East Ventura News

California Lutheran University has become the site of the largest training facility for professional women's soccer in the United States. Angel City Football Club (ACFC) inaugurated their new 50,000-square-foot high-performance training center on January 21. The facility is located off Campus Drive and occupies nine acres previously used by the Los Angeles Rams.

"This is more than a place to train," stated ACFC president and co-founder Julie Uhrman. "It’s a symbol of our commitment to building a championship-level experience for our players and staff so they can perform at their best, removing all distractions and excuses."

The National Women’s Soccer League franchise, established in 2020, has been practicing at Cal Lutheran since 2022. Uhrman emphasized the importance of their collaboration with the university: "Through our partnership, we’ve been able to work with [Cal Lutheran] and your staff as well as your students and talk about the future of sports and the world that they can play in."

Before moving into the new facility this month, ACFC completed a multimillion-dollar custom remodel that included creating one-and-a-half soccer fields, integrating advanced performance technology, and constructing a hydrotherapy area with cold and hot plunge pools and saunas. Existing facilities such as the gym, medical treatment area, and film room were also upgraded.

Willow Bay highlighted the significance of these advancements: "This state-of-the-art performance center... sets the bar but it really should be the norm." She added that female athletes should have access to such facilities everywhere they work.

The performance center will operate year-round for ACFC first-team players as well as their developmental team and staff. Cal Lutheran Interim President John Nunes expressed enthusiasm about having ACFC on campus: "We are inspired by you and by this partnership. We are inspired by the alignment of values."

Under an agreement made last fall, Angel City will use this site until at least 2028. The team plays its home games at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

ACFC's presence offers educational opportunities beyond financial benefits for students. Players and executives engage with students through forums, internships are available, staff members guest lecture in classes, and club members participate in discussions with coaches and student-athletes.

Matt Ward from Cal Lutheran praised this partnership: "They continue to build a model of excellence that inspires both the university and community around us."

Cal Lutheran has previously partnered with elite athletic teams like hosting training camps for NFL teams including Los Angeles Rams from 2016-2023 along with Dallas Cowboys’ long-term association over two decades plus serving U.S Olympic men’s water polo teams during past events held within its premises too!