According to the Wall Street Journal, the NWSL is on the verge of expanding to three major cities. The league is in advanced discussions with potential ownership groups to bring teams to Boston, Utah and and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The report states the groups involved with launching teams in Boston and the Bay Area will have to pay $50 million in expansion fees. The group in Utah will have to pay somewhere between $2-$5 million, an amount determined a few years ago when the two sides entered negotiations.

“We remain engaged in our expansion process and are excited about our prospects,” a league spokesperson said. “When we have news to share, we will do so.”

The Bay Area group is comprised of former U.S. women's soccer greats Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, Leslie Osborne and Danielle Slaton along with private-equity firm Sixth Street Partners. The Boston group is led by Jennifer Epstein,  the daughter of Celtics co-owner Robert Epstein and founder of Juno Equity.

Both Boston and Utah have a history of women's soccer in their respective areas. The Utah Royals were a part of the NWSL from 2018-2020 before transferring to Kansas City following allegations of racism from ownership at the time. The league never ruled out Utah's reintegration into the NWSL and appears to be all-in on bringing a franchise back to the area. Boston was represented by the Boston Breakers were a part of the NWSL for five years before folding in 2018. They also appeared in the Women’s United Soccer Association and Women’s Professional Soccer, two leagues that no longer exists.