Olympic gold medal skier Mikaela Shiffrin joining Denver NWSL ownership group

Two-time Olympic gold medal Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin has joined the ownership group of Denver's NWSL expansion franchise, the team announced on Tuesday.

Denver was awarded the expansion franchise in January and is awaiting a vote by the city council to approve up to $70 million in funding for a 14,500-seat stadium and entertainment district in a development named Sante Fe Yards. The vote is scheduled for May 12.

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If the investment initiative passes, the stadium is expected to be ready by 2028. If funding for the stadium project is not approved, team governor Rob Cohen says the team would be unlikely to stay in Denver. When the team debuts in 2026, it will play in an temporary venue in Centennial, Colorado that will serve as a training center and eventually serve as a smaller facility for the Cherry Creek School District.

A popular local figure like Shiffrin joining the ownership group will likely help further integrate the team into the community.

The 100-time World Cup race winner is the latest celebrity figure to make an investment in NWSL ownership, joining Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden (Houston Dash), former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (Gotham FC) and Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman (Angel City FC). Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is also involved in a group attempting to bring an NWSL franchise to Cincinnati.

"I’m beyond thrilled to join the ownership group of Denver NWSL and support something so meaningful in the community I call home,” Shiffrin said in a statement. “The sport culture in Colorado is rich and deep, and — most notably — the growth of women’s sports is one of the most exciting movements in our culture today.”

"To be part of it, and to help bring professional women’s soccer to Colorado, is not only an incredible investment opportunity—but it is both an honor and a joy," she added. "Shout out to the city of Denver—I’m so excited to support the home team!”

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Shiffrin told The Athletic that she expects her role with the team to be "very low-level." But she intends to attend as many games as her schedule allows, while also doing all she can to talk about the NWSL team and local women's sports publicly as much as possible.

"It’s been very male-centric in Colorado for quite a while,” Shiffrin told The Athletic's Melanie Anzidei. “We have incredible female athletes. We have incredible women soccer players, but, you know, playing everywhere else.

“It would be so cool in the future if we could see some of our Colorado-born soccer players coming back and playing for this team."

Denver's NWSL team will join Boston Legacy FC as expansion franchises in 2026, increasing the league's number of teams to 16.