Wikipedia

Racing Louisville FC

Racing Louisville Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in Louisville, Kentucky, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Their second team plays in the USL W League. It began playing in 2021 at Lynn Family Stadium. The team is owned by Soccer Holdings LLC.[1] The expansion team was announced on October 22, 2019.[2] Currently, they are the only major professional team to play in the state of Kentucky.

Racing Louisville FC
Full nameRacing Louisville Football Club
FoundedOctober 22, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-10-22)
StadiumLynn Family Stadium
Louisville, Kentucky
Capacity15,304
Owner(s)Soccer Holdings, LLC
ChairmanJohn Neace
Head coachBev Yanez
LeagueNational Women's Soccer League
2025Regular season: 7th of 14
Playoffs: Quarter-finals
Websiteracingloufc.com
Current season

History

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Louisville was mentioned as a potential candidate for an expansion team in National Women's Soccer League as early as 2018, shortly after construction began on their soccer-specific venue, Lynn Family Stadium.[3] The ownership group of USL Championship club Louisville City FC began preliminary discussions with the league the following year, with plans to enter in the 2020 season.[4][5] Louisville's NWSL expansion team was officially announced on October 22, 2019, sharing its ownership group with Louisville City FC. It would begin play in 2021 at Lynn Family Stadium.[6] The team became the first professional team to play in the city of Louisville since the Kentucky Colonels in 1975.[7]

In November 2019, NWSL filed a trademark application for "Proof Louisville FC", which was confirmed by Louisville City FC as their preliminary name for the team. The name references the local bourbon whiskey industry by using the term "proof", a measure of alcohol content.[8] The ownership group later announced in April 2020 that they would explore other names with community input after a mixed reception from fans.[1][9] The club's new name, Racing Louisville FC, was officially unveiled on July 8, 2020.[10] PNC Bank was announced as the club's first kit sponsor on July 1, 2020, with the company's logo appearing on the back of the team's jerseys.[11] On December 17, 2020, Louisville City announced that GE Appliances, which had already been that club's primary shirt sponsor (i.e., on the front of the kit), would expand this sponsorship to include all clubs under the Louisville City umbrella, including Racing.[12]

Former Sky Blue FC head coach Christy Holly was named as Racing Louisville FC's first head coach on August 12, 2020.[13] The club made their NWSL debut in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, where they finished at the bottom of the East Division with two losses and two draws.[14] Racing Louisville FC made their home debut on May 15, 2021, playing to a scoreless draw against Kansas City NWSL.[15]

Holly was fired for cause on August 31, 2021, and the club named Mario Sanchez, head of the club's youth academy and former collegiate coach, as the interim head coach.[16] After the season, veteran Swedish coach Kim Björkegren was named as the permanent replacement.[17] In 2022, a report from U.S. Soccer revealed that Holly had allegedly sexually abused players as coach of Racing.[18]

Racing named former NWSL MVP finalist and Best XI selection Bev Yanez as its new coach in November 2023.[19]. In 2025 Bev Yanez was named NWSL Coach of the Year. [20]

Club identity

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Racing Louisville FC is named in reference to the city's horse racing venues, including the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, using the "Racing" moniker used by foreign clubs.[1] The club's circular crest uses a lavender background and a four-pointed fleur-de-lis at its center in violet. It was designed by Matthew Wolff, who had previously worked with Major League Soccer teams New York City FC and Los Angeles FC.[21][22]

Sponsorship

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On December 17, 2020, GE Appliances became the exclusive front-of-jersey sponsor for Soccer Holdings, LLC, the parent organization of Racing Louisville.

Seasons Jersey manufacturer Front-of-Jersey
2021–present Nike, Inc.[23] GE Appliances[24][25]

Stadium and facilities

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Lynn Family Stadium, the team's home venue

The club shares Lynn Family Stadium and its training facilities with Louisville City FC. The soccer-specific stadium, opened in 2020, has a seated capacity of 11,600, with standing-room capacity up to 15,304.[26] The 20-acre (8.1 ha) training facilities at Louisville Champions Park includes several practice fields and an indoor gymnasium and office complex.[27]

