Boston Legacy FC has secured more than $100 million in financing for the revitalization of White Stadium in Franklin Park, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion club announced on Wednesday.
The funds, secured through a loan with Bank of America, will fund the development and construction of the stadium, which includes rebuilding the West Grandstand and adjacent areas of the stadium, as well as other improvements to the site. In securing this funding, the club has overcome one of the biggest obstacles standing between the incoming NWSL club and its future home in Boston.
Jennifer Epstein, the club’s controlling manager, said during a panel discussion at Sportico’s “RISE: Women’s Sports” conference in New York City that the loan was closed late Monday night. The city, which has partnered with the club on the project, extended the club’s previous financing deadline by six weeks. The team had until Sept. 15 to secure funds to cover its half of the costs.
“My late night was because we just, yesterday, closed probably the biggest loan directed towards professional sports to finance the stadium, in excess of $100 million,” Epstein said on Tuesday. “That in itself, really, is an incredible data point and demonstration of what is going on in women’s sports, and that investors and financial institutions alike have recognized that there’s long-term sustainable growth and we can direct dollars towards it.”
Jennifer Epstein told the audience at Sportico RISE: Women’s Sports that the loan offer took all night. (Bryan Bedder / Getty Images)
Boston Legacy will debut in the league next year alongside fellow expansion club, Denver Summit. The team will play its inaugural 2026 season at Gillette Stadium, where the NFL’s New England Patriots and Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution play, before moving to White Stadium in 2027.
The club said on Wednesday that the stadium’s structural demolition was complete, and that the next phase of construction will begin in November. This will coincide with the efforts by the city for its own redevelopment efforts at the site, which is owned by Boston Public Schools.
“As part of our lease, we will cover the full cost to operate and maintain White Stadium for decades to come, supporting BPS athletics and ensuring this facility remains a meaningful public resource in Franklin Park,” Epstein said. “We’re proud to be moving forward with financing from Bank of America to realize White Stadium’s restored future.”
The stadium’s overhaul will include a new grass field, an eight-lane track, ADA-compliant, fully electric infrastructure, expanded community access and public restrooms, the club said. Once open, the stadium will be accessible to the public and BPS community outside of Boston Legacy match days. Boston’s mayor, Michelle Wu, has been a staunch supporter of the project, and in a statement on Wednesday called the financing offer a “landmark” agreement.
“After many decades of waiting, Boston’s student athletes will have an athletics facility that matches their talent and potential, owned by BPS and available more than 345 days per year to students and the public,” Wu said. “We are excited to see the next phase of construction get underway.”
(leading photo: David L. Ryan / Getty Images)
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