Reign FC’s new French ownership group aims to keep goals and standards the same
As Bill Predmore addressed the packed audience inside of the Summit Club Cheney Stadium on Thursday, he sounded more like a proud parent at graduation than the owner of a professional women’s soccer team.
From playing at Seattle’s Memorial Stadium just a few years ago to playing in front of sellout crowds at Cheney Stadium this past summer, the rise of Reign FC has been a local sports highlight in the South Sound during 2019.
Predmore announced a transition in ownership that helps put what he called “his baby” onto the world stage.
Reign FC and OL Groupe announced that they have a definitive agreement for OL Groupe, the parent company of French soccer club Olympique Lyonnais, to acquire Reign FC for the price tag of $3.51 million.
“Seven years ago, we set forth this vision of what we wanted the club to become,” Predmore said. “Very simply, it was to become the best women’s soccer club in the world.”
The sale, which is expected to be finalized in January, will see OL Groupe own 89.5 percent of the team. The Predmores will retain 7.5 percent, and NBA legend Tony Parker will own three percent.
In what is turning out to be his final days as majority owner, Predmore thanked the fans and became visibly emotional when he discussed the players and thanked them for their loyalty and support.
“The fans down here have been incredibly welcoming,” Predmore said.
“They’ve created an environment that I think the players love to play in. To the fans in Seattle, we threw a big curveball at them last year and asked a lot of them to make the journey down and we offered them a much better experience. I’m thankful that they were able to make the journey down here. I want to thank the players that we worked with for the last seven years. Going into this, Teresa (Predmore) and I, we had no idea what to expect. They’re an inspiration to us, an honor. Thank you.”
Olympique Lyonnais is considered one of the best women’s club soccer teams in the world. In its storied history, it has won six women’s Champions League titles, 13 French division titles and eight French Cups.
There are some connections between the two clubs. Both Reign FC’s Jess Fishlock and Megan Rapinoe have made appearances for the club, which includes Fishlock being part of a Champions League-winning club in 2019.
Rapinoe, the World Cup MVP and 2019 Ballon d’Or winner, discussed this “full circle moment.”
“I have a lot of personal relationships with OL. I know I was only there for one year (2013-14), but it was a very special time and a place I always consider home,” she said. “Couldn’t stay away from me for too long, and I wasn’t going back to France so it’s good to meet in the middle.”
Jean-Michel Aulas, president of OL Groupe, had an interest in the National Women’s Soccer League and wanted to help invest in the league because of the value the sport holds for the future.
A small group of supporters seated on the back row of the venue could be heard with small cheers as he stated his lofty ambitions for the club.
In November, news started to come out that a potential deal was in the works and what that could look like with someone else having a majority stake in the franchise.
One of the main priorities the Predmores had was someone who was committed to the team locally, and he’s proud to have OL as a partner that is committed to keeping the team in the South Sound.
“There were other groups that Teresa and I spoke with,” Predmore said. “Some of those proposals were more lucrative but some of them also required moving the team. I think for us, the most important thing was to build upon what we’ve created here and that meant it had to be here. I think we made some sacrifices to find a way to keep it here. I think for both of us, I feel we made the right decision.”
Reign FC will continue to play their games at Cheney Stadium and ticket sales for the upcoming 2020 NWSL Season begin starting at noon on Dec. 20.
This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 7:13 AM.
