Portland's Push To Become The Global Epicenter Of Women's Sports

Forbes

5 days ago

The city of Portland, Oregon is making a bold play to lead the global women's sports movement. And after a historic week of events, announcements, and activations, one thing is clear: Portland isn't just talking the talk; it's building the infrastructure, fanbase, and momentum to back it up.
From July 23-26, Portland hosted the inaugural 'Epicenter: Women's Global Sports Summit', which was a four-day celebration that brought together elite athletes, global leaders, and passionate community members to explore what's possible when women's sports are meaningfully invested in and prioritized. Dubbed 'Epicenter Week', the event marked the launch of Portland's effort to become the 'global epicenter of women's sports,' and offered a playbook for how cities can align infrastructure, community, and investment to grow the women's game.
Behind this movement is RAJ Sports, the only ownership group in the U.S. that holds both a WNBA and NWSL team: the newly announced WNBA expansion team, the Portland Fire and the NWSL's Portland Thorns. Led by siblings Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage, RAJ Sports is aiming to build a world-class women's sports ecosystem in Portland rooted in innovation, equity, and athlete-first infrastructure.
'Portland isn't just passionate about women's sports; it's leading the nation in nearly every measurable way,' said Karina LeBlanc, Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth and Development at RAJ Sports. 'What sets Portland apart is that we've built the full ecosystem. We have the athletes, the teams, the infrastructure, and a fan base that consistently shows up.'
Epicenter Week featured a compelling mix of cultural events, youth programming, elite competition, and strategic conversations. Highlights included:
'With Epicenter Week, we showed what's possible when a city brings athletes, owners, researchers, and civic leaders into the same conversation, and puts that dialogue into motion,' said LeBlanc. 'Portland doesn't just talk about the future of women's sports. We've built a platform for it.'
Notably, RAJ Sports is investing in a $150 million dual-purpose training facility that will serve both the Thorns and the Fire. More than just a practice space, the facility will be a hub for athlete recovery, performance innovation, and community connection. The space is a tangible example of the group's 'collective alchemy' strategy, which emphasizes cross-pollination between recovery science, sport performance, and business strategy.
Just outside of Portland sits the global headquarters of Nike, a proximity that provides a competitive edge. With both the Thorns and Fire playing in Nike's backyard, with strategic partnerships, Portland could easily become a 'test kitchen' for women's sport innovation, giving athletes direct access to product feedback loops, performance data, and new technology.
'Infrastructure and innovation are meeting here in a way that can create something really special,' said Sarah Spain, award-winning sports journalist and host of women's sports podcast 'Good Game with Sarah Spain." Spain led two panel discussions at the Epicenter Summit, both focused on building a better future for women's sports.
Epicenter Week also marked the launch of 'Thorns for All,' a new equity-driven community platform focused on education, equity & accessibility, health & wellness, and sustainability. A priority program of the newly launched platform is 'Lead(HERS) of Tomorrow,' which is a professional development initiative for young women interested in working in sports. During Epicenter Week, the Thorns brought 11 young women from across the Portland metro area into the Thorns front office for a career immersion experience.
Led by Zoe Raiter, the Thorns' Director of Community Impact, the program introduced participants to roles across partnership sales, marketing, ticket operations, and people & culture, with the goal of empowering young women to see themselves as future leaders.
'If you see it, you can be it,' said Raiter. 'We wanted these girls to not only learn about careers in sports but to see themselves in those roles.'
The program is supported by Alaska Airlines, Ring, and Toyota, and is part of a broader strategy to ensure that Portland doesn't just build women's sports at the professional level, but also develops the next generation of talent and leaders off the field.
While claiming to be the 'Global Epicenter of Women's Sports' is a big statement, Portland has some compelling data to back that statement up. The Thorns lead the NWSL in average home attendance at 17,200, which is well above the league's 10,600 average, and also hosted the highest-attended NWSL match of 2025 in June with over 21,000 fans. Even the original Portland Fire WNBA team averaged over 8,600 fans per game back when they played in 2001, proving this city's passion for women's sports has deep roots. Portland is also home to the world's first dedicated women's sports bar – 'The Sports Bra' – which was opened in 2022 by Jenny Nguyen.
'This isn't new for Portland,' said LeBlanc. 'If there's one lesson we hope others take from what's happening here, it's this: when a city fully backs women's sports – athletes at the center, with infrastructure, intention, and community behind it – the world pays attention.'
As mid-sized markets across the U.S. look to expand their footprint in women's sports, Portland is offering a roadmap. One that's grounded in consistency, collaboration, and purpose-driven leadership.
With a forward-thinking leadership group, a powerful fan base, thoughtful community programming, strategic corporate partners, meaningful investment, and a clear long-term vision, Portland isn't just aiming to be the epicenter of women's sports; it's already making a strong case.