 | |||
| Founded | November 16, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-11-16) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | America First Field Sandy, Utah | ||
| Capacity | 20,213 | ||
| Owners | Miller Sports + Entertainment (Gail Miller) (majority) David Blitzer (minority) | ||
| President | John Kimball(interim) | ||
| Head coach | Jimmy Coenraets | ||
| League | National Women's Soccer League | ||
| 2025 | Regular season: 12th of 14 Playoffs: DNQ | ||
| Website | rsl.com/utahroyals | ||
 Current season | |||
TheUtah Royals (formerlyUtah Royals FC) are an American professionalsoccer club based in theSalt Lake City metropolitan area that competes in theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Established on November 16, 2017, as anexpansion team, the Royals played their first stint in the NWSL from 2018 until ceasing operations in 2020, with their player-related assets transferred to the expansionKansas City Current.[1] In 2023, thenReal Salt Lake ownersRyan Smith andDavid Blitzer reestablished the team.[2][3]
On November 16, 2017,Real Salt Lake ofMajor League Soccer announced that it had acquired a franchise in theNational Women's Soccer League.[4] On November 20, 2017, the league announced thatFC Kansas City of theNational Women's Soccer League would fold their club, and the team's player contracts, draft picks, and other rights would be transferred to the new Salt Lake City club.[5] As of August 2017[update], Utah's sixNCAADivision I women's soccer teams outnumbered the men's,[6][7]a seventh women's soccer school moved fromDivision II to Division I in 2020,[8] and the state has the highest rate of girls' high school soccer players recruited by Division I colleges.[9] Attendance at Division I women's soccer games in Utah is among the highest in the NCAA.[9] The decision to bring a NWSL team to Utah was based on the established interest in men's soccer in the state as well asDell Loy Hansen's gut feeling and longtime interest in a team.[9]
The new Salt Lake City team announced its hiring of formerSeattle Reign FC coachLaura Harvey as its inaugural head coach on November 27, 2017.[10]
Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttir scored the first goal in franchise history on March 24, 2018, in the third minute of the club's inaugural match againstOrlando Pride in Orlando.[11] 18,500 tickets were sold ahead of their first home match (with only club seats and standing-only tickets remaining).[12] Official attendance the day of the match, in which they played the Chicago Red Stars, was reported as 19,023.[13]
In August 2020, Dell Loy Hansen announced plans to sell Utah Soccer LLC—the parent company of the Royals, Real Salt Lake, andReal Monarchs—following reports and allegations of racist and sexist behavior by staff across the properties.[14][15] Utah Royals FC were officially dissolved on December 7, 2020. The club's parent company, Utah Soccer LLC, sold the team's NWSL player contracts and franchise rights to Chris and Angie Long andBrittany Mahomes, who founded a new team provisionally namedKansas City NWSL and later renamed Kansas City Current.[16]
The sale of the Royals included a provision that any entity that purchased Real Salt Lake would be granted the option to launch an expansion team using the Utah Royals FC identity no sooner than the2023 National Women's Soccer League season.[16]
On March 11, 2023, Ryan Smith and David Blitzer—whose groups had jointly purchased ownership of Real Salt Lake—announced that they would exercise their option to launch an NWSL team alongside investment from a group known as 42 Futbol Group composed of Jessica Gelman,Daryl Morey, and Amy Reinhard. The new expansion team would begin play in the2024 National Women's Soccer League season, joining alongside fellow expansion teamBay FC inSan Jose, California.[15] The agreement reportedly allowed the Royals to enter the league at a considerably lower expansion fee of $2–$5 million, compared to around $50 million for Bay FC.[15][17]
The new ownership group named Michelle Hyncik as club president.[15] Hyncik hired former Utah Royals FC andUnited States women's national soccer team forwardAmy Rodriguez, then serving as an assistant coach for theUSC Trojans women's soccer team, as the team's inaugural head coach. Hyncik and Rodriguez had been teammates in high school.[18] On April 18, 2025,Miller Sports + Entertainment, led by formerUtah Jazz ownerGail Miller, acquired controlling interest in the franchise as part of a $600 million deal that includedReal Salt Lake, with Blitzer remaining as a minority owner.[19]
The team was officially launched on December 1, 2017, with the announcements of its name, branding, season tickets, and social media.[20][21]
The badge features a gold Lioness head and “Claret Red”, “Cobalt Blue” and “Victory Gold” colors. Two stylized balls surround the name “UTAH ROYALS FC” in the lower half of the badge which represent the team's connection to the organization's MLS and United Soccer League teams.[22]
By the end of December 2017 over 2,000 season tickets had been sold.[23] By early April 2018, the number of season tickets sold had increased to 5,000.[24]
In February 2018, the Royals announced a three-year multimillion-dollar deal withConservice, a utility company based inLogan, Utah.[25] The company's logo was featured on the front of the team's jerseys.[26]
Utah announced a multi-year partnership deal withYoung Living Essential Oils on April 2, 2019. The Young Living partnership included an original video series called ‘Rise up to Royalty’ which profiled URFC players personal lives. This 12-episode series, ran throughout the course of the2019 season.[27]
