Denver Summit FC proved they’re anything but hype. The long wait for the expansion side’s inaugural home opener was worth it, and it’ll need its own page in the NWSL attendance history books.
When Denver Summit FC walked onto the pitch at Empower Field at Mile High, the home of the Denver Broncos, they did so in front of 63,004 fans who packed the stadium for the club’s first-ever home game against the Washington Spirit. The Summit held the Spirit to a scoreless draw, and goalkeeper Abby Smith earned her second clean sheet of the season. The biggest impact was the record-setting crowd, which shattered the previous mark of 40,091 set by Bay FC at MLB’s Oracle Park.
“It was an amazing team effort. It was just bringing together the best of the best and executing on the plan. We set out a vision to play our first match here at Empower Field at Mile High, and we wanted to have over 60,000 people here, and it looks like we accomplished that,” said Denver Summit owner Rob Cohen.
“It’s all about, you know, expecting and demanding excellence, day in and day out. And you know, from the players, the coaches, in the front office, and we’ll just continue to do that every day and try to execute on the things we know how to do.”
Denver Summit are just four games into their inaugural season, but they now have five points and are in sixth place in the league table. The squad defeated 2025 NWSL Championship winner Gotham FC on Wednesday and were hopeful of keeping the winning momentum into the home opener, though they’ll hold their heads high after stealing points from 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup winners and 2025 NWSL Championship runners-up Washington Spirit.
“All these players chose to be with this team. They’re all new. They’re still trying to figure out each other in the style of play. To survive that first game, with the red card early in the match, and only lose 2 to 1 [against Bay FC], and then come back with the draw [against Orlando], and then the victory [against Gotham FC], I feel good about where we’re headed and what we’re doing,” Cohen said.
It’s a respectable start for an expansion side eager to build support in the Rocky Mountain region. Denver Summit were officially awarded NWSL expansion back in January 2025, though the build-up began much earlier, with efforts beginning in 2022 from former NWSL player Jordan Angeli alongside Ben Hubbard, Tom Dunmore, and Nicole Glaros.
The “For Denver FC” campaign was responsible for connecting with Cohen, who said Saturday was a “pinch me day” and was thrilled to see so many locals supporting the women’s pro sports franchise. Denver Summit FC will now face Seattle Reign on the road on April 4, before returning home to play at their temporary facility, Centennial Stadium, against San Diego Wave.
The franchise recently acquired land to build its future home site at Santa Fe Yards. The eventual Summit FC facility will be a 14,500-seat, purpose-built soccer stadium.
“Denver is an incredible Sports City. It’s they have a love for their team. They’ve proven that they can support multiple teams, and I think the fact that we haven’t had a women’s professional team in this town is just filling a need that the community has wanted to be here for a long time,” Cohen said.
The scenes of the home opener serve as a milestone for the club and the league. Despite the zeros on the scoreboard, the club earned a hard-fought point against a formidable opponent and accomplished something bigger than just a box score.
