Events Slate Surrounding 2022 NWSL Championship, Presented by Budweiser to Kick off Wednesday, October 26
October 25, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) News Release
NEW YORK – The National Women’s Soccer League’s full slate of events surrounding the 2022 NWSL Championship, presented by Budweiser in Washington, D.C. are set to kick off this Wednesday, October 26. In addition to the league’s primetime championship match on Saturday, October 29, the NWSL, its partners and fans will celebrate the culmination of the 10th anniversary season and 50 years of Title IX. Highlighted by the “Score More for Title IX” summit developed in partnership with Billie Jean King Enterprises, a variety of events will occur ahead of Saturday’s match including community activations, the return of Fan Fest and more.
“This year’s NWSL Championship marks the end of a historic season,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “We’re excited to host a series of events to salute not only the accomplishments of our teams and players in reaching the final but also the efforts of those who have given this league and the broader women’s sports landscape the platform it deserves, from fans to sponsors to thought leaders and beyond. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Washington, D.C. for what will certainly be an exciting event on and off the field.”
Wednesday, October 26
Kicking off the week of activations on Wednesday, Mastercard, the official payments partner of the NWSL, and Girls4Tech, an immersive program working to inspire young girls to build STEM experience, will host a session on building technology skills for girls ages 8 to 10. Following the tech clinic, participants will take the pitch at Audi Field for an accompanying soccer clinic with NWSL athletes.
Thursday, October 27
Nationwide, the NWSL’s exclusive insurance partner and presenting sponsor of the Community Impact Award, has teamed up with the league to support the local community by organizing a sports bra distribution initiative alongside the Washington Spirit’s community partner, Leveling the Playing Field, on Thursday to benefit a D.C.-area school in need.
Founded in 2013, Leveling the Playing Field’s core mission is to redistribute sports equipment to expand access and equity within youth sports and recreation programs in under-resourced communities. In 2022 alone, Leveling the Playing Field has distributed over 5,000 new sports bras to female student athletes in need across 147 unique schools and youth programs.
In August, the NWSL and Delta Air Lines, the league’s official airline partner, launched the “Ask the Athlete” series, a unique campaign to connect fans with NWSL athletes. As part of the activation, fans had the opportunity to submit questions they had always wanted to ask an NWSL athlete. A group of winners were selected to ask their questions, receiving recorded responses on social media from players around the league. In addition, two grand prize winners won trips to the 2022 NWSL Championship to ask their questions in-person at the league’s official Media Day on Thursday.
As the presenting sponsor of the league’s Best XI of the Year honoring a first and second team of the top 22 players in the league, Mastercard will host members of both teams for an immersive dinner experience prepared by James Beard Foundation Award finalist and Chopped judge Chef Tiffani Faison to celebrate their accomplishments this season.
Friday, October 28
In partnership with Billie Jean King Enterprises, the NWSL will host a summit entitled “Score More for Title IX” on Friday morning, October 28 at the International Spy Museum. This immersive summit will invite key sports figures, thought leaders and policymakers to celebrate 50 years of Title IX and engage in meaningful discussions about the next 50 years. Notable speakers, hosts and panelists to participate in the discussions include:
Sarah Axelson, Vice President, Advocacy at Women’s Sports Foundation
Brad Barnett, Vice President of Enterprise Marketing, Nationwide*
Meghann Burke, NWSLPA Executive Director
Andrea Brimmer, Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer, Ally Financial*
Wade Davis, VP of Inclusion Strategy, Netflix, Former NFL Player
Fatima Goss Graves, National Women’s Law Center CEO
Dana Jacobson, CBS Saturday Mornings Co-Host and CBS Sports Reporter
Michele Kang, Majority Owner, Washington Spirit and Founder & CEO, Cognosante
Jessica Long, USA Paralympic Swimmer*
Latifa Lyles, Special Assistant to the President for Gender Policy
AJ Mendez, NY Times Bestselling Author and Producer/Commentator Women of Wrestling
Renee Montgomery, Co-Owner/VP of the Atlanta Dream, 2x WNBA Champion
Chris Mosier, Transgender Athlete and Thought Leader on LGBTQIA+ Inclusionin Sport
Alexis Ohanian, Founder of Seven Seven Six, the Co-Founder of Reddit, and a lead founding investor in Angel City FC
Pepper Persley, Journalist and Broadcaster
Michael Robichaud, Senior Vice President of Global Sponsorships, Mastercard
Eve Rodsky, New York Times best-selling author of Fair Play and National Bestseller, Find Your Unicorn Space
Briana Scurry, Former USWNT Goalkeeper and World Cup & Olympic Champion*
*Denotes newly confirmed participants
To close out the day on Friday, Just Women’s Sports will host a music-fueled VIP party along the DC waterfront. Bringing together the biggest names in women’s soccer, the Just Women’s Sports NWSL Championship Party presented by Ally will be a celebration of the NWSL’s historic 10th season.
Invitations are required for each of the aforementioned events.
Saturday, October 29
Ahead of the NWSL’s primetime match, fans are invited to gather outside the gates of Audi Field along “Audi Drive” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET for Fan Fest. This year’s event will feature athlete autographs, music, food, balloon artists and face painting, the CarMax Skills Challenge, Nationwide Kick to Win and more. NWSL players set to attend are Ali Riley, Ashley Hatch, Erin McLeod, Jane Campbell, Jessica McDonald, McCall Zerboni, Merritt Mathias, Rachel Hill, Tori Huster and more. Fans are encouraged to bring a sports bra donation for Leveling the Playing Field to Fan Fest.
In addition, Just Women’s Sports’ signature pregame show The Warm-Up, which launched during last year’s NWSL Championship weekend, is back. As part of this year’s Fan Fest, Just Women’s Sports will host The Warm-Up presented by Ally at 6:30 p.m. ET on Paramount+ featuring some of soccer’s biggest stars breaking down the 2022 season and previewing the NWSL Championship game. Following The Warm-Up at 7pm ET on Paramount+, the 2022 NWSL Championship Pre-Game show presented by Ally will provide further analysis with live coach and player interviews from inside Audi Field.
Coverage of the 2022 Ally Financial NWSL Championship will air on The CBS Television Network and stream live on Paramount+ and internationally on Twitch. More information regarding the Championship broadcast can be found here.
For more information and to buy tickets for the championship match, set for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff at Audi Field, please click here.
To ensure every athlete has an ally in the stands at the final, Ally will cover travel, accommodation and tickets to the match for two guests of each player on the Championship teams as part of the Player Allies program.
Following the conclusion of the 2022 NWSL Championship match, fans will have the opportunity to bid on match-worn jerseys from the final through a live auction in partnership with MatchWornShirt, an organization offering fans the opportunity to access authentic, game-used kits while supporting the greater soccer community in meaningful ways. All proceeds from the Championship auction will benefit Leveling the Playing Field.
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