Players and staff

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Current squad

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As of March 27, 2026.[28]
No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  USA Maddie Prohaska
2 DF  USA Lauren Milliet
3 DF  USA Arin Wright
4 MF  USA Makenna Morris
5 DF  USA Ellie Jean
6 FW  USA Ella Hase
7 MF  USA Savannah DeMelo
8 DF  USA Courtney Petersen
9 FW  USA Kayla Fischer
10 MF  USA Macey Hodge
11 FW  USA Taylor White
12 DF  USA Quincy McMahon
13 FW  USA Emma Sears
14 MF  USA Marisa DiGrande
15 DF  USA Mirann Gacioch
16 FW  USA Maja Lardner
20 MF  USA Katie O'Kane
21 FW  USA Rachel Hill
22 MF  USA Natalie Mitchell
23 DF  USA Macy Blackburn
24 GK  USA Jordyn Bloomer
26 MF  USA Taylor Flint
30 GK  USA Erynn Floyd
32 DF  USA Avery Ciorbu
42 FW  USA Sarah Weber
88 FW  USA Audrey McKeen
99 GK  USA Olivia Sekany

Out on loan

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No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF  USA Maddie Pokorny (at Tampa Bay Sun FC until June 2026)
33 GK  PUR Cristina Roque (at Sporting JAX until May 2026)

Staff

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As of August 29, 2025[29]
Technical
Head coach Beverly Yanez
Assistant coach Mitch Sowerby
Goalkeeper coach Sergio Gonzalez
Support
Head athletic trainer Tara Condon
Assistant athletic trainer Isabelle Clarke
Head equipment manager Sarah Kanuch

Head coaches

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As of 4 April, 2026:

Name Tenure Refs
Christy Holly12 August 2020 – 31 August 2021
Mario Sanchez (interim)31 August 2021 – 9 December 2021
Kim Björkegren9 December 2021 – 27 October 2023
Bev Yanez30 November 2023 –

Record

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Year-by-year

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First team

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as of November 3, 2025

Season League Regular season Playoffs Challenge Cup Average attendance Total attendance
P W D L GF GA GD Pts Pos
2021 NWSL 24 5 7 12 21 40 -19 22 9th Did not qualify Group stage 6,565 79,042
2022 22 5 8 9 23 35 -12 23 9th Did not qualify Group stage 6,048 66,529
2023 22 6 9 7 25 24 1 27 9th Did not qualify Runners-up^ 5,999 65,989
2024 26 7 7 12 33 39 -6 28 9th Did not qualify DNQ 6,223 86,916
2025 26 10 7 9 35 38 -3 37 7th Quarter-finals DNQ 5,521 71,775

* ^2nd = Highest position

Second team

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Season League Regular season Playoffs
P W D L GF GA GD Pts Pos
2022 USL W League 12 6 3 3 26 15 +11 21 3rd, Great Lakes Did not qualify
2023 10 8 1 1 42 4 +38 25 2nd, Great Lakes Did not qualify
2024 10 4 2 4 32 17 +15 14 4th, Great Lakes Did not qualify
2025 10 6 2 2 31 8 +23 20 2nd, Great Lakes Did not qualify

Team records

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First team

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As of December 27, 2025.[30] Current players in bold. Statistics are updated once a year after the conclusion of the NWSL season.
Most appearances
Player Appearances
# Name Nat. Pos. Racing career NWSL Playoffs Cup Other Total
1 Lauren Milliet United States DF 2021– 113 1 16 3 133
2 Katie Lund United States GK 2021–2025 80 0 11 1 92
3 Savannah DeMelo United States MF 2022– 79 0 8 2 89
4 Kayla Fischer United States FW 2023– 55 1 6 3 65
5 Jaelin Howell United States MF 2022–2024 50 0 10 3 63
6 Ary Borges Brazil MF 2023–2025 53 1 3 3 60
7 Abby Erceg New Zealand DF 2023–2024 48 0 5 3 56
Emma Sears United States FW 2024– 52 1 0 3 56
9 Emina Ekić Bosnia and Herzegovina FW 2021–2023 38 0 13 0 51
Taylor Flint United States MF 2024– 47 1 0 3 51
Top goalscorers
Player Appearances
# Name Nat. Pos. Racing career NWSL Playoffs Cup Other Total
1 Savannah DeMelo United States MF 2022– 17 0 3 0 20
2 Emma Sears United States FW 2024– 15 0 0 1 16
3 Nadia Nadim Denmark FW 2021–2023 10 0 0 0 10
4 Cece Kizer United States FW 2021–2022 5 0 3 0 8
5 Kayla Fischer United States FW 2023– 4 1 1 1 7
Taylor Flint United States MF 2024– 7 0 0 0 7
Uchenna Kanu Nigeria FW 2023–2025 6 0 1 0 7
Kirsten Wright United States FW 2022– 6 0 1 0 7
9 Ebony Salmon England FW 2021–2022 6 0 0 0 6
10 Ary Borges Brazil MF 2023–2025 3 0 1 1 5
Reilyn Turner United States FW 2024 4 0 0 1 5

