The Utah Royals FC are heading into the 2024 NWSL regular season with a roar. The club revealed plans for a multi-million dollar NWSL-specific training site in Herriman, Utah. The 12,260-square-foot facility is set to open by the start of the 2024 regular season.
The official groundbreaking at the training site means all five of the Utah Soccer brands will call the Zions Bank Real Academy their home base. The Utah Royals were previously part of NWSL, but are now re-entering the league after the previous roster was re-located as former ownership sought out new buyers for the the Utah teams, with a contingency in place for the Royals to return to the league as early as 2023.
Co-owners David Blitzer and Ryan Smith are investing in women’s sports at a time when expansion bids are climbing, and Smith re-emphasized that the franchise is remodeling the new facility “from scratch” as the club looks ahead to next year.
Facility blueprint
“This is the third practice facility that I’ve been involved with, actually the fourth,” Smith told media on Thursday.
“This is what fans don’t understand is these are really the labs. You think it’s the arena, the stadium, but all the day-to-day work happens here. So, I…
