National Women’s Soccer League Teams Join Coachella Valley Invitational

INDIO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Four teams from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) will participate in the Coachella Valley Invitational (CVI) to take part in preseason matches and training sessions alongside 12 Men’s Professional Soccer clubs according to event organizers AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. Participating teams include Angel City FC, Portland Thorns FC, San Diego Wave FC, and expansion club Bay FC.

With the support of the NWSL and MLS, CVI is establishing a new preseason training model by bringing together 16 men’s and women’s clubs from across the U.S.

“We are thrilled to welcome NWSL teams to the Coachella Valley Invitational for the first time,” said Kara Korber, Senior Director, Business Development for AEG. “AEG builds exceptional preseason experiences for top clubs from around the world, and we are proud to have the opportunity to work with a new group of elite teams. We look forward to giving fans a chance to catch men’s and women’s professional soccer all in one place.”

The matches will mark the first time all three California-based NWSL teams will be at the same competition.

“We are looking forward to joining Angel City, Portland, and San Diego - three of the top teams in the NWSL - in the NWSL’s first appearance at CVI as part of our 2024 preseason,” said Bay FC General Manager Lucy Rushton. “The elite environment and facilities will provide our staff and players with the best opportunity to train and prepare to the highest level as we launch into our inaugural season, something we have always prioritized.”

“Giving our players the chance to train in different environments leading up to the NWSL season is extremely important to us, so we were excited to be a part of this invitational,” said Angel City FC General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano. “Any and all opportunities to showcase professional women's soccer in our home state is vital to the growth of the game here. Additionally, we look forward to facing our new Northern California rivals in Bay FC as they head into their first season.”

Passes for all matches are on sale to the public at CoachellaValleyInvitational.com. The schedule of NWSL matches taking place at Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. is listed below.

COACHELLA VALLEY INVITATIONAL NWSL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Feb. 20

San Diego Wave FC vs. Bay FC at 12:00pm PT

Saturday, Feb. 24

San Diego Wave FC vs. Portland Thorns at 11am PT
Angel City FC vs. Bay FC at 1:00pm PT

The current list of participating teams include:

• Angel City FC,
• Bay FC (new NWSL expansion team beginning play in 2024),
• Portland Thorns FC,
• San Diego Wave FC.

With more than 250 acres of lush gardens and pristine polo fields, Empire Polo Club is one of the finest facilities for outdoor sporting events and executive conferences, in addition to hosting the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Festival. The fields at Empire Polo Club are operated by Goldenvoice, the Los Angeles-based concert promoter and live event company owned by AEG Presents.

Additional details about the event, including media accreditation for the Coachella Valley Invitational, will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information visit CoachellaValleyInvitational.com and follow @coachellavalleyinvitational on Instagram.

Click HERE for Coachella Valley Invitational assets, including Empire Polo Club imagery, CVI logos and team logos.

Source: AEG