Minnesota Aurora exploring options to become a professional team by 2026
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Minnesota may soon have another pro sports team in its lineup.
The Aurora Women's soccer team is starting their journey to make that jump.
Aurora co-founder and board member Andrea Yoch says there are a lot of reasons why this team is ready to make their leap from amateur to professional in the National Women's Soccer League.
"We're expanding TCO stadium this year to 7,000 fans because of demand, we have a long list of wonderful sponsors, we have season ticket holders, we're selling a lot of merchandise, we have a TV partnership," said Yoch.
But getting there won't be easy — it's the money that's the hard part. Women's sports teams shot up in value over the last two to three years.
RELATED: Sports betting could soon be legalized in Minnesota but concerns remain
"If you have the money and you want to make a great investment, and you care deeply about women's sports, get in now," said Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, the director of The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport.
Her team has been monitoring trends in women's sports for 30 years.
"We're just at the tip of the iceberg for the return on investment for women's professional sport properties," said LaVoi.
A recent example of this is San Diego Wave Fútbol Club.
The team was purchased in 2021 for $2 million and just sold for $113 million — the largest sale of a NWSL team ever.
"I'd take that bet in terms of any investment in women's sports. It's really a spectacular increase in a short amount of time," said LaVoi.
Right now Aurora players are playing for the experience, but if they go pro, they'll be playing as a profession. Everything just gets bigger in the professional sports arena: players get paid more, there's a bigger medical staff, more front office staff, and more fans.
If everything goes according to plan, the Aurora hope to be pro team by their 2026 season.