(L-R) Christina Unkel, Valerie Newton, Allen Greene II, Henry 'Shake' Washington, Team Co-Owner Darry Shaw, Team Co-Owner Jeff Fox at Blake High School in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 12
The USL Super League announced on Feb. 9 that its teams will compete at the highest level of professional women’s soccer in the U.S. after receiving Division One (D1) sanctioning from the U.S. Soccer Federation.
This D1 status is important for Tampa Bay Sun FC because it increases the visibility of women’s pro sports and showcases all of the work that the clubs and the league put in to create a professional environment for top-level athletes to compete.
“This is a tremendous moment for the USL Super League and for women’s sports,” USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort wrote in a press release. “This is a crucial step toward realizing our vision to be a global leader in women’s soccer on and off the field.”
The USL Super League’s 2024-25 inaugural season is supposed to kick off in August with clubs in eight markets across the United States—including Ft. Lauderdale, Dallas/Fort Worth, Carolina and more. Other U.S. markets hope to join the league after this first season. A Ybor City practice facility for the Sun is still in the works.
It’s still unclear how the D1 status will affect athletes’ pay, but Tampa Bay Sun FC representative Carolynn Smith-Jones told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that, “The Tampa Bay Sun’s player salaries will be competitive to the women’s soccer market in the United States. We will be abiding by what the players in NWSL have negotiated by their union with NWSL as setting industry norms.”
The D1 sanctioning comes just in time for the Sun FC’s new stadium renovations which started this week.
In October Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) approved an agreement between Tampa Bay Sun FC and Blake High School to renovate the school’s riverfront football stadium and host the pro soccer team.
With a price tag of over $6 million, the goal is to complete renovations by August when the USL Super League season begins. Plans include a new scoreboard, FIFA-approved turf, concession facilities and an upgrade from 1,800 to over 5,000 seats.
Elected officials and team leadership said that the project comes at no cost to taxpayers but will be funded by Florida Community Events, LLC which is owned by the soccer team with ties to Tampa developer Darryl Shaw. The Sun FC will use the stadium until getting its own permanent stadium, and Blake’s sports teams and fans can also enjoy the renovations come August.
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