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Jeff Kassouf
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning has joined the ownership group of the Denver NWSL expansion franchise that will begin play next year.
Manning is a five-time NFL MVP and a two-time Super Bowl champion who played his final four seasons with the Denver Broncos, retiring in 2016 shortly after leading the team to a Super Bowl title.
“It’s a real honor to be part of something so meaningful to the Colorado community,” Manning said in a statement. “I’m proud to support the growth of women’s sports and excited to help build a club that our city and our state can rally behind.”
minority investor in Gotham FC.
Denver NWSL also recently announced two-time Olympic champion Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin as part of its ownership group.
Cohen is a Colorado-based insurance executive who leads the ownership group. Other investors include Ariel Investments’ Project Level, led by president and co-CEO Mellody Hobson, and Molly Coors of the Coors family that once held ownership in MLB’s Colorado Rockies.
Jon-Erik Borgen, Kaia Borgen Moritz, Neelima Joshi, Dhiren Jhaver are also investors in the franchise.
temporary stadium south of Denver, in Centennial, Colorado.
The 12,000-seat venue will be surrounded by the team’s training center. Cohen and Denver’s ownership group previously announced plans to build a 14,500-seat stadium in Denver that is set to open in 2028.
The stadium would be only the second venue specifically built for an NWSL team.
Cohen & Co. were awarded the 2026 NWSL expansion franchise in December for a $110 million fee — over twice as much as the most recent expansion fees paid.
Boston Legacy FC, which was previously admitted to the NWSL for a $53 million expansion fee, will also begin play in 2026.
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