Transforming the halls at Infinity Park, Denver Summit FC flexed their muscle as Colorado's first female professional sports franchise.
With all the bells and whistles found at Ball Arena for the Denver Nuggets, the Summit hosted their first-ever media day in preparation for their first ever season.
The flash, the glitz, the glamour — all to engage with the fans of this new franchise that are already showing major support.
"To be a part of this community and give back to the community that really poured into me as a young person, so much of who I am was built here, to be able to be back and to help build this — I know the Denver community is going to fall in love with this team and I'm so proud to be here," said Summit defender and Colorado native Janine Sonis.
About 40,000 Coloradans have already committed their time and money to watching the Summit's first-ever home match in March.
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) attendance record is 40,091.
There's a chance, if they manage to sell out Empower Field at Mile High, that Denver Summit FC will nearly double that record in their first opportunity to delight the home crowd.
"I've thought about it since the day I signed," said Summit goalkeeper and Colorado native Jordan Nytes. "It's super exciting that's where we get to play. That's going to be such a special opportunity."
"I've thought about it a lot," said Summit forward and Colorado native Ally Brazier. "The amount of times I've driven on I-25 and seen that stadium, I'm like 'That's so big!' To think that — here I am — and I get to play in it is actually insane to think about. I cannot believe we're here."
"The most special part of this team is [our impact] on the youth soccer in Colorado," Nytes said. "Being able to put a professional women's team here is super awesome for them to have people to look up to and games to attend."
After spending time in southern California at a sort of sleep-away training camp, the Summit are working to develop "team chemistry" from the ground up.
Luckily, as an expansion franchise, the team's personality is a clean slate. So, it's up to veterans like Kaleigh Kurtz to help mold their attitude like a ball of clay.
"I think this league is a little bit of chaos — we call it NWSL after dark," said Kurtz, who enters her eighth year in the NWSL. "How do you weather the storm, but also celebrate all the little things. When someone is successful, it's the team's success. We have a beautiful culture of sticking together, strong communication, and being ourselves — that way every single person [feels empowered to express] the positive attributes that they got recruited here to show."
The only thing kept secret at media day was the team's unannounced kit (or jersey, for the uninitiated). The players seemed thrilled by their new threads, but team management didn't want images leaked out quite yet.
"When I saw the kit, as a Colorado native, I was like 'That's so Colorado,'" Brazier said. "It's perfect. The color scheme, the coordination of it — it's so Colorado. I think people are going to love it."
March 2026
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November 2026
** game played at DICK's Sporting Goods Park
other home matches scheduled to be played at Centennial Stadium