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Creditor, Avi (July 8, 2020). "NWSL Expansion Team to Be Called Racing Louisville FC". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  2. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League announces expansion to Louisville in 2021" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. October 22, 2019. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  3. ↑ Morris, Neal (August 23, 2018). "NWSL expansion could see teams added in USL cities". WRALSportsFan. WRAL. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  4. ↑ Lerner, Danielle (August 14, 2019). "NWSL looking at Louisville as a candidate for women's pro soccer expansion". The Courier-Journal. p. B1. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  5. ↑ Linehan, Megan; Rueter, Jeff (August 13, 2019). "Sources: Louisville is the leading candidate for 2020 NWSL expansion". The Athletic. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  6. ↑ Sullivan, Tim (October 23, 2019). "Louisville is getting a National Women's Soccer League franchise. Here's what to know". The Courier-Journal. p. A1. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  7. ↑ Gardner, Hayes (May 21, 2020). "45 years ago, Kentucky Colonels won 'a piece of treasure' as world's best basketball team". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  8. ↑ Sullivan, Tim (November 12, 2019). "Louisville's NWSL expansion team has a name, and it's a nod to Kentucky's favorite spirit". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  9. ↑ Gardner, Hayes (April 21, 2020). "Proof Louisville FC — the city's NWSL team — may get a new name". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  10. ↑ Aulbach, Lucas (July 8, 2020). "Meet Racing Louisville FC: New NWSL team announces name and colors ahead of 2021 debut". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  11. ↑ Finley, Marty (July 1, 2020). "Louisville women's soccer franchise lands first major corporate sponsor". Louisville Business First. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  12. ↑ "GE Appliances Extends LouCity Agreement, Expands Support for Soccer" (Press release). Louisville City FC. December 17, 2020. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  13. ↑ Aulbach, Lucas; Yates, Dominique (August 12, 2020). "Christy Holly will lead Racing Louisville FC, the city's new NWSL franchise, in 2021". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Racing Louisville FC ends Challenge Cup with 0–0 tie at Gotham FC". WDRB. May 2, 2021. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  15. ↑ Saxon, Jonathan (May 15, 2021). "Racing Louisville, Kansas City fight to 0–0 draw in season opener". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  16. ↑ Garnder, Hayes (August 31, 2021). "Racing Louisville FC fires first head coach Christy Holly 'for cause'". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Racing Louisville FC Hires Björkegren as Head Coach" (Press release). Racing Louisville FC. December 9, 2021. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  18. ↑ Yang, Steph; Linehan, Meg (October 3, 2022). "NWSL investigations: Everything you need to know from Sally Yates' report and what's next". The Athletic. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Racing Louisville FC appoint assistant Bev Yanez as new head coach to replace Kim Bjorkegren". CBSSports.com. November 30, 2023. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Players step out and celebrate 2025 season at NWSL Awards presented by AT&T". Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Racing Louisville FC announced as NWSL's newest franchise". RacingLouFC.com (Press release). July 8, 2020. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  22. ↑ Finley, Marty (July 8, 2020). "Louisville's new women's pro soccer team unveils name, logo". Louisville Business First. Archived from the original on November 30, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  23. ↑ NWSL (August 2, 2019). "Nike extends deal with National Women's Soccer League | News | NWSLsoccer.com". NWSL. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  24. ↑ Jones, Daniel. "Racing Louisville Unveil 2021 Nike Home & Away Jerseys". SoccerBible. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  25. ↑ "GE Appliances expands pro soccer support to Racing Louisville FC". Racing Louisville FC. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  26. ↑ "NWSL coming to Louisville in 2021" (Press release). Louisville City FC. October 22, 2019. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Soccer Holdings releases plans for new training facility" (Press release). Racing Louisville FC. June 10, 2020. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Roster". Racing Louisville FC. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Technical Staff". racingloufc.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Racing Louisville FC Stats and History". FBref. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
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