Krause Group Is Committed to Bringing Professional Women’s Soccer to Des Moines

Women’s soccer in the U.S. is having the moment it deserves. The game isn’t new. The talent isn’t new. The passion of its players and fans isn’t new. What is changing is the level of attention, opportunity, and visibility surrounding the women’s game.

The newest season of Ted Lasso has turned its attention to women’s soccer. Next summer, 32 nations will compete on one of sports’ biggest stages at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Across the United States and around the world, audiences and opportunities in the women’s game continue to grow.

Our soccer portfolio already includes the Parma Calcio professional women’s team in Italy, and we are currently building our women’s team in Portugal. Together, those efforts reflect a broader belief: the future of soccer should create meaningful opportunities for women and men to compete, grow and inspire the next generation.

Kyle J Krause has already made clear that this vision includes Iowa.

Professional women’s soccer is part of the plan for Des Moines.

In 2025, Pro Iowa announced Kyle J. Krause’s intent to bring a professional women’s soccer team to Central Iowa alongside a USL Championship men’s club.

The women’s team would compete in the Division I USL Super League, the highest division of professional women’s soccer in the United States. There is a lot of excitement behind the Super League and some of the country’s most successful clubs are currently in New York City, Dallas, TX, and Lexington, Kentucky. There are currently eight teams competing in the Super League with commitments to double this total in the coming years.

For new fans, the American soccer landscape can be confusing. Terms like MLS, MLS NEXT Pro, USL Championship, USL Super League and NWSL represent different professional leagues—and different levels within the U.S. soccer system. On the women’s side, both the USL Super League and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) compete at the Division I professional level.

Soccer isn’t new to Des Moines

For decades, the Des Moines Menace has helped build a passionate soccer community here. As conversations continue about the future of professional soccer in Central Iowa, it’s helpful to understand how the different men’s professional leagues compare.

Major League Soccer (MLS) is the Division I men’s professional league in the United States and has grown from 10 teams in its inaugural 1996 season to 30 clubs today.

The USL Championship is a Division II professional league. In 2022, Kyle J. Krause and USL Championship officially signed a franchise agreement to bring a professional men’s club to Des Moines. 

MLS NEXT Pro, which launched in 2022, competes at the Division III level and includes both MLS-affiliated and independent clubs. While MLS and MLS NEXT Pro share a name and connection, they are separate professional leagues competing at different levels within the U.S. soccer system. 

Men’s Professional Soccer in the United States

Division	League	Teams	First Season
I	Major League Soccer (MLS)	30	1996
II	USL Championship	25	2011
III	MLS NEXT Pro	30	2022
III	USL League One	17	2019
IV	USL League Two	156	1995* *formerly Premier Development League

For Des Moines, that distinction provides important context.

The Pro Iowa vision has included a Division II USL Championship men’s team and a Division I USL Super League women’s team—creating an opportunity to bring two professional teams to Central Iowa and build on the strong soccer culture that already exists here.

Women’s soccer isn’t an addition to our vision. It’s part of our vision.

Kyle J. Krause’s involvement in soccer has always been about more than what happens during 90 minutes on the field. It is about building clubs, creating opportunities and using the world’s game to connect people and communities. Women’s soccer is a core part of that vision.

Our commitment to the women’s game is not theoretical. It is reflected in what we are doing internationally, in what we have announced for Iowa and in our belief that the future of the sport should create opportunities for women as well as men.

Imagine what that means for a young girl in Iowa.

Iowa already has a strong soccer culture. Thousands of girls grow up playing the game through youth clubs, schools and colleges across our state. Today, many of them have to look beyond Iowa to see where that journey could ultimately lead.

Imagine instead growing up with a professional women’s team in your hometown.

Imagine sitting in the stands and watching women compete at the highest professional division in the country.

Imagine knowing that the pathway you’re pursuing doesn’t have to end somewhere else. That visibility matters. 

Our commitment goes beyond a stadium.

There are important conversations happening today about the future of a professional soccer stadium in Des Moines, and we recognize that the path forward is still being determined. But one thing has not changed- we are serious about bringing professional women’s sports to Iowa.

For Kyle J. Krause and our organization, that commitment is bigger than any single project, timeline or location. Our belief in the women’s game is reflected in what we are already doing internationally, in the vision we have shared for professional soccer in Iowa and in our conviction that women athletes deserve more opportunities to compete professionally—and that Iowa fans deserve the opportunity to support them here at home.

The details of how we get there may continue to evolve. The commitment does not.