NWSL's Boston to play 1st season at Gillette

Boston Legacy FC, a 2026 NWSL expansion franchise, will play its entire first season of home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, due to delays with the redevelopment of its proposed home stadium.

"With the 2026 NWSL season beginning in 10 months, Boston Legacy FC will play its inaugural season at Gillette Stadium before the club moves into its permanent home at White Stadium in 2027," a Boston Legacy spokesperson told ESPN in a statement on Wednesday.

"White Stadium construction is well underway, but construction will not be finished by March of 2026," the statement continued.

Gillette Stadium is the longtime home of MLS' New England Revolution and the NFL's New England Patriots. Gillette Stadium will also host seven FIFA Men's World Cup games next summer. The NWSL plans to play games during next year's World Cup, commissioner Jessica Berman previously told ESPN.

Boston Legacy FC's ownership group is renovating the dilapidated White Stadium in Boston's Franklin Park as part of a unique -- and controversial -- public-private partnership with Boston Public Schools.

White Stadium was originally supposed to re-open by March 2026, when the NWSL typically begins its regular season, but it has faced several setbacks, including an ongoing lawsuit from a local conservancy group to stop the project. Demolition of the old structures began earlier this year.

The Boston Globe reported on Wednesday that "the soonest" the field at White Stadium will be complete is "the middle of next summer," and that Boston Legacy FC decided against making a midseason venue switch in its inaugural campaign.

The shift to playing at Gillette Stadium, a 65,000-seat venue with artificial turf that is primarily utilized for American football, is another setback for the Boston franchise originally approved as an NWSL expansion team in early 2023.

Earlier this year, the group announced it was changing its name to Boston Legacy FC. The team originally announced itself as "BOS Nation FC" last October. The name, and the accompanying marketing campaign titled "Too Many Balls," was widely criticized.

Boston was granted an NWSL expansion team contingent upon the stadium renovation coming to fruition, sources previously told ESPN.

"Expansion is our opportunity to shape the future of the league and to set up not only the contractual requirements for those clubs, but also the league's oversight of ensuring that particular deadlines are met," Berman said about Boston in March when asked if White Stadium would be ready. "We have been and are continuing to work very closely and in partnership with the ownership group in Boston."

Berman and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu have lauded the partnership between the city and the NWSL team as a model for other cities to follow.

The price of the project has nearly doubled from its original estimate, to over $200 million. Boston Legacy, led by principal owner Jennifer Epstein -- whose family are longtime co-owners of the NBA's Boston Celtics, which is in the process of being sold -- is responsible for half the renovations and costs.

Boston Public Schools athletics will get priority in scheduling events at the stadium. Boston Legacy FC will be allowed to use the stadium for up to 20 games per year, with certain restrictions around the frequency of games.

Gillette Stadium is owned by the Kraft Group, which owns the Revolution and the Patriots.

Josh Kraft, the son of Kraft Group CEO and chairman Robert Kraft, is running for mayor of Boston against Wu. The White Stadium project has been a source of public contention between Josh Kraft and Wu.

The Krafts are attempting to build their own soccer stadium in Everett, just across the river from Boston's Charlestown neighborhood.

A spokesperson for Kraft Sports and Entertainment issued the following statement to ESPN:

"Gillette Stadium is pleased to welcome Boston Legacy FC for its inaugural season in 2026. After being approached by the club, Gillette Stadium was proud to support the team and provide a world-class venue for Boston Legacy FC and its fans in order to promote the advancement of women's professional soccer in New England.

"Gillette Stadium and the New England Revolution look forward to sharing the field with Boston Legacy FC as we add to our long history of hosting premier soccer events."