SEATTLE — Seattle's two top-flight professional soccer organizations will now officially be under a single ownership group.
The OL Groupe has finalized the sale of the Seattle Reign to a new ownership group comprised of Sounders FC and investment firm Carlyle. The sale was announced by OL Groupe in March, with a $58 million price tag confirmed by the French holding company.
Sounders Owner Adrian Hanauer will be the governor of the Seattle Reign on the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Board of Governors, and former Sounders Chief Operating Officer Maya Mendoza-Exstrom will serve as the Chief Business Officer for the Reign.
“On behalf of the NWSL and its Board of Governors, we’re thrilled to welcome this new ownership group into the NWSL,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “Combining the operational expertise and long-term community leadership of the group led by Adrian Hanauer, with the financial investment of one of the world’s leading investment firms in Carlyle, this group positions Seattle Reign FC for success. We look forward to the continued growth of the Club.”
Mendoza-Exstrom will head up a women-led leadership group along with Reign general manager Lesle Gallimore and head coach Laura Harvey. Mendoza-Exstrom, originally from Seattle, was an All-American soccer player at the University of Puget Sound and also graduated from the University of Washington law school.
"I am excited and deeply honored to step into a role of leadership for Seattle Reign FC,” said Mendoza-Exstrom. “This game has been a part of my life since I was four years old. The opportunity to lead this club – my club – at this important moment where the unique value of women's sports and athletes is being met with investment, interest and visibility is humbling. My commitment and one I make alongside two incredible teammates in Lesle Gallimore and Laura Harvey, is simple: to accelerate the growth of our business and build our brand and fanbase to meet the opportunity of this global movement in women's sports."
OL Groupe initially purchased the Reign for $3.5 million in 2019.