn't mean the NWSL is out of the woods. ESPNW reported 3,031 people attended FC Kansas City's semifinal game. In comparison, the first round of the 2014 Major League Soccer playoffs generated 15,518 fans for a New York Red Bulls match, according to playingfor90.com.
More exposure can only help the NWSL. Stars, such as FC Kansas City's Lauren Holiday and Heather O'Reilly, both appeared for the United States National Women's team in the World Cup over the summer. Along with Seattle Reign's Hope Solo, all three
players bring recognition and credibility to both their teams and the league.
Nike has little to lose and much to gain by partnering with the NWSL. If the league continues to exist, Nike has a niche market cornered. If the league folds like it's predecessors, Nike won't feel many effects, having deals with other major sports leagues.
other major sports leagues.
For now, the NWSL and Kansas City will look forward to Thursday, where the league and team will gain more exposure and money and,
hey, maybe even bring home a championship.
- Edited by Dani Malakoff
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