HERRIMAN, Utah / NEW YORK (Tues., February 27, 2024) – Utah Royals FC, in conjunction with the National Women’s Soccer League and NIKE, Inc., today unveiled its vibrant new ‘Ascent’ primary Gold and ‘Mountain Heir’ Blue secondary uniforms, just under three weeks ahead of the Sat., March 16 “Return of Royalty” season opener at America First Field in Sandy. Kickoff for Head Coach Amy Rodriguez’ team against the visiting Chicago Red Stars is at 5:30p MT, with tickets available NOW at https://www.rsl.com/utahroyals/tickets/single.
Both the 2024 Utah Royals FC ‘Ascent’ Gold & ‘Mountain Heir’ Blue Kits are available at the URFC / RSL Team Store at America First Field (9256 State St in Sandy, UT 84070), open 10- 6p MT daily (closed on Sundays).
Today’s announcement occurred simultaneously for each of the NWSL’s 14 member clubs as part of a historic reset ahead of the 2024 season kicking off on Friday, March 15. Drawing inspiration from the colors and landscapes of the areas where each of the 14 teams live and play, each club’s new collection emphasizes pride in their community and belief in their team — celebrating the connection between athletes and fans, all while ensuring players are sporting the latest in performance innovation while they play.
“We’re all connected, we are all ‘One Utah,” said Club Vice President of Marketing Tyler Gibbons, instrumental in the creative and branding process for Utah Royals FC and all teams under the Real Salt Lake umbrella. “The visual connection is key, every element has a point to make as a storytelling device. These colors, these mountains are part of our everyday life, and that’s what we want the kits to connote.”
“We knew this era had to be different from the first iteration of the Royals. It’s one of the big reasons we shifted to the mountain landscapes from the southern Utah iconography that the original 2018 Lioness represented.
“We took the foundation that Nike gave us, the supplemented art and embossed features that they’re integrating and made it our own. Ultimately, this process & kit development helped our branding & logo design as well. That’s how and why we integrated the negative space mountain in the crown.To us, the mountains symbolize our fabric of life. And we hope that’s the symbolism of the Royals, we’re here & we are a part of the Utah community from this moment forward.”
Both the ‘Ascent’ Gold and ‘Mountain Heir’ Blue Utah Royals FC kits feature jersey-front partner America First Credit Union across the front and the Intermountain Health mark on the right sleeve, while all NWSL kits feature national partner ALLY on the left sleeve. Utah Royals is one of several NWSL kits that feature what Nike and the NWSL call an “Outer Pride” element – the “ONE UTAH” slogan in the lower left front, paying homage to the Club’s collective ethos of unification and togetherness.
The Utah Royals FC kit launch ahead of the 2024 “inaugural” season marks the first time ever that a women’s professional soccer league has received a league-wide kit reset, as Nike hits refresh on the primary and secondary uniforms for every single team in the NWSL. The thoughtful designs reflect each club’s identity, provide a sense of joyful expression, and celebrate the energy created by sport for the teams and their communities. While the primary kits are where the individual club’s unique stories come to life, the secondary kits – in URFC’s case the ‘Mountain Heir’ Blue kit – feature a gradient shift from dark to light using club colors, speak to the strength of the collective. The pre-match tops’ shared design was created by stacking traditional crests on top of one another and then adding texture and color to symbolically bring all the teams together as one.
“This launch marks a pivotal moment for the NWSL as we join forces with Nike to introduce a visually striking, bold and community-inspired kit collection for all 14 clubs,” said NWSL Vice President of Consumer Products Katie Eaton. “We understand the importance of creating a range of products, from training gear to match uniforms, that effectively serve the needs of our players on the field while also ensuring that kit designs resonate with the fans who support and celebrate their teams with passion.”
“This historic uniform refresh with Nike exemplifies our continued commitment to raising the bar and elevating the NWSL brand with vibrant kits that symbolize the powerful connection between the clubs, players, fans and our communities” said NWSL Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Julie Haddon. “We are excited to build upon this energetic moment as we approach our 2024 season kickoff.”
This season, Nike designed bright, bold, beautiful pieces that would bring the NWSL teams, fans and communities closer together, connecting around their shared love of the game.
In addition to a bespoke creative design, the updated match day kits for the NWSL’s 12th campaign also feature Nike DRI-FIT ADV technology, which provides reinforcement, mobility and breathability when and where it’s needed most. White shorts were notably eliminated from the entire 2024 uniform line-up as well, based on practical concerns from players — underscoring the shared commitment of the NWSL and Nike to meaningfully incorporate athlete feedback into the design process.
Jerseys, pre-match tops and an assortment of fan gear will be available today at www.NWSLShop.com and across all official league and club retailers ahead of the full marketplace launch on February 29. Replica goalkeeper jerseys will also be available for purchase as part of a late spring release.
Complimenting the kit reset, the league’s official game ball, the Nike Flight, brings next-level innovation to the pitch this season. Using Nike Aerowsculpt technology, the molded grooves disrupt airflow across the ball for less drag and more stable flight, while its fuse-welded panels create fewer stiff seams and a prominent sweet spot, and 3D All Conditions Control (ACC) ink on the surface creates a consistent touch. The 2024 game ball is available now on www.NWSLShop.com.
The NWSL will raise the curtain on its historic 12th campaign on Friday, March 15 at 8 p.m. ET as 2023 NWSL Champion NJ/NY Gotham FC takes on San Diego Wave FC, winner of the 2023 NWSL Shield, presented by CarMax, in the newly reformatted 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup.
Following the Challenge Cup, the 2024 regular season kicks off Saturday, March 16 featuring matchups across the country, including Utah’s “Return to Royalty” match as well as the Kansas City-Portland rematch of the 2022 NWSL Championship, with the Current hosting their inaugural match at CPKC Stadium, the first purpose-built stadium for a women’s professional sports team.
The full regular season schedule can be found at www.NWSL.com/schedule.