America First Credit Union was one of the Royals' first sponsors. Upon the club's return to the NWSL, the credit union was announced as the front of jersey sponsor.[28] This caused controversey due to the history of the termAmerica First as well as the credit union's logo's resemblance to the NaziIron Eagle symbol.[29] The Royals issued a lengthy joint statement with the credit union which stood firm on the partnership.[30]
Utah Royals FC play atAmerica First Field (known before September 2022 as Rio Tinto Stadium), located 15 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City inSandy, Utah, as the men's team,Real Salt Lake, does.[20]
America First Field is a soccer-specific stadium which opened on October 9, 2008.[31] The pitch featuresKentucky Bluegrass[32] and is 120 × 75 yards.[33] The stadiums seats 20,213 for soccer matches.[33]
Kelly Cousins[38]
Jimmy Coenraets[39] Sam Lismont James White[40]| Season | NWSL | Playoffs | Top scorer | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts. | Pos. | Player | Goals | |||
| 2018 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 22 | 23 | -1 | 35 | 5th | Did not qualify |  Katie Stengel | 6 | |
| 2019 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 34 | 6th | Did not qualify | Amy Rodriguez | 9 | |
| 2020 | Canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic | Tziarra KingAmy Rodriguez[a] | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2024 | 26 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 22 | 40 | -18 | 25 | 11th | Did not qualify |  Cloé Lacasse | 4 | |
| 2025 | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 28 | 42 | -14 | 25 | 12th | Did not qualify |  Mina Tanaka | 6 | |
| Name | Nation | Tenure | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Harvey | ENG | December 1, 2017 – January 6, 2020 | 47 | 18 | 12 | 17 | 45 | 47 | 038.30 |
| Scott Parkinson (interim) | ENG | January 6, 2020 – February 7, 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |
| Craig Harrington | ENG | February 7, 2020 – September 20, 2020 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 020.00 |
| Amy LePeilbet (interim) | USA | September 20, 2020 – December 7, 2020 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 000.00 |
| Amy Rodriguez | USA | April 20, 2023 – June 30, 2024 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 27 | 013.33 |
| Jimmy Coenraets (interim) | BEL | June 30, 2024 – October 24, 2024 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 13 | 053.85 |
| Jimmy Coenraets | BEL | October 24, 2024 –present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |
| Player | Appearances | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Nat. | Pos. | Royals career | NWSL | Playoffs | Cup | Other | Total |
| 1 | Kate Del Fava | | DF | 2020, 2024– | 52 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 61 |
| 2 | Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttir |  | MF | 2018–2020 | 48 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 52 |
| 3 | Amy Rodriguez | | FW | 2018–2020 | 43 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 51 |
| 4 | Dana Foederer |  | MF | 2024–2025 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 50 |
| 5 | Mandy McGlynn | | GK | 2024– | 48 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 49 |
| 6 | Rachel Corsie |  | DF | 2018–2020 | 43 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 48 |
| 7 | Katie Bowen |  | DF | 2024–2025 | 38 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 47 |
| Lo'eau LaBonta | | MF | 2018–2020 | 38 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 47 | |
| Katie Stengel | | FW | 2018–2019 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | |
| 10 | Madison Pogarch | | DF | 2024–2025 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 |
| Player | Appearances | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Nat. | Pos. | Royals career | NWSL | Playoffs | Cup | Other | Total |
| 1 | Amy Rodriguez | | FW | 2018–2020 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| 2 | Christen Press | | FW | 2018–2019 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 3 | Paige Monaghan | | FW | 2024– | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Katie Stengel | | FW | 2018–2019 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| 5 | Mina Tanaka | | FW | 2024– | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 6 | Ally Sentnor | | FW | 2024–2025 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | Cloé Lacasse | | FW | 2024– | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Brecken Mozingo | | FW | 2024– | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
| 9 | Hannah Betfort | | FW | 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
The Utah Royals announced that all matches in 2018, except for their six NWSLGame of the Week appearances onLifetime, would be broadcast locally onKMYUMy Utah TV and streamed on theKSL app, as an extension of the broadcast rights agreements withSinclair Broadcast Group and KSL with Real Salt Lake.[42]KALLESPN 700 would carry the majority of Royals games on local radio – as it does for Real Salt Lake and Real Monarchs.[42] On August 17, 2018, KSL announced that Utah Royals games would no longer be broadcast on television or radio, but they would continue to be streamed on the KSL website and app.[43]
| Current teams | |
|---|---|
| Future teams |
|
| Former teams |
|
| Seasons | |
| Competition | |
| Personnel | |
| Awards | |
| Related articles | |
 Sports teams based inUtah | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball |  | ||||||
| Basketball | |||||||
| Football | |||||||
| Hockey | |||||||
| Roller derby | |||||||
| Rugby | |||||||
| Soccer | |||||||
| Volleyball | |||||||
| College athletics |
| ||||||
Sports properties owned byDavid Blitzer | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year of acquisition listed; equity stake included if known | |||||||
| Teams |
| ||||||
| Venues |
| ||||||
| Companies | |||||||
.svg){kind=link}