The OL Reign would hold a press conference at Lumen field on December 15th, announcing that they will return home to play in Seattle once again. Lumen field will be the site for the Reign, with the quote “World class players need a world class stadium”
Coming home to play at Lumen field
As mayor-elect Bruce Harrell said, this is a homecoming for the Reign. The journey leading the Reign to Lumen field starts all the way back in 2016, when discussions about playing in the venue first took place. Those discussions finally resulted in that ultimate goal, being announced today on December 15th, 2021. The OL Reign will play all of their home matches at Lumen field, including the Challenge cup, regular season games, and playoff games. A multi-year deal was agreed upon, and while the length of that deal was not announced, it is a foregone conclusion that the Reign will be making Lumen home for a while.
The move is seen as a win all around by OL, the city of Seattle politicians in attendance, and by the members of the Reign. Chief operating officer of the Reign, Vincent Berthillot was the representative for Olympique Lyonnais, and he stated the belief that the move to Seattle will open up a lot of "Commercial opportunities" for the team in terms of ticketing and sponsorships. The chief operating officer had this to say about how the move back could help the Reign off the pitch:
"Playing in the heart of Seattle, the home of the Seahawks and the Sounders, and close to the Kraken, Storm, and the Mariners, will help us to raise awareness of our brand and help initiate some commercial relationships."
The doubleheader in August was cited several times as a key point of realization that Seattle missed their team and gave confidence in the team to return back home. The doubleheader also played a role in the way that the parent group of the Reign, Olympique Lyonnais, viewed Seattle. It showed them tangible proof that the Seattle soccer fans were ready and willing to cheer on the Reign. In addition to this, another doubleheader with the Reign and Sounders is something that both clubs interest in, but that will have to be worked out in accordance with schedules. The first step towards this was the MLS schedule release, which took place the same day that this press conference did.
Something else that came up was a potential game between OL Feminin and the Reign in the future, This is something that the teams have wanted to organize, and will take place when stadium availability at Lumen field is there. There were plans for this in 2020, but for obvious reasons that did not take place.
Tacoma wasn't able to make it work
It was noted that a soccer specific stadium would not be a viable option in the time frame that the team wanted in the Tacoma area. A project in that area would have been difficult to achieve in the time frame the team wanted, as well as being cost prohibitive. It would be mentioned that the team did make a strong attempt to make a facility in the Tacoma area reality, even having backing from the Sounders, but it simply would not work and could not fit the Reign's needs.
The Reign will still have a presence though, as some players still will live in Tacoma and the team will still train at Bellarmine high school. The teams next focus, following finding a new home for games, is finding a training facility. The Reign reached out to starfire, who essentially said that they are fully booked and cannot accommodate the team. So, for the time being, the Reign will still train in Tacoma at Bellarmine high school until a training facility in the Seattle area can be reserved.
Members of the team react
Head coach Laura Harvey, who spent time in Seattle as part of the Seattle Reign, mentioned that she had fond memories of the team playing at Memorial stadium, but was not a fan of having to paint on the pitch lines for their games. Harvey identified the atmosphere in the locker room after the Reign had beat Portland in the doubleheader back in August as a point where the team knew that they wanted to call Lumen home, and they deserved it.
"I don't know if the doubleheader was a dress rehearsal, but I do believe that if there was any hurdle to jump over, that was it. Once we felt that as players and staff, it was what we always wanted to come back to. Every emotion that I have around it is that we are truly coming home," the 2021 NWSL coach of the year said. In regards to the attendance and what to expect at the matches this upcoming season, Harvey said "I always feel like once someone sees us play, and the product that we put out on the field, I always believe that they'll come back. It's just about getting them out there."
Club original and team captain Lauren Barnes spoke about the return home, saying this:
"The doubleheader was an incredibly emotional day for the entire team, but especially for those of us that have been with the club since the beginning. We imagined the day for a long time, so it was amazing to finally see it happen. The match gave us a glimpse of what our future could be if the team returned to Seattle. We are so happy that we’ll be back in Seattle and playing at Lumen Field. We can’t wait for the 2022 season to begin!" Barnes, like 2021 NWSL MVP Jess Fishlock, has been with the club since it's inception and has seen it bounce from Starfire, to Memorial stadium, to Cheney, and now back home. Those two, probably more than anyone on the current team, know what the fans in Seattle are like and they deserve to see Reign fans pack Lumen field for this upcoming season and beyond.
The move back to Seattle is a monumental one, and is another positive step forward for not only women's soccer here in Seattle, but women's sports as a whole. These women's athletes deserve the best, and getting the Reign in a building like Lumen field is a step in the right direction. Circling Seattle sports looks forward to bringing you coverage of the Reign next season, live from Lumen field!
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