Growing attendance, sponsorship interest and franchise valuations are increasing the importance of facility strategy across women’s professional sports. Mortenson’s analysis examines how purpose-built venues can help teams manage commercial operations, improve athlete environments and establish stronger connections with local communities.
Many women’s teams have historically shared facilities designed primarily for other tenants. Limited scheduling control, adapted locker rooms and restricted access to venue revenue can constrain operations. Dedicated facilities offer owners greater flexibility to align building design, event scheduling and commercial opportunities with a team’s requirements.
Professional women’s sports revenue is projected to reach at least $3 billion in 2026. Commercial activities are expected to account for 45% of that total, while matchday revenue is projected to contribute another 30%.
These estimates illustrate the potential scale of investment, although individual venue performance will depend on factors such as attendance, operating costs, sponsorship agreements and event programming.
Purpose-built sports infrastructure requires more than adapting an existing stadium or training centre. Design considerations include secure locker rooms, appropriately sized strength-training areas, recovery facilities, mental health support and private spaces for personal needs.
Family-oriented amenities can also influence facility planning. Dedicated family rooms, lactation spaces and access to qualified childcare providers can help accommodate athletes who balance professional competition with parenting responsibilities.
These requirements affect the design and operation of training facilities as well as stadiums. Owners must consider how spaces support athlete health, privacy and performance while remaining practical to maintain and operate.
Fan facilities require similarly detailed planning. Premium hospitality, merchandise areas, concessions, circulation routes and social spaces should reflect the preferences of the local audience rather than rely on assumptions about women’s sports fans as a single customer group.
Market research can help teams determine which amenities and food service options are appropriate for their supporters. These decisions also affect sponsorship opportunities, customer spending and the overall event experience.
Denver Summit FC’s planned stadium illustrates how a dedicated sports venue can form part of a larger development strategy. The proposed open-air facility is designed to exceed 300,000 square feet and accommodate approximately 14,500 spectators, with premium suites, clubs, concessions and team operations areas.
The design preserves the option to expand capacity to approximately 20,000 seats, providing flexibility as attendance and operational requirements evolve.
The stadium is planned as the centrepiece of a 41-acre sports and entertainment district on a former industrial site. Proposed elements include green space, pedestrian routes, transit access and potential commercial and residential development.
Combining a stadium with surrounding uses can create opportunities for activity beyond match days. However, the benefits will depend on the delivery of associated development, access infrastructure, operating arrangements and year-round programming.
Developing facilities for an expanding sports market creates coordination challenges for owners, designers and construction teams. Capacity decisions, long-lead materials, procurement schedules and future expansion provisions can affect both project cost and opening dates.
Early construction involvement can help project teams assess alternatives, identify procurement risks and evaluate the costs of retaining expansion options. Coordination between design, construction and venue operations is particularly important when commercial programmes and event calendars must be established before opening.
For owners, the objective is to deliver a facility that meets immediate operating requirements without unnecessarily limiting future changes.
Purpose-built women’s sports facilities create opportunities across stadium construction, training infrastructure, hospitality and mixed-use development. They also require owners to integrate athlete needs, fan experience, commercial planning and long-term operating requirements from the earliest project stages.
For contractors and developers, these projects demonstrate the importance of aligning building design with the business model the facility is intended to support. Flexible capacity, coordinated procurement and year-round use planning can be important considerations when evaluating investment and delivery options.
Source: Mortenson.
