NWSL Atlanta 2028 officially broke ground on its new training facility today, bringing Arthur Blank, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman, the team’s new Vice President Deandra Duggans, and a good chunk of the local soccer press out to the site. Between the ceremony and the media availability that followed, there was plenty to unpack about the 2028 club, the broader state of the NWSL, and even a bit about Atlanta United. Here’s a rundown of the biggest takeaways from up in Marietta!
AMBSE’s Josh Blank didn’t put a specific date on it, but he made clear the identity rollout for the club is in its final stages. He walked through the process AMBSE used to get there, and it’s one that pulled from a wide net. Per Josh, surveys went out to NWSL Atlanta’s Founding Members, then more broadly to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium database, asking fans how they wanted the team to present itself on and off the field. From there the group spent time with Atlanta influencers and community members, and looked at a variety of the city’s key landmarks and icons for visual identity cues.
“It was a holistic process, really listening in to our fans, to the community members, ensuring that we also landed something that will be representative of Atlanta.”
Arthur Blank also chimed in and noted that while at a luncheon with Commissioner Berman to show their progress on the branding, the NWSL entourage left with nothing but smiles.
“The role of the league is really to simply set parameters and guardrails, but leave as much creativity to the team as possible.” Berman went on to say the league office is in New York, not Atlanta, and that the NWSL isn’t in the business of imposing branding decisions on ownership groups who understand their own communities. Arthur jumped in with a quick joke about the league being “visitors” who’ve been treated well in Atlanta.
The interviews then shifted to NWSL as a whole, which was extremely relevant considering this week’s Columbus announcement. The Haslam Sports Group’s Columbus bid was awarded on Tuesday at a record $205 million expansion fee, making it the 18th NWSL club and the second set to debut in 2028 alongside Atlanta. Berman framed 2028 as a sort of convergence year for the league with two expansion clubs stepping onto the pitch. It also includes the first year of the NWSL’s new media deal, since the current arrangement ends after the 2027 season, plus the LA Olympics, with matches played across the country.
Arthur Blank cut in quickly to add “We hope to see some of those matches here in Atlanta, as well.”
Berman also noted in the actual press conference that this NWSL team will be part of a rising tide that lifts all NWSL teams. She specifically pointed to the importance of the training ground for every soccer club the world over, saying that the ground is where the actual work happens. She repeated that she fully believes what NWSL Atlanta 2028 has planned for this particular location will raise the bar for every other team in the league.
The site itself, 33 acres that was once destined to be an IKEA and was once considered essentially a nuisance lot, sits only a quarter mile from the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground. Arthur Blank pointed out that when this particular location is finished, AMBSE will have invested over $200 million into that area of Marietta.
The media scrum ended with a couple of questions by Doug Roberson to Arthur about Atlanta United’s ongoing season, and his response was blunt: “It’s very disappointing.”
He signaled changes are coming, and when asked specifically about the financial effort it would take to buy out designated players if the front office decided that was the right move, he was straightforward: the money has never been the issue, and it won’t be now. Josh Blank reinforced the point, saying roster evaluation is ongoing and that financial backing isn’t a constraint, but rather it’s figuring out what’s best for the long term build.
“We’ll continue to evaluate the roster as we always do. Certainly, you know, the financial backing won’t be an issue. It’s really about what’s best for building the roster long term.”
He also deferred the “why isn’t it working” question to the soccer side, specifically Chris Henderson and Tata Martino, and implied that incoming President of Soccer Mauricio Culebro – who will sit over both Atlanta United and NWSL Atlanta 2028 – can help get things back on track.
Be sure to keep an eye on our NWSL Atlanta 2028 hub as work continues to chug along on building this newest soccer franchise here in Atlanta!
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