.svg) | |||
| Full name | Racing Louisville Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | October 22, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-10-22) | ||
| Stadium | Lynn Family Stadium Louisville, Kentucky | ||
| Capacity | 15,304 | ||
| Owner(s) | Soccer Holdings, LLC | ||
| Chairman | John Neace | ||
| Head coach | Bev Yanez | ||
| League | National Women's Soccer League | ||
| 2025 | Regular season: TBD Playoffs: TBD | ||
| Website | racingloufc.com | ||
 Current season | |||
Racing Louisville Football Club is an American professionalsoccer team based inLouisville, Kentucky, that competes in theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It began playing in 2021 atLynn Family Stadium. The team is owned by Soccer Holdings LLC.[1] The expansion team was announced on October 22, 2019.[2] Currently, they are the only major professional team to play in the state ofKentucky.
Louisville was mentioned as a potential candidate for an expansion team inNational Women's Soccer League as early as 2018, shortly after construction began on theirsoccer-specific venue,Lynn Family Stadium.[3] The ownership group ofUSL Championship clubLouisville City FC began preliminary discussions with the league the following year, with plans to enter in the 2020 season.[4][5] Louisville's NWSL expansion team was officially announced on October 22, 2019, sharing its ownership group with Louisville City FC. It would begin play in 2021 at Lynn Family Stadium.[6] The team became the first professional team to play in the city of Louisville since theKentucky Colonels in 1975.[7]
In November 2019, NWSL filed atrademark application for "Proof Louisville FC", which was confirmed by Louisville City FC as their preliminary name for the team. The name references the localbourbon whiskey industry by using the term "proof", a measure of alcohol content.[8] The ownership group later announced in April 2020 that they would explore other names with community input after a mixed reception from fans.[1][9] The club's new name, Racing Louisville FC, was officially unveiled on July 8, 2020.[10]PNC Bank was announced as the club's firstkit sponsor on July 1, 2020, with the company's logo appearing on the back of the team's jerseys.[11] On December 17, 2020, Louisville City announced thatGE Appliances, which had already been that club's primary shirt sponsor (i.e., on the front of the kit), would expand this sponsorship to include all clubs under the Louisville City umbrella, including Racing.[12]
FormerSky Blue FC head coachChristy Holly was named as Racing Louisville FC's first head coach on August 12, 2020.[13] The club made their NWSL debut in the2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, where they finished at the bottom of the East Division with two losses and two draws.[14] Racing Louisville FC made their home debut on May 15, 2021, playing to a scoreless draw againstKansas City NWSL.[15]
Holly was fired for cause on August 31, 2021, and the club namedMario Sanchez, head of the club's youth academy and former collegiate coach, as the interim head coach.[16] After the season, veteran Swedish coachKim Björkegren was named as the permanent replacement.[17] In 2022, a report from U.S. Soccer revealed that Holly had allegedly sexually abused players as coach of Racing.[18]
Racing named former NWSL MVP finalist and Best XI selectionBev Yanez as its new coach in November 2023.[19]
Racing Louisville FC is named in reference to the city'shorse racing venues, including theKentucky Derby atChurchill Downs, using the "Racing" moniker used by foreign clubs.[1] The club's circular crest uses alavender background and a four-pointedfleur-de-lis at its center inviolet. It was designed byMatthew Wolff, who had previously worked withMajor League Soccer teamsNew York City FC andLos Angeles FC.[20][21]
The club sharesLynn Family Stadium and its training facilities with Louisville City FC. Thesoccer-specific stadium, opened in 2020, has a seated capacity of 11,600, with standing-room capacity up to 15,304.[22] The 20-acre (8.1 ha) training facilities atLouisville Champions Park includes several practice fields and an indoor gymnasium and office complex.[23]
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | FW |  NZL | Milly Clegg(atHalifax Tides FC until December 2025)[25] |
| Technical | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Beverly Yanez |
| Assistant coach | Mitch Sowerby |
| Goalkeeper coach | Sergio Gonzalez |
| Support | |
| Head athletic trainer | Tara Condon |
| Assistant athletic trainer | Isabelle Clarke |
| Head equipment manager | Sarah Kanuch |
Christy Holly (2021)Mario Sanchez (interim; 2021)
Kim Björkegren (2022–2023)Bev Yanez (2023–present)as of November 3, 2025
| Season | League | Regular season | Playoffs | Challenge Cup | Average attendance | Total attendance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Pos | ||||||
| 2021 | NWSL | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 40 | -19 | 22 | 9th | Did not qualify | Group stage | 6,565 | 79,042 |
| 2022 | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 23 | 35 | -12 | 23 | 9th | Did not qualify | Group stage | 6,048 | 66,529 | |
| 2023 | 22 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 27 | 9th | Did not qualify | Runners-up^ | 5,999 | 65,989 | |
| 2024 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 33 | 39 | -6 | 28 | 9th | Did not qualify | DNQ | 6,223 | 86,916 | |
| 2025 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 35 | 38 | -3 | 37 | 7th | TBD | DNQ | 5,521 | 71,775 | |
*^2nd = Highest position
| Season | League | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Pos | |||
| 2022 | USL W League | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 15 | +11 | 21 | 3rd, Great Lakes | Did not qualify |
| 2023 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 4 | +38 | 25 | 2nd, Great Lakes | Did not qualify | |
| 2024 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 14 | 4th, Great Lakes | Did not qualify | |
| 2025 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 8 | +23 | 20 | 2nd, Great Lakes | Did not qualify | |
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