How will new NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird shape the league?

On Thursday, the NWSL announced that Lisa Baird will be the new league commissioner. What should be her top priorities?

After a three-year vacancy, the NWSL finally has a commissioner.

On Thursday, the league announced that Lisa Baird will be taking over as the NWSL commissioner. The last person to hold the position was Jeff Plush, who left in 2017. After his departure, Amanda Duffy basically served as the de-facto commissioner but never held the title. Duffy left her role as the NWSL President in January to become the Executive Vice President of the Orlando Pride.

Baird has a wealth of experience both in and out of sports. She previously served as the Chief Marketing Officer of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Licensing for the NFL. Prior to this role, she has been working as the Chief Marketing Officer for WNYC.

Baird is taking over the NWSL at a critical period in the league’s growth. The United States’ victory at the 2019 Women’s World Cup brought international attention to women’s soccer in America and many new potential fans. The league has been able to capitalize with a sponsorship from Budweiser and a soon-to-be-announced broadcast and streaming deal with CBS Sports.

With the USWNT on display again this summer at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Baird will have an opportunity to take that growth to the next level.

“I feel like not only do we have a clear path for growth, but we have momentum,” Baird said. “And I think the experience I bring will help take us to the next level.”

Baird cited her relationships with major companies as one example of how she could help the league reach that next level.

“I think we have a meeting of the minds between myself and ownership: I’m going to spend my time on the commercial side of it and media sponsorship,” Baird said. “That’s an area where I have a lot of experience and good relationships with major companies that are not only strong longtime sports sponsors, but really interested in advancing women’s sports.”

Baird is also focused on access to the game, which has been a major issue for the NWSL. Whether it’s playing in smaller, out-of-the-way stadiums in certain markets or the lack of television coverage, many fans aren’t engaging with the league simply because opportunities to do so aren’t easily available.

“I’m very excited about the potential of media,” Baird said. “When I talk to people about professional sports, the most common complaint I hear from people who are avidly following the game is how are we going to engage with it? I have a lot of experience building brands, building digital extensions of brands, building social communities around the game and rivalries. And that’s an area that I hope I can put my imprint on.”

League attendance increased by 22 percent in 2019. That’s no doubt thanks to a post-World Cup boost, but part of Baird’s job will be sustaining that growth.

It helps that Sky Blue, who had the lowest average attendance in 2019, will be moving to Red Bull Arena this season, opening them up more to the NYC market. And the Washington Spirit, who previously played only at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland, will split their season between three stadiums in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. The two games that the Spirit played at Audi Field in D.C. last season averaged more than 18,000 fans.

But there is still a lot of work to be done in places like Houston, where the Dash averaged only 3,615 in attendance in 2019 despite playing in an MLS stadium close to downtown.

The NWSL is full of opportunities. There are also many potential pitfalls. It certainly seems like Lisa Baird is up to